Innovation and Creativity in SMEs

2Stimulating the Innovative Capabilities of SMEs in an Ever-Changing World

2.1. Introduction

In Chapter 1, we saw how changes in the SME environment can weaken them and how difficult it is for them to make proactive decisions in a context of strong change. Yet, when change intensifies to the point of leading to a real mutation in the environment, action is a matter of survival, and innovation is often the cornerstone. The role of innovation in company competitiveness and the growth of countries is no longer disputed (Baumol 2002), but innovating in a changing world is an increased challenge for SMEs. By the term mutation, we mean the existence of successive transformations in the environment, involving those of a profound and enduring level. These are generally complex developments at different levels: technological, economic and social. They are characterized by an evolution in economic and social regulation. They sometimes even involve a crisis.

The impact of these changes was already questioned in the 1980s, at the time of the Ford crisis and the birth of post-Fordism (Piore and Sabel 1984; Leborgne and Lipietz 1988; Coriat 1990). It was then a question of considering the consequences of the shift from one triptych (mass production – mass consumption – standardized products), to another (flexible production – individualized consumption – differentiated products). However, the very use of the term “post-Fordism” underlines how difficult it is to characterize a mutation that ...