Business Innovation Strategies in the European Context: A Comparative Analysis of SMEs in Poland and Germany
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| Format: | Recurso digital |
| Language: | En |
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2026
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| _version_ | 1866901337394905088 |
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| author | Prestini, Dawid |
| author_facet | Prestini, Dawid |
| contents | <p>Small and medium‑sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of European economies, accounting for 99 % of all businesses and providing jobs for more than 85 million people (European Commission, 2023). They are crucial drivers of innovation and entrepreneurship, yet their strategic approaches to innovation differ across countries. This paper compares innovation strategies among SMEs in Poland and Germany, two neighbouring economies with contrasting levels of technological development and institutional support. Drawing on a review of policy documents and academic literature, complemented by a synthetic dataset representing 100 SMEs (50 Polish and 50 German), the study examines how factors such as innovation expenditure, product and process innovations, digital maturity, export intensity and growth rates vary across countries. The analysis includes descriptive statistics, comparative graphs and regression models to highlight patterns and relationships. The findings indicate that German SMEs allocate a higher share of revenue to research and development, achieve greater digital maturity and exhibit stronger export orientation than Polish counterparts. Polish SMEs, although benefitting from foreign direct investment (FDI) linkages, face barriers such as high innovation costs, limited public funding and skills shortages (OECD, 2025). The study concludes that targeted policy measures, enhanced access to finance and strengthened collaboration networks are essential to boost innovation capacity among Polish SMEs, while German SMEs must continue to embrace digitalisation and adapt to evolving global trends. The paper offers implications for managers, policymakers and researchers seeking to understand cross‑country differences in SME innovation strategies.</p> |
| format | Recurso digital |
| id | zenodo_https___doi_org_10_5281_zenodo_19258636 |
| institution | Zenodo |
| language | enc |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publisher | Zenodo |
| record_format | zenodo |
| spellingShingle | Business Innovation Strategies in the European Context: A Comparative Analysis of SMEs in Poland and Germany Prestini, Dawid SMEs European Union innovation strategy research and development digital transformation comparative analysis Poland Germany knowledge spillover Sustainable Growth <p>Small and medium‑sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of European economies, accounting for 99 % of all businesses and providing jobs for more than 85 million people (European Commission, 2023). They are crucial drivers of innovation and entrepreneurship, yet their strategic approaches to innovation differ across countries. This paper compares innovation strategies among SMEs in Poland and Germany, two neighbouring economies with contrasting levels of technological development and institutional support. Drawing on a review of policy documents and academic literature, complemented by a synthetic dataset representing 100 SMEs (50 Polish and 50 German), the study examines how factors such as innovation expenditure, product and process innovations, digital maturity, export intensity and growth rates vary across countries. The analysis includes descriptive statistics, comparative graphs and regression models to highlight patterns and relationships. The findings indicate that German SMEs allocate a higher share of revenue to research and development, achieve greater digital maturity and exhibit stronger export orientation than Polish counterparts. Polish SMEs, although benefitting from foreign direct investment (FDI) linkages, face barriers such as high innovation costs, limited public funding and skills shortages (OECD, 2025). The study concludes that targeted policy measures, enhanced access to finance and strengthened collaboration networks are essential to boost innovation capacity among Polish SMEs, while German SMEs must continue to embrace digitalisation and adapt to evolving global trends. The paper offers implications for managers, policymakers and researchers seeking to understand cross‑country differences in SME innovation strategies.</p> |
| title | Business Innovation Strategies in the European Context: A Comparative Analysis of SMEs in Poland and Germany |
| topic | SMEs European Union innovation strategy research and development digital transformation comparative analysis Poland Germany knowledge spillover Sustainable Growth |
| url | https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19258636 |