Call for papers: Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs): Growth and Innovation

Call for papers: Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs): Growth and Innovation

A special issue of International Journal of Learning and Intellectual Capital

With economic globalisation having gradually developed in depth, science and technology has become the leading force for economic and social development, turning into the driving force to support and lead the development of the economy and the progress of human civilization. Impelled by science and technology, human beings are experiencing transformation from the industrial society to the knowledge society, with science and technology continuing to create new economic growth points, playing an increasingly important role in terms of solving a series of important issues for the sustainable development of mankind. Facing the current overall development trends of science and technology, many developed countries and newly industrialised countries have made similar strategic choices, setting scientific and technological innovation as a national strategy, keeping on investing in science and technology, and deploying and developing strategic technology and industry, to achieve continuous improvement in the competitiveness of the country.

The development of the world economy of past 30 years shows that SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), especially technology-based SMEs, are the important force in technology innovation systems, the most active and most efficient part of national innovation systems, and the source of technological innovation and the direct carrier of the technological achievement transfer. According to statistical data, about 60% of the major innovations are originated from SMEs in the 20th century, especially from technology-based SMEs, more than 80% of American new technologies are turned into industrial productions by SMEs. Practice has proved that some international well-known large companies, such as Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, Dell, etc., grow from small enterprises. Therefore, SMEs’ innovation activities should be paid great attention, and strong policies should be implemented to support the innovation and development of SMEs.

In the face of fierce competition, a critical issue has become how SMEs are able to withstand pressures from a large number of multinational enterprises and large domestic enterprises, and win more space for growth and development, an issue that entrepreneurs pay close attention to. The important support for continued growth of SMEs is continued innovation, particularly technological innovation. Therefore, the estimation of growth type, characteristics and paths are of special significance for SMEs to achieve sustained growth by way of technological innovation.

We invite contributions to this special issue that aims to discuss on SMEs’ growth and innovation, including intellectual capital management, improvement of enterprise capabilities, industry-academia cooperation, strategic management, establishment of growth and development environment, financial policies, government governance, case studies, etc.

Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Survey of SMEs' growth
• Intellectual capital management, organisational learning, knowledge management
• Human resource training and management
• Environment establishment for SMEs' growth and development
• Informatisation of SMEs
• Venture capital
• Strategic management
• Industry-academia cooperation
• Core technology and competence management
• Science and technology intermediary service
• Intellectual property protection
• Corporate culture
• Globalisation of SMEs
• Entrepreneurial ability
• Government governance
• Support of policies
• Case studies

Important Date
Deadline for Submissions: March 1, 2009