THE SIGNIFICANCE OF COMPETITIVE SMES FOR SUCCESSFUL REGIONAL CLUSTERS
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF COMPETITIVE SMES FOR SUCCESSFUL REGIONAL CLUSTERS

Summary/Abstract: In the last decade, regional clusters, entrepreneurship and their role in economic development have become very popular research topics due to the increasing competition at interregional and international level, the shortcomings of traditional regional development models and policies, and the emergence of successful clusters of firms and industries in many regions. The SME sector is an important source of dynamism and a major player in local and regional development, SMEs activity appearing as strategic for the development of regional economy, provided SMEs to be included in a coherent territorial network, involving links, relations, exchanges between them and other operators. Thus, cluster initiatives are seen as a tool to improve the competitiveness of both local SMEs and regions. This paper explores the significance of competitive SMEs for successful regional clusters and their role in the sustainable development at regional level. Local entrepreneurial activities can be the starting-point for the evolution of a regional cluster, SMEs being main actors in the cluster development process, but a cluster policy or existing regional clusters have positive impact on the performance of entrepreneurial activities and their level of competitiveness.

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