Study on the open innovation practices in Romanian SMEs

This paper highlights some of the results of the study carried out by the authors within the research project “Integrated system for innovation management in SMEs”, code PN-II-PT-PCCA-2013-4-1319, under way at the Business Administration Research Centre of the Bucharest University of Economic Studies. The objective aimed at was to show the progress made by Romanian SMEs in adopting the open innovation principles. In order to reach this objective, the authors analysed the available statistical data for the period 2002-2012 concerning the trend of the SMEs’ weight in the total innovation businesses compared to the weight of the large companies, the trend of the number of innovation projects started but unfinished or abandoned, and the trend of the ratio between the weight of the expenses on internal innovation activities and the expenses on external innovation activities for these businesses. The performed study highlighted the fact that within the analysed period, the weight of innovative SMEs in the total SMEs doubled. Within the same period of time the number of Romanian SMEs that initiated research-development-innovation projects unfinished and/or abandoned went up significantly, which proves that the initiatives of these businesses in developing ever more complex and riskier research projects multiplied. Under these circumstances, the authors’ opinion is that focus is needed on external innovation sources that are typical to open innovation, with an important role in enhancing the performance of the innovation process.