The European single market was created many years ago, but only recently most of the technical barriers to trade have been removed. Large enterprises have played - and still do - an active role in enabling and promoting free trade and movement of goods, while small and medium-sized Enterprises (SME) often have behaved - and still do - passively, waiting for new regulations and trying to adaptively meet any change, in order to maintain their competitive positioning. Even if the successful integration of SME into the global European market depend on their industry and technology sectors, the way enterprises react to the enforcement of EU Directives can be analysed and evaluated from a new stand-point. According to the "New Approach", the manufacturer has to proactively contribute in assessing product conformity. In general, medium and large enterprises welcome the new approach, while SMEs donlt fully understand it and are lacking in management capability. As an example, the field of machinery safety significantly shows the difficulties SME have to face as far as CE marking is concerned. Apart from some specific industries, where specialisation and well-established know-how notably simplify the introduction of self declaration of conformity performing risk analysis and declaration of conformity is a hard task for most small businesses. SME need to be strongly and effectively supported in interpreting directives and relevant documentation's. Testing and research institutions operating in the mobile machinery sector can help SME. Assistance has to focus on increasing internationalisation in the long-run rather than enhancing domestic competitiveness through targeted supporting measures. However, business services concerning CE marking neither give any competitive advantage to mobile machinery SME, nor contribute to their growth or help to develop a network for managing market feedback. Within the globalisation process, enterprises have to prioritise adding-value activities.
Implementing Networks to Support the Growth of European SMEs
L Negri;R Paoluzzi
1998
Abstract
The European single market was created many years ago, but only recently most of the technical barriers to trade have been removed. Large enterprises have played - and still do - an active role in enabling and promoting free trade and movement of goods, while small and medium-sized Enterprises (SME) often have behaved - and still do - passively, waiting for new regulations and trying to adaptively meet any change, in order to maintain their competitive positioning. Even if the successful integration of SME into the global European market depend on their industry and technology sectors, the way enterprises react to the enforcement of EU Directives can be analysed and evaluated from a new stand-point. According to the "New Approach", the manufacturer has to proactively contribute in assessing product conformity. In general, medium and large enterprises welcome the new approach, while SMEs donlt fully understand it and are lacking in management capability. As an example, the field of machinery safety significantly shows the difficulties SME have to face as far as CE marking is concerned. Apart from some specific industries, where specialisation and well-established know-how notably simplify the introduction of self declaration of conformity performing risk analysis and declaration of conformity is a hard task for most small businesses. SME need to be strongly and effectively supported in interpreting directives and relevant documentation's. Testing and research institutions operating in the mobile machinery sector can help SME. Assistance has to focus on increasing internationalisation in the long-run rather than enhancing domestic competitiveness through targeted supporting measures. However, business services concerning CE marking neither give any competitive advantage to mobile machinery SME, nor contribute to their growth or help to develop a network for managing market feedback. Within the globalisation process, enterprises have to prioritise adding-value activities.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
