INTERREG PME-Asie

INTERREG SME-ASIA project: How to help SMEs to internationalize in Asia?

This question was addressed to the five partners – HEG Friborg (Swiss leader), HEG Geneva, Institute of Management Research and Economics (IREGE) of the Savoie Mont Blanc University, Grenoble School of Management (GEM) and Export’ease – an Interreg France-Switzerland project co-financed by the European Feder Fund, supported by the Department of Haute-Savoie and certified by the Mont-Blanc Industries cluster.

This project, initiated for 30 months in September 2015, aimed to identify the levers and obstacles to the internationalization of SMEs in the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region of Asia, with particular emphasis on the role played by external support services, public and private. Given the lack of literature on the role of support services on the internationalization of SMEs, especially in distant markets, the Franco-Swiss team has developed an original theoretical framework that was the subject of a first publication (Belhoste, Bocquet, Favre-Bonté, Le Pennec, 2018).

The Franco-Swiss research design used a mixed methodology, well adapted to the complexity of the object of study. The results show that SMEs have a differentiated use of aids (in terms of types and intensity) according to the nature of their internationalization process (gradual vs. rapid) and associated stages (entry and intensification of presence). They reveal strong points of convergence between French and Swiss SMEs regarding their support needs.

Based on these results, the team is currently developing the specifications and the prototype (proof of concept) of the SME-ASIA platform, which will make it possible to coordinate supply and demand for support in Asia to stimulate and sustain the development of French and Swiss SMEs in these distant markets.

The SME-ASIA project is supported by the Interreg V France-Switzerland European Territorial Cooperation Program and has thus benefited from a European grant of 190,000€ through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER). It is also supported by the Department of Haute-Savoie and certified by the Mont Blanc Industries competitiveness cluster.