Introduction

The increasing presence of internationalization, international competition, sustainability issues related to the socio-cultural and environmental settings are transforming the future of industrial and social scenarios. Therefore, of particular interest are the effects these factors have on European SMEs and their industrial districts.

On one hand, the increasing pressures of international competition are challenging European SMEs, since they find themselves unable to reach international sources of supply – components and knowledge – and unable to offer their products and services worldwide due to their limited size. On the other hand, the historical, social, demographic and industrial factors are forcing the EU to pressure its companies to develop a system of offerings that merge profitability with social, cultural and physical sustainability. Coupling these factors with higher standards of living in the EU means that the development of products and process must not only be profitable for the manufacturers, but also socially constructive – in terms of their abilities to increase peoples’ psychological and physical well-being and intellectually productive in terms of creating jobs compatible with the environment and its natural resources.

 This Project is co-funded by the European Commission