Innovation process in Italian SMES: the university role

nnovation process is a very critical one, both inside the big corporations and for the SMEs which in Italy are 7 million. In Bergamo area there is a SME every 7 inhabitants, particularly in textile, mechanical and electronic industries. SMEs in Italy constitute the 50% of PIL and 70% of occupation. Universities and CNR (National Research Center) have promoted in the past more than 30 technological parks and about 300 public institutions should facilitate technology transfer to Italian SMEs, but the dialogue between research centers and enterprises remains very difficult, basically for cultural reasons. In Italy researchers and scientists publish papers for their international colleagues and major reviews, using scientific and technical language impossible to be understood by the entrepreneurs. SMEs entrepreneurs and managers are very far from University environment because there are pragmatic and practical in managing their projects. A lot of research is also developed in the humanistic and art areas where Italy has a traditional leadership. In given article the features of Italian National Innovation System (INIS) are described, and the role of University of Bergamo in innovative process is shown. The authors of the article consider that using of experience of Finland and Israel could be applied as two possible strategies for development of INIS and for implementation of innovation into SMEs. In the article the role of institutions supporting innovative entrepreneurship in Latvia also are considered. This experience could be useful to mutual cooperation between Italy and Latvia. Obviously, collaboration SMEs with universities in R&D gives possibilities of efficient knowledge transfer, resource exchange and organizational learning.