Legal framework for SMEs as a structural factor for regional development

More about the book

The EU aims to enhance its economic competitiveness to effectively address current challenges and maintain economic, territorial, and social cohesion. Achieving these goals is linked to the completion of the internal market, characterized as a system of open and competitive markets. This requires enhanced cooperation among various actors at EU, national, and regional levels, focusing on innovation, research, and development. Close collaboration among authorities, businesses, and academia is essential. Innovative SMEs play a crucial role in this implementation, necessitating a supportive legal framework and coherent policies from relevant authorities. Technology parks exemplify this cooperation, aligning with the Europe 2020 strategy and its predecessor, the Lisbon Strategy, to foster economic, territorial, and social cohesion. Through case studies from Bremen, Gdansk, and Klagenfurt—urban sub-centres with similar socio-economic conditions—this analysis explores scenarios and best practices for innovative SMEs' contributions to regional development. It emphasizes cooperation among business, academia, and administration, adhering to the Europe 2020 approach that rejects a "one-size-fits-all" strategy. The dynamic realm of innovation and R&D must swiftly address emerging challenges, navigating the evolving definitions of "modern" and "outdated" in laws and policies.