luminicolescu@yahoo. com Ciprian Nicolescu Academy of Economic Studies Bucharest, 6, Piata Romana, 1st district, 010374, Romania+4. 021.319.19.00 E-mail:
types of innovative activities, investments in innovations, the intensity of renewing the existing products, the use of IT, the use of the Internet, etc.
As part of the innovative process, the use of the Internet is considered increasingly important for SMES by influencing aspects such as competitiveness,
the level of investment in innovative activities and about specific innovative aspects such as renewing products and using the internet and the intranet in the activities.
The exploitation of Internet and of e-mail are the next most frequently used forms of IT in Romanian SMES,
In the last two years, there was a noticeable increase in the percentage of SMES that created their own Internet sites,
This comes as an argument for previously encountered findings that state that †internet developments have been found to be critical for SMES to build successful interactions with business customers†(Tseng and Johnsen, 2011, p. 573.
, the use of the intranet diminished in Romanian SMES in the last two years, possibly due to a decrease in the number of large SMES,
where the use of the intranet is needed at larger extents. However, even though the exploitation of information technologies is seen as being part of the process of innovation,
/2009 2009/2010 2010/2011 Computers 81.90%82.08%82.51%82.25%83.26%81.55%77.09%Internet 64.16%70.14%66.64%72.93%81.44%78.59
%73.22%E-mail 56.51%62.86%61.54%61.07%72.52%74.81%69.93%Own site 27.97%24.12%23.77%11.54%16.20%33.33%33.26%Trade on line
7. 51%7. 89%9. 59%6. 77%11.01%11.78%14.21%Intranet N/A 12.40%9. 93%21.50%36.56%15.49%5
the web-based Luminiå£a Nicolescu, Ciprian Nicolescu ISSN 2071-789x RECENT ISSUES IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Economics & Sociology, Vol. 5, No 2a, 2012 81
including the use of inter-organizational systems (particularly the Internet), due to positive experiences of SMES with web based electronic commerce on the one hand and to the continued desire of larger firms to achieve full compliance with their inter-organizational systems on the other hand (Hughes, Golden and Powell, 2003).
Similarly, Ngugi, Johnsen and Erdelyi (2010) illustrated how the participation of SMES from the organic food and drink industry from UK in Internet based information systems with large supermarkets lead to the creation of inter-organizational systems
that contribute to innovative processes in SMES. Detailed analysis of the purposes for which SMES used the Internet and Intranet as IT mediums,
shows that there was a change of priorities in the utilization of these means of communication.
Table 6. The use of Internet/Intranet in SMES from Romania in 2004/2005 †2010/2011 The purposes of using the Internet/Intranet 2004/2005 2005/2006 2006
The results of their study are similar to the results of the present study in the sense that Romanian SMES tend to use the Internet in limited ways, such as finding new suppliers and emailing prospective customers.
of Internet/Intranet in Romanian SMES in 2004/2005 †2010/2011 Conclusion This study provided a general image over the changes that took place in Romanian SMES in relationship with innovative activities
buying/selling on-line) to the already existing ones (Internet, e-mail). Luminiå£a Nicolescu, Ciprian Nicolescu ISSN 2071-789x RECENT ISSUES IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Economics & Sociology, Vol. 5, No 2a, 2012 83 Based on this general
and we refer here to the use of internet for different commercial and informative purposes.
Packham, G.,Miller, C. and Brooksbank, D. 2004), The use of Web services for SME innovation and technology support services in Wales, Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development,
Tseng, K. M. K. and Johnsen, R. E. 2011), Internationaliation and the internet in UK manufacturing SMES, Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, vol. 18
Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment 23 Kildare Street, Dublin 2, Ireland Telephone:+
which is available on our website www. entemp. ie. Innovation in Ireland 2008 3 The Government recognises the value that investment in research,
and will publish progress on our website. Ireland†s overall innovation performance will continue to be measured by the National Competitiveness Council in its annual Report to the Government
Volume II Proceedings of the Brasilia Conference, OECD, Paris. OECD (2008), Open Innovation in Global networks, OECD:
whether this was an effect of Asian research sites and talent being more competitive â€
First, Amazon allowed other firms to sell their goods through their website, providing an extra revenue stream for Amazon.
Take Apple and Google †often held up as the paradigmatic cases of open vs. closed strategies. 4 The basic analysis runs that Apple is †closed††keeping tight control of Apple products
while Google is †open††allowing other developers and organisations to develop their own innovations on its software. 5
Atlantic Books 5 http://googleblog. blogspot. com/2009/12/meaning-of-open. html 6 http://techcrunch. com/2011/03/25/search-googles-castle
•Convergent technology †the rise of general purpose technologies, particularly in digital, computing and internet areas has been identified by many as leading to a convergence of platform technologies,
In his August 2011 Mactaggart lecture, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt takes this line, suggesting Britain†s failings are at the level of national policy:
Finland, http://www. openinnovation. eu/download/OIPAFFINALREPORT. pdf 34 Missing an open goal? UK Public policy and open innovation Focusing on policies which all encourage a blanket †openness†not only ignores the subtlety of how organisations pursue open innovation management strategies,
Traditionally this is interpreted in physical terms †roads, railways, phone lines and the architecture of high speed internet.
upon existing websites. In the immediate term State agency and local authority websites should incorporate a standard roadmap that gives a clear pathway to
which agency is suited most to a firm†s or aspiring entrepreneur†s needs †with embedded links to the relevant websites35.
Notices in local newspapers and radio stations are posted, with a view to increasing awareness of the sessions and of start-up supports in general. 4. 8 Impacts & Outcomes In 2009, out of 270 participants:
In addition to traditional media, a particular feature of the initiative is the central role of social media in promoting the initiative
In this context, Enterprise Ireland manages a Linkedin and Facebook page for Ideagen to facilitate ongoing networking
and information sharing between participants and to promote the initiative to all stakeholders. The Pilot phase was attended by 144 individuals.
, Taxation, Website development, Time Management & Life Work Balance, Personal Effectiveness and Leadership Management 130 half-day involvement covering basic skills or information
. 0 Manufacturing Green Technology 1 1. 4 Other Manufacturing 8 11.3 Software Development 3 4. 2 Web Based Services for Consumers
0 0. 0 Web Based Services for Businesses 4 5. 6 Construction and Related Activities 8 11.3 Personal & Local Services for Consumers 25
The consultations comprised a mixture of one to one meetings, group discussions, survey and telephone/email research contact.
and circulated by email in order to obtain feedback from participants on Propel Phase One and Phase Two.
Non respondents were followed up by telephone which resulted in some participants completing the questionnaire over the phone.
Phase One Participants: All 19 participants were emailed and one bounce back email was received. Of those successfully contacted, 10 completed the questionnaire.
Therefore a 56 per cent response rate was achieved. Phase Two Participants: All 25 participants were contacted. 1 participant refused to participate in the survey
There were some weaknesses identified through the survey involving website information, follow up networking and organisational issues surrounding some of the workshops.
ie To sign up for our email alerts contact us at info@forfas. ie or through the website.
+353 1 607 3000 Fax:++353 1 607 3030 www. forfas. ie
Knowledge Partner Research Report OPEN INNOVATION IN SMES: How can small companies and start-ups benefit from open innovation strategies?
May 2009, published in English ï Het gebruik van Web 2. 0 ter ondersteuning van open innovatie en collectieve creativiteit.
December 2009, published in Dutch ï The international expansion path of Bekaert, AB-Inbev and Belgacom, Priscilla Boiardi and Leo Sleuwaegen,
online tool ï Web 2. 0 Readiness Scan ï HR Toolbox 7 Table of contents 1 Why does open innovation in SMES deserve more attention?..
and sent an additional email with detailed information about the study. In total, we contacted 18 companies that have been mentioned as having been involved in open innovation activities.
this trend is an outcome of the growing impact of the Internet, television, and other distractions at night.
and make patients less dependent on nurses using intelligent monitoring and communication systems. The small consortium used the keywords to develop a new concept of the patient room that was translated subsequently into several products
and blogs where recipes could be added and where people could learn inspirational ways to fry food.
and deepen learning about open innovation among entrepreneurs One way to accelerate the use of open innovation in small firms is to diffuse successful cases using audiovisual tools on the Internet.
and uploading them on Youtube, Slideshare, and so on. For a good example, see the videos on the Web site of the Belgian Design Forum.
Networks of learning in biotechnology, Administrative Science Quarterly, 41,116-145.32 In 2006, Netflix, a major movie rental company, organized a crowdsourcing contest on the Internet.
the Web-based movie rental service company awarded a team of mathematicians and computer engineers called Bellkor's Pragmatic Chaos. The group developed software that is at least 10%more accurate than Netflix's current software (Cinematch) at predicting which movies customers will like based on their past preferences.
knowledge workers become more mobile and innovation becomes riskier and more costly, more businesses have turned to open innovation as a way of increasing the speed and effectiveness of their innovation approaches.
The Intertradeireland Business Monitor telephone survey was undertaken in 2011 and the sample is structured to allow subgroup analysis by region, sector (seven of these), size of business (small, medium and large) and export orientation (exporters off the island, cross-border traders and non-exporters).
including marketing (e g. new or improved websites) or investments in new technology (e g. IT upgrades.
The Trade and Business Development Body The Old Gasworks Business Park Kilmorey Street Newry Co Down BT34 2de Telephone:
028 3083 4100 (048 from Ireland) Fax: 028 3083 4155 (048 from Ireland) Textphone: 028 3083 4169 (048 from Ireland) Email:
info@intertradeireland. com Web: www. intertradeireland. com Publication: December 2012 in
Competitiveness, Innovation and Productivity: Clearing up the Confusion Robert D. Atkinson August 2013 The Information technology & Innovation Foundation THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION FOUNDATION Page 2 COMPETITIVENESS, INNOVATION AND PRODUCTIVITY:
CLEARING UP THE CONFUSION To listen to many economists, pundits and policymak-ers discuss the economics of growth it would be easy to be confused by the commonly used terms:
and Peer Learning 3. 1. Peer mentoring 3. 2. One-to-one mentoring 3. 3. Skills development programmes 3. 4. Webinars 4
in conjunction with the programmes that the entrepreneurial community provides for itself. •Capital gains should be taxed at 20%rather than 33%to create incentives for investment in new enterprise. •A National Entrepreneurship Website for startups,
with social media channels, should be established which contains relevant up-to-date information on services available, along with links to agencies relevant to establishing
The Forum is grateful to the many people who have contributed online by telephone, in writing and in person.
especially given that most schools have significant numbers of (often under-used) internet-connected computers already in place.
with a focus on learning web development and computer programming. 3. Introduce a National Register for volunteer entrepreneurs who would be willing to visit schools to engage with students at local level. 2. 3 Encouragement for Under-Represented Groups The majority of the actions being taken by Government are helpful
A large number of industry associations, entrepreneurial events and conferences (including the Dublin Web Summit) are built on the concept of networking
Free web services to support this are available. 14 Industry efforts to create this national registry are already underway
or monthly basis for an â€oeoffice Hours†style programme. 25 Award winners alumni responded to this question. 14 Possibly using free or inexpensive off-the-shelf web services like http://ohours
-24-recommendationsrecommendations 3. 4 Webinars A recurrent theme from entrepreneurs is need the for workshops and prog rammes that develop the ir entrepreneurial skill-sets,
and industry organisations develop a rolling series of webinars that enable learning and information sharing.
The technology involved in hosting Webinars is quite inexpensive and speakers could offer their services free of charge.
The Webinars could be attended live or people could watch the webinar at a later time
or date via a hosted website. 23. One-hour webinars should be hosted by Agencies
and industry organisations on a monthly basis featuring topics that enable entrepreneurs to manage their businesses more effectively,
and that people can access in their own time. -25-recommendations Peer-to-peer learning between entrepreneurs is crucial to developing startup communities.
The emergence of digital mobile systems (GSM) and open systems in computing and communications created an environment where even small companies could make an impact in world markets such as banking
telecommunications services and interactive learning that were traditionally the preserve of large multinational companies. During the late 70s and 80s, a significant proportion of the third level graduates from engineering and science courses emigrated to join multinationals in mainland Europe and North america.
Typical startups of this period were companies such as Kindle (Banking Systems), Aldiscon (Text messaging), Fineos (Insurance), Iona (Enterprise Integration Software), APION (Mobile Web), CBT & Riverdeep
-29-17 http://www. linkedin. com/company/startup-ireland? trk=company name or http://startupireland. ie 18 For further information on what is happening globally with startup communities,
Startups. ie The startups. ie website was created by entrepreneurs to be a starting place for people interested in setting up their own business.
It contains a forum, blogs, startup stories and advice etc. There are also a number of other Irish websites (e g. www. smallbusinesscan. ie, www. business-startup. ie,
etc) and these websites provide detailed information regarding starting a business in Ireland. Startup Grind Ireland Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate
inspire, and connect entrepreneurs. They host monthly events featuring successful local founders, innovators, educators and investors who share personal stories and lessons learned on the road to building great companies.
and a national website advertising various activities. These activities and other events for entrepreneurs take place regularly across Ireland20.
Establish a national website and e-mail list (hosted and run by volunteers in the private sector for each part of the country,
Some people parallel the growing popularity of co-working spaces to the popularisation of coffee spots with free Internet such as Starbucks. These locations led to a †lightbulb†moment for many who recognised that highly productive work
•Central location accessible via public transport. •Unlimited and reliable wifi. •Open plan, brightly lit, hot-desking/collaborative space with specially designed break out space, meeting rooms,
kitchen facilities and event space incorporated. •24hr access to the space. •An incorporated coffee shop or complimentary coffee break-out area. •Plug-and-play style services (internet
, printing, telephone, postal and storage facilities) at affordable costs. Co-working spaces usually range from 2,
r a t o r-r e l a t e d a c t i v i t y. Corresponding website development,
using social networks with crowdfunding platforms to finance their businesses and projects. The United states and other markets are experimenting with crowdfunding extensively at this time.
 An email alert system should be in place to inform service providers of new programmes
Social media should be used to support information sharing. The Forum would like to see more knowledge sharing and less duplication of effort among service providers across all of the State organisations.
So many websites and sources of information are available that many people find it confusing and inaccessible.
While no one website can possibly answer every question at any time, a better national website resource is required,
which provides information on the supports available and signposts the user to relevant agencies. We acknowledge that the development of this website could be a substantial undertaking.
The private sector have developed already several initiatives that help direct entrepreneurs to relevant events and resources39.
These may provide models for the agency developing the national website, and are discussed further in Chapter 4 Vibrant Hotspots of Activity.
A National Entrepreneurship Website for startups should be established which contains relevant up-to-date information on services available
This initiative must also use social media channels. 63. The e-Government initiative by the government should look at the various requirements for registering a business in Ireland,
and events by joining Startup Ireland†s Linkedin group and regularly checking the Startup Digest for events in Cork
These Guides should be made available on the Revenue website and also provided to companies when they register for VAT. 64.
These Guides should be made available on the Revenue website and also provided to companies when they register for VAT. 7. 4 Taxation/social welfare T h e Fo r u m s u b m i t t e d a nu
with a focus on learning web development and computer programming. 3. Introduce a National Register for volunteer entrepreneurs who would be willing to visit schools to engage with students at local level. 2. 3 Encouragement for Under-Represented Groups 4. As part of an entrepreneurship cultural awareness campaign,
the Forum recommends cutting the charge as a specific measure to support unemployed people trying to start a business. 3. 4 Webinars 23.
One-hour webinars should be hosted by Agencies and industry organisations on a monthly basis featuring topics that enable entrepreneurs to manage their businesses more effectively,
Establish a national website and e-mail list (hosted and run by volunteers in the private sector) for each part of the country,
t e d a c t i v i t y. Corresponding website development, campaigns and media outreach should be undertaken. 50.
A National Entrepreneurship Website for startups should be established which contains relevant up-to-date information on services available
This initiative must also use social media channels. 63. The e-Government initiative by the government should look at the various requirements for registering a business in Ireland,
These Guides should be made available on the Revenue website and also provided to companies when they register for VAT. 7. 4 Taxation/social welfare 65.
Sean O†Sullivan Managing director and founder of SOSVENTURES and Carma Joe Cunningham Founder, Aldiscon, APION, Aepona, Accuris, Ammeon, ex CTO, Logica Mobile networks, Aldiscon
Irish Internet Association IP: Intellectual Property IRC: Irish Research Council ISA: Irish Software Association ITLG:
the usage rate of the internet in population, and culture. 2. The entrepreneurial activity (ACT) sub-index is concerned principally with measuring high growth potential startup activity.
and promotion of female role models, targeted events and awards, support for female entrepreneur networks and promotion of a dedicated area on corporate websites.
DES) Develop a web portal to attract international talent with in demand skills to Ireland. EI, IDA, D/Social Protection, D/Foreign affairs, Irish Software Association, ICT Ireland) Develop Junior Cycle short courses in Digital Media Literacy and Coding.
The poor level of internet/broadband access and capacity in many rural areas is a handicap to their strategic development.
An Employer Pack, available on the Department of Social Protection†s website, contains more details on these supports and services.
An easy to use web portal businessregulation. ie) for all key business regulatory compliance issues has been introduced to help reduce the regulatory burden on the enterprise sector.
This will provide businesses with a single web portal through which businesses will be able to apply for
statistics website National Policy Statement on Entrepreneurship in Ireland 31 Innovation & Collaboration Fusion (technology transfer through company graduate-academic partnership) Challenge (business transformation
In response, KTI has published a first set of model agreements and guidelines on its web portal. Combined with the guidance notes also published,
and connectivity with low access thresholds Timely and flexible access to startup and growth capital An investor-grade business planning support service Low cost, timely introductions to intelligent global networks.
Companies such as Google, SAP, Microsoft, Facebook, Dell and IBM are emerging partners with EI in supporting startups.
The irish public sector also presents market opportunities as a reference site to enable companies to tender for and secure contracts overseas. 6. 3. 1 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) in Ireland
valuable reference sites with major government customers which in many cases can be leveraged to enter international markets.
and the National Digital Strategy will assist and incentivise greater use of online trading to access global web-based markets.
S u b-I n d ex Cultural Support Career Status Corruption Networking Know Entrepreneurs Internet Usage Risk Acceptance Risk Acceptance Business Risk Start-up
R&d investments is likely to continue through the end of the decade. •Significant R&d investments by western countries in long-range technology platforms like robotics, high-performance computing, social media, software,
China†s Huawei, for example, now competes for telecommunication contracts in Europe and the U s. Its related attempts to acquire U s. telecom companies have been rebuffed largely by federal regulators,
providing incentive to develop indigenous product development capabilities. Moreover, China is designing and building state-of-the-art next-generation nuclear power plants,
spanning semiconductors, telecommunications, productivity or security software, computers, tablets and gaming. Across all these applications the integration of smaller, faster, mobile,
and more powerful electronics with the increasingly pervasive Internet continues to drive innovation in networking and information technologies across all industries.
As Internet functionality continues to evolve these domains, a redefinition of ICT may be needed. Such a change could alter the perception of U s. strength.
%Corporate leaders in ICT R&d investment Nokia Ericsson Canon Huawei Alcatel Lucent Microsoft Intel Cisco IBM Google-10%0%10%20
as the problems with the Affordable Care Act website so clearly demonstrated, we need a change in the rules
Fiscal years 2012-2022 (CBO, January 2012), www. cbo. gov/sites/default/files/cbofiles/attachments/01-31-2012 outlook. pdf. 6. For a definition
2014 to 2023 (CBO, November 2013), http://www. cbo. gov/sites/default/files/cbofiles/attachments/44715-Optionsforreducingdeficit-2 1. pdf. 8. Luke
A Profile†(HFCA, July 2000), 12, http://www. cms. gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/Thechartseries/Downloads/35chartbk. pdf
accessed October 15, 2013), 365, http://www. whitehouse. gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ERP 2012 COMPLETE. pdf. 40.
Author calculations using data from SSDI website. See: Social security administration, 2013 OASDI Trustees Report (Table V. A3.
Roy Walmsely, â€oeworld Prison Population List†(International Centre for Prison Studies, November 2013), http://www. prisonstudies. org/sites/prisonstudies. org/files
/resources/downloads/wppl 10. pdf. 51. E. Ann Carson and William J. Sabol, Prisoners in 2011 (Prisoners under state and federal jurisdiction at yearend, 2000†2011;
accessed October 15, 2013), http://www. cbo. gov/sites/default/files/cbofiles/attachments/Historicalbudgetdata aug13. xls. 56.
December 17, 2012), http://www. cepr. net/index. php/blogs/cepr-blog/thoughts-on-the-chained-cpi-social-security-and-the-budget. 60.
accessed October 15, 2013), 191, http://www. whitehouse. gov/sites/default/files/omb/budget/fy2014/assets/spec. pdf. 65.
cbo. gov/sites/default/files/cbofiles/attachments/10-25-2012-Recent research on labor supply elasticities. pdf. 71. Moffitt, Robert A,
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT ITIF BY PHONE AT 202.449.1351, BY EMAIL AT MAIL@ITIF. ORG,
ONLINE AT WWW. ITIF. ORG, JOIN ITIF ON LINKEDIN OR FOLLOW ITIF ON TWITTER@ITIFDC AND ON FACEBOOK. COM/INNOVATIONPOLICY.
Distinguishing Between Productive Investment and Consumptive Spending Budget Policies INCREASE INVESTMENTS, INCLUDING CUTTING BUSINESS TAXES Reduce Effective Business Taxes Increase Tax Incentives for Investment Lower the Statutory Corporate Tax rate
and further investment is planned in the provision of high speed fixed line and mobile broadband services.
The Department of education and Skills and the Higher education Authority are co-funding a promotional campaign centred on a new website †www. ictworks. ie â€
. ie website in 2014 and the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs has reported some shortages in some niche skill areas.
DES, HEA, HEIS) 5 Devise and implement a programme around a single website portal, through industry and agencies working together,
The key service offered is a web portal that enables companies to identify experts, research centres and technology-licensing opportunities to benefit their business.
and commitment of additional staff in 2014, the focus has been on development of enhanced customer service (training, website, protocols with State bodies), seamless continuity of services (project supports/job creation, training
More information on the Scheme can be found at www. dcenr. gov. ie/nds and on the website of each LEO.
i the interview s industry ll games sect llion in 2015 ent has incre s industry alo ames sector-internet and um n 158,
website resources for entrepreneurs and supporters and the Startup Gathering annual survey of Ireland†s startup sector) are planned by Startup Ireland in conjunction with the Startup Gathering initiative to maximise the impact
ï§The Startup Gathering website will provide a signposting of resources and supports available to entrepreneurs in Ireland thereby improving accessibility to Ireland†s innovation system;
Google is goi ith them. An celerate our mploy 8 peo bout to secu expand beyo he opportun and†s Bes oung Entrepr support entr f new innova neurs enteri
The NCC highlight in particular the importance of investment in telecommunications, transport, energy and waste management.
and cultural and artistic collections either on Europeana or other websites in order to enhance our tourism offering to visitors from both home and abroad.
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a vacant site levy; and †use-it -or-lose-it†planning permissions; ï§A dedicated taskforce on Housing Supply in Dublin which has examined housing demand
enabling of a vacant site levy; and a â€oeuse it or lose it†approach for planning permissions.
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and the internet has done for business in the last decade. Iot is the next evolution of the internet
and 134 companies in the next ten years will be using this technology to improve the competitiveness of their manufacturing,
Overtext Web Module V3.0 Alpha
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