Innovation and Export

2Joint Innovation–Export Best Practices

In view of the scientific positioning exposed in Chapter 1, this chapter aims to identify and characterize the common space between innovation and export, in order to highlight the joint activities on which SMEs must act in priority to improve their performance, both in terms of innovation and export.

The objective is, therefore, first of all, to identify which activities are specific to innovation and which are export-related. The aim is to create a set of best practice frameworks to characterize the innovation and export areas separately so that they can then be better linked together. As these frameworks are built on a similar logic and structure, it is then possible to merge them in order to characterize the common innovation–export space in the form of joint best practices.

2.1. The construction of a theoretical frame of reference

The first step in developing the joint practice framework is to determine the basis for assessing innovation and export capabilities. Both of these capabilities have been extensively studied and have been validated and tested using several assessment models. In addition, it was established earlier (see section 1.2.3) that innovation and exporting share common characteristics and factors. This common model is therefore based on the assumption that it is possible to establish relationships between the assessment of the two capabilities.

2.1.1. Identifying innovation practices: the potential innovation index ...