Global Innovation and Knowledge Management Practice in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Turkey and the Balkans

Abstract

In today's changing world innovation management is becoming one of the key drivers for change and competitive advantage within industry. SMEs need to respond rapidly to these emerging changes so as to fulfill their customer needs more rapidly. The key component of a knowledge economy is a greater reliance on intellectual capabilities than on physical inputs or natural resources. We provide evidence drawn from patent data to document and upsurge in knowledge production and show that this expansion is driven by the emergence of new industries. Economic and political relations between Balkan countries and Turkey are so important that their common socio-cultural values come from their history. Therefore, Turkey and Balkans have not stepped into knowledge economy yet. In order to achieve this, they have to accomplish their economy and should not miss the importance of the knowledge economy. In this context, the Balkans has always been at a crossroads of different cultures and civilizations, where different religions and people have existed side by side. Economically, the Balkan states are relatively small entities. Balkan countries are at different levels of democratic transformation and their per capita GDPs range from less than 2000 Euro to around 7000 Euro. The purpose of this article is to investigate knowledge management practice in Turkey and the Balkans. Knowledge-based economic approach becomes the main development leverage for the global economy that a challenge for these regions is realizing the ‘new value’ of knowledge.