Title: Innovation capabilities in tourism and food production SMEs in the Baltic Sea Region

Authors: Ilona Baumane; Per Lind; Tatjana Simonova; Aivars Timofejevs; Rebekka Vedina; Piotr Wróbel

Addresses: University of Latvia, Ubeles 2/1 – 34, LV 1073 Riga, Latvia ' Gotland University, Cramérgatan 3, S-621 57 Visby, Sweden ' University of Greifswald, Friedrich-Loeffler-Str. 70, 17489 Greifswald, Germany ' Stockholm School of Economics in Riga, Strelnieku iela 4a, Riga LV 1010, Latvia ' University of Tartu; ESADE, Ramon Llull University, Narva mnt. 4, 51009 Tartu, Estonia ' University of Gda?sk, ul. Armii Krajowej 101, 81-824 Sopot, Poland

Abstract: Drawing on the resource-based view, this paper addresses two fundamental questions: what innovation capabilities are most important for the creation of innovations in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and what are the relations between different innovation capabilities? We propose a model for the analysis of innovation capabilities in small and medium enterprises. In the model, we distinguish between capacities, such as access to financial, physical, technological and human resources, and competencies, such as knowledge and skills, market and entrepreneurial orientation. The findings are based on surveys from 277 tourism and food production SMEs from five Baltic Sea Region countries.

Keywords: SMEs; small and medium-sized enterprises; innovation capabilities; capacities; competencies; resources; tourism; food production; Baltic Sea Region; resource-based view; RBV; SME capabilities; resource access; Baltic States; knowledge management; entrepreneurship.

DOI: 10.1504/IJKMS.2011.048442

International Journal of Knowledge Management Studies, 2011 Vol.4 No.4, pp.336 - 358

Published online: 29 Apr 2015 *

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