Acomparative and empirical study on establishing innovations by SMEs in industrial disticts

本研究的目的是在比较研究和实证研究的基础上，对工业园区中小企业创新的几种理论进行重新审视。我们在日本中央高速公路沿线的三个工业区，即水和-冈谷、饭田和神府，对包括中小企业技术开发经理在内的企业家进行了深入访谈。我们得出以下结论。(1)日本机械、金属、塑料和橡胶制品制造业的中小企业在工艺技术上建立了零敲碎打的创新。(2)在我们的案例研究区，也有中小企业可以建立产品创新。(3)创新型中小企业经常与企业所在工业区外的客户进行交易。(4)将隐性知识转化为编码知识是创新的关键，反之亦然。(5)这种隐性知识和编码知识的螺旋转换是通过努力满足客户的需求来实现的。(6)区内中小企业和配套机构的社会网络有助于创新，尤其是在开发新市场或寻找新客户时。(7)创新型中小企业促进了区内社会网络的发展。(8)与波特关于产业集群的论述相比，创新环境的论述更贴近我们的案例研究。(9)聘请退休工程师是中小企业创新的重要因素。（10）创新型中小企业的选址并不一定会带动整个区域的经济增长。因此，有必要为区域经济创新有效的政策。

The aim of this study is to reexamine several theories on establishing innovations by SMEs in industrial districts on the basis of a comparative and empirical research. We conducted intensive interviews with entrepreneurs including managers for technical development of SMEs at three industrial districts along the Chuo free way in Japan, namely Suwa-Okaya, Iida and Kofu. We arrive at the following conclusions.(1) SMEs of machine, metal, plastic and rubber goods manufacturing in Japan have established piecemeal innovations on process technology. (2) In our case study districts, there were SMEs which could establish product innovations as well. (3) Innovative SMEs often transact with customers which are located outside the industrial district where the SMEs are locatede. (4) In order to establish innovations, it is important to transform tacit knowledge into coded ones and vice versa. (5) This spiral transformation of tacit and coded knowledge is to be realized by means of endeavor to minister the needs of the customers. (6) Social networks of SMEs and supporting institutions within the district is useful for establishing innovations, especially when they try to develop a new market or to find new customers. (7) Innovative SMEs contribute to develop social networks within the district. (8) The discourse on innovative milieu has closer affinity with our case studies than the discourse on industrial cluster by Porter. (9) Hiring of retired engineers is important for establishing innovations by SMEs. (10) Location of innovative SMEs does not necessarily lead to the economic growth of the district as a whole. It is, therefore, necessary to innovate effective policies for the regional economies.