The Reseach & Development and Innovation Capacity of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises in IMES

Abstract

Small industrial estates and industrial zones are an important contribution to economic and social development. Small industrial estates combined with various industrial policies, such as the clustering of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SME) are very important for the global economy. Clustering approach reduces transaction costs and increases productivity between firms by being together. The firms which are producing complementary and byproducts for each other together and within a program is an efficient way to be competitive and profitable. The studies related with the small industrial estates suggest that the relationship established between these business networks is providing a basis for Research and Development (R & D) and innovation. IMES Industrial Estate meets a significant portion of industrial machinery and spare parts of medium and large scaled industries with 150 Social Facility, 1150 workplace operating in 50 different areas and more than 12 thousand employees in Turkey. With this research, we want to analyze the SMEs' R & D and innovation capacity in IMES Industrial Estate and we will recommend some ways to improve the R & D and innovation capacity. As of April 2013, the SMEs located in IMES were included in the study. The survey was administered to 713 out of 851 firms. 580 firms has reponded to survey. As a result of this research, R & D and innovation capacity of SMEs' in IMES are found to be low. According to this current situation identified with this research, we will make some suggestions to improve R&D and innovation capacity in IMES. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published Elsevier Ltd.