Project summary
The research will focus on the business infrastructure, internationalization, foreign direct investments (FDI) and information security culture of knowledge-intensive SMEs operating in North West Russia’s ICT-sector. The research implied by this proposal utilizes practical experiences and theoretical insights developed at JY and LUT within a number of past projects aiming at supporting knowledge-intensive SMEs’ growth and internationalization. As it is commonly known, these kinds of firms are very beneficial to the local economy as they create most of new jobs, open new market sectors, and develop innovations, new products and services. For instance, in the OECD countries, over 95 % of firms are SMEs and generate 60 – 70 % of employment. In addition, the involvement of SMEs in international markets has increased rapidly in the past decades. This trend has been very fast especially among SMEs in fast growing knowledge-intensive industries.
The study focuses on the following detailed topics:
1. Business infrastructure: What is the business environment for knowledge-intensive SMEs in North West Russia?
2. Internationalization: Which factors have an impact on internationalization of knowledge-intensive SMEs in North West Russia?
3. Investments: Which factors affect the outward FDI location choice of knowledge-intensive SMEs in North West Russia?
4. Information security culture: Which factors appear as essential identifiers of information security culture in knowledge intensive SMEs in North West Russia? How the information security supports business?
Coordinating partner:
-University of Jyväskylä, Information Technology Research Institute
Main partners:
-Lappeenranta University of Technology, Northern Dimension Research Centre
-Non-Commercial Partnership "European-Russian InnoPartnership", Saint-Petersburg
Funding (1. stage): Finnish State's Neighbouring Area Funding 129 000 €
European-Russian InnoPartnership 26 000 €
Project's duration (1. stage): 4/2009 - 12/2009
(2. stage): 1/2010 - 3/2011
Contact information:
Hannakaisa Isomäki
Research director, Information Technology Research Institute
Phone: +358 14 260 3021
GSM +358 40 441 3684
E-mail: firstname.surname@titu.jyu.fi
Jukka-Pekka Bergman
Director, Northern Dimension Research Centre
GSM +358 50 511 4151
E-mail: firstname.surname@lut.fi
Boris Karandassov
Project manager, Northern Dimension Research Centre
Phone: +358 5 621 2903
E-mail: firstname.surname@lut.fi