When entrepreneurs tell their innovation histories: the role of critical resources in the innovation process in SMEs

Abstract As is well known, innovation is one of the most important strategies of competition for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). It is often argued that SMEs innovate in specific ways, different from the innovation process in large firms. But what are the capabilities to identify innovative SMEs? Which are the key resources in the SMEs innovation process? How can SMEs sustain innovativeness all over the time? In this paper, authors try to give an answer to the previous questions trough a methodological proposal aimed at analysing the determinant of the success of innovation processes in SMEs. The methodology has been applied in the course of case studies, in particular in 5 Italian innovative SMEs. In fact, all the firms were characterised by a continuous effort in the innovation processes. Results of the case study highlight that a key issue in the success of innovation processes in SMEs is the transformation of the role of the Entrepreneurs, who become the coordinator of the critical internal and external resources to a successfully innovation process.