Enablers and Barriers to Innovation Through Network Learning in Food SMEs

The work aims at advancing the state of the art in the SME network innovation research by developing a deep understanding of barriers and enablers to networking and learning. By comparison between Switzerland and Italy market the work identifies networking attitudes, preferences and practices of food processing SMEs that are relevant to the innovation development in European food sector. The interviewees are 48 innovation managers of food processing SMEs that innovate in inter-organizational and network collaborations. The results show high similarities between Switzerland and Italy with respect to networking orientation and learning research benefits of food Smes. Mutual benefits, personal and trust relationships are seen as enabler to networking and learning interaction also when imbalance and power asymmetries emerge. Some differences between small and medium firms emerge regards to openness and partners of innovation network.