Innovation Ecosystems for the Moldovan Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

Abstract

In the last decades, the word 'innovation' can be heard more and more on the entrepreneurial side. It has a crucial role in satisfying the customers, competition with other companies, and increasing the turnover of the enterprises. SME's economic performance is directly affecting the national budget. Still, there is not a precise method of assessing and improving the innovation process at neither firm nor national level. The paper aims to analyze the current innovative performance of Moldovan SMEs. The analysis will explore factors affecting enterprise innovation. It will determine how the existing innovation ecosystem affects the one in an enterprise, and what methods should be applied to improve innovation as well as the ecosystem. To gain insight, the study conducted an email survey of 150 companies, which were the object for research in the Republic of Moldova. The primary purpose of the study is to emphasize the importance of innovation issues related to increasing SME's competitiveness, in connection with presenting the theoretical aspects in the field, proving basic concepts and quantifying them in the study of innovation as well as various forms, types, and factors influencing innovative organizations. The objective of these enterprise questionnaires is to accumulate substantial and reliable information that is significant to responding to the fundamental research questions. Methodological tools of the research methods were the tools for statistical analysis based on using primary data from the questionnaire research. The reference period for statistical research was 2013 and 2017. The author collected the data between August and September 2018 based on questionnaires filled in on paper or sent through the email by the enterprises included in the research. The results of the study provide the following insights: product innovation is the primary innovation type among Moldovan SMEs; the country lacks financial resources for innovation support. Also, Moldova's weak innovation ecosystem and lack of highly qualified workers slow down the development of enterprises. At the end of the thesis, several recommendations for enterprise managers as well as high-level government organizations were provided. Keywords ecosystems, entrepreneurs, innovation, small and medium-sized enterprises, SMEs, Moldova.

Social and Eco-Friendly Enterpreneurship: The Keys to Sustainability

“…The existence of positive multilateral links between responsible management, financial sustainability, organizational performance has been empirically confirmed (El Amri et al, 2020), which proves the need for a comprehensive consideration of managerial, social, financial and environmental parameters in building a modern enterprise. On the other hand, it is determined that insufficient development of intellectual capital and lack of state support reduce the introduction of innovations by enterprises and the development of the innovation ecosystem (Ubreziova et al, 2020). That is why the most effective way to develop enterprises should be to balance their economic, environmental and human potential.…”

A Systematic Review of Enterprise Innovation Ecosystems

“…The enterprises in the system are mainly small-and medium-sized enterprises, and each SME spontaneously seeks and establishes external innovation cooperation relationships as in Figure 8. Ubreziova et al surveyed 150 SMEs in the Republic of Moldova, utilizing questionnaire surveys, and concluded that a weak EIE slows the development of enterprises and that the economic performance of SMEs directly affects the national budget [31]. Therefore, it is extremely important to build a strong SME innovation ecosystem.…”

“…Enterprises with high service innovation intensity have stronger ecological-related capabilities than do those with low service innovation intensity [11]. (d) Suggestions for companies: Ubreziova et al conducted research on 150 small and medium-sized enterprises in the Republic of Moldova, pointed out that a weak innovation ecosystem and lack of high-quality workers slowed down the development of enterprises, and put forward several suggestions for business managers and high-level government organizations [31]. (e) Ecological stage perspective: based on an exploratory case study on the innovation eco-system of China's high-speed railway industry, some authors have identified three ecosystem stages, namely the technology accumulation period, the technology introduction period, and the independent innovation period [25].…”

A regionalização do ecossistema de inovação do Rio Grande do Sul

“…governo estadual, embora muito criticado por uma boa parte dos entrevistados, pela falta de um projeto concreto para a inovação do estado, apresenta por outro lado um programa para o incentivo dos polos regionais de inovação e propôs um planejamento estratégico para o estado do Rio Grande do Sul entre os anos de 2019 e 2022. Nesse tocante, é importante mencionar queIsenberg (2016), Radicic, Pugh e Douglas (2020),Ubreziova et al (2020) e Valkokari (2015 reforçam em seus artigos a importância do governo não apenas como provedor financeiro, mas como propositor de ações estratégicas para desenvolver o ecossistema.Sendo assim, saindo da visão da Hélice Tríplice e passando para refletir sobre a Hélice Quádrupla, a sociedade civil no Rio Grande do Sul tem grande importância, principalmente no tocante às universidades comunitárias com atuação em boa parte do estado. Além disso, é preciso aprofundar a visão para autores como Markkula e Kune (2015) e Ranga e Etzkowitz (2013), que reforçam o governo como personagem chave de um ecossistema de inovação.…”