Best Practice Presentation Partner: University of Wrocław Best Practice: Chances and threats for Lower Silesia SMEs’ activities on the Single European Market. The results of questionnaire survey conducted for INNOVINT project.

DESCRIPTION OF THE BEST PRACTICE The presentation concerns the results of questionnaire survey of young innovative companies from the Lower Silesia region (NUTS 2). As experience of young innovative companies on the Single European Market is short one cannot point out the best practice. Still, what can be presented are the needs and directions of changes demanded by Lower Silesia innovative companies which want to be successful on the European Market.

DESCRIPTION OF THE BEST PRACTICE After preliminary selection carried out by regional partners, 54 Lower Silesia enterprises took part in questionnaire survey. Results: the majority of micro-enterprises described themselves as innovative companies (18 of 22) on the basis of the following factors:  new product,  new technology,  high-tech branch,  the technology import,  the development of the product. Most of 54 analized companies, regardless of their size, show the will of internationalization.

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF THE BEST PRACTICE The four main reasons for limited cooperation of Lower Silesia companies with foreign partners:  The lack of organizational area and lack of financial means  The lack of full access to the European Market, accusation of social dumping  The Information barrier, often resulted from the lack of knowledge in the field of law and foreign languages.  Concentration on the national market (resulting from the above mentioned reasons). The above-mentioned factors are in contradiction with the SMEs’ will for internationalization. In conclusion, analyzed enterprises have some wills in this regard, but still don’t see the possibilities.

THE IMPACT ON THE INNOVATIVE ENTERPRISES EMERGENCE The majority of the enterprises (54%) indicates their own resources and ideas as the most important factors connected with the introduction of the novelty in the company, which could assist in its services internationalization. A little bit over 18% of the enterprises declared that the most important factor is the acquirement of new machines, devices as well as the whole production lines, which means the implementation of relatively simple form of transfer of technology. Among all analyzed factors indicated by the companies, the most essential ones are accessible information (over 42% of the enterprises) and the engagement of the external specialists (over 26 %).

Presenter: NAME: PROF. KRYSTYNA MOSZKOWICZ ORGANIZATION: WROCLAW UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS CITY – COUNTRY: WROCLAW, POLAND PHONE: +48 (071)