The COVID-19 pandemic has been a very strong reminder that the future economic development of any country is more than ever influenced by its ability to ramp-up digital competitiveness. Consequently, enterprises were pushed to assess and develop the possibilities offered by e-commerce and online marketing tools. In this book, experts outline the prerequisites for such online marketing competitiveness and compare the current level of digital marketing competitiveness in Europe by using publicly available macro and micro-level data. The authors present their analyses and recommendations including interviews with over 125 online marketers and e-commerce specialists and present the lessons from digitalization of over 600 SMEs.

This book is a close examination of the business side of high technology firms. Which innovative technologies are important to the success of start-up firms, as well as mature firms, equally important is an attention to the ways that the businesses are run. If the business is not managedwell, the firm will likely fail in spite of innovative technology. Since the field of high technology is characterized by many start-up firms, the book examines how entrepreneurs with innovative ideas go about beginning a business. It looks at the nature and backgrounds of those who start thebusinesses, the sources of financing they secure to get the businesses going, the strategies they employ in building their firms, and the factors that can lead to long-term success. The book also explores how established firms react to competitive pressures from a rapidly changing marketplace andhow they remain innovative and competitive. Government can play a role in creating conditions that are conducive to vital high technology industries and the book discusses public policies that can contribute to a thriving industrial sector.

This open access book explores the concept of Industry 4.0, which presents a considerable challenge for the production and service sectors. While digitization initiatives are usually integrated into the central corporate strategy of larger companies, smaller firms often have problems putting Industry 4.0 paradigms into practice. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) possess neither the human nor financial resources to systematically investigate the potential and risks of introducing Industry 4.0. Addressing this obstacle, the international team of authors focuses on the development of smart manufacturing concepts, logistics solutions and managerial models specifically for SMEs. Aiming to provide methodological frameworks and pilot solutions for SMEs during their digital transformation, this innovative and timely book will be of great use to scholars researching technology management, digitization and small business, as well as practitioners within manufacturing companies.

existing and new technologies

This book explores the impact of Japanese and European nontariff barriers (NTBs) on the international marketing, investment, and technology strategies of small- to medium-sized high-technology U.S. firms. The study documents a pronounced dichotomy between strategies of small and large companies that, to a significant extent, reflects the gap in the resources, bargaining power, and familiarity with foreign markets of these two groups. Conclusions concerning the efficacy of corporate strategies adopted are supported by an analysis of over 20 case studies. These strategies range from licensing agreements with local firms to use of a trading company or local distributor, formation of a joint venture with a local firm, and establishment of a wholly owned subsidiary in the foreign market.

This book provides a comprehensive guide to Industry 4.0 applications, not only introducing implementation aspects but also proposing a conceptual framework with respect to the design principles. In addition, it discusses the effects of Industry 4.0, which are reflected in new business models and workforce transformation. The book then examines the key technological advances that form the pillars of Industry 4.0 and explores their potential technical and economic benefits using examples of real-world applications. The changing dynamics of global production, such as more complex and automated processes, high-level competitiveness and emerging technologies, have paved the way for a new generation of goods, products and services. Moreover, manufacturers are increasingly realizing the value of the data that their processes and products generate. Such trends are transforming manufacturing industry to the next generation, namely Industry 4.0, which is based on the integration of information and communication technologies and industrial technology.The book provides a conceptual framework and roadmap for decision-makers for this transformation

"This book provides a comprehensive collection of research on current technological developments and organizational perspectives on the scale of small and medium enterprises"--Provided by publisher.

Modern societies face several structural problems such as transport congestion and greenhouse gas emissions due to the widespread use of fossil fuels. To address these important societal problems and achieve sustainability in the broad sense, major transformations are required, but this poses an enormous challenge given the complexity of the processes involved. Such transformations are called 'transitions' or 'system innovations' and involve changes in a variety of elements, including technology, regulation, user practices and markets, cultural meaning and infrastructure. This book considers two main questions: how do system innovations or transitions come about and how can they be influenced by different actors, in particular by governments. The authors identify the theories which can be used to conceptualise the dynamics of system innovations and discuss the weaknesses in these theories. They also look at the lessons which can be learned from historical examples of transitions, and highlight the instruments and policy tools which can be used to stimulate future system innovations towards sustainability. The expert contributors address these questions using insights from a variety of different disciplines including innovation studies, evolutionary economics, the sociology of technology, environmental analysis and governance studies. The book concludes with an extensive summary of the results and practical suggestions for future research. This important new volume offers an interdisciplinary assessment of how and why system innovations occur. It will engage and inform academics and researchers interested in transitions towards sustainability, and will also be highly relevant for policymakers concerned with environmental issues, structural change and radical innovation.