Innovation Development in South American SMEs: Examining University Cooperation and Innovation Efforts through PLS-SEM (#1714)
Read ArticleDate of Conference
July 17-19, 2024
Published In
"Sustainable Engineering for a Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Future at the Service of Education, Research, and Industry for a Society 5.0."
Location of Conference
Costa Rica
Authors
Murrieta-Oquendo, María Elena
Marquez-Pinoargote, Claudia
Vera-Bermudez, Jessica
Abstract
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a key role in national economies, namely for emerging markets (EM), where potential economic growth is needed and dynamic shifts in consumer preferences appear. Innovation has been reported as an important mechanism for EM SMEs in enhancing firm performance, competitiveness, and market expansion. However, SMEs encounter internal and external barriers to innovation, emphasizing the importance of cooperative partnerships. Among these, university-firm cooperation emerges as a significant driver of innovation performance, market growth, and technological resource accessibility. Despite these insights, limited research contrasts the effectiveness of university cooperation in the results of innovation efforts. Therefore, this study investigates the moderating effect of university cooperation on the relationship between innovation efforts and innovation outputs across manufacturing SMEs from Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Findings suggest that innovation efforts positively impact innovation development regardless of the cooperative relationship with universities.