Facilitating cross- border collaboration between small and medium- sized enterprises in Veendam and Papenburg
Author
Remke Rozemarijne, Palsma
Term
4. term
Publication year
2016
Submitted on
2016-06-07
Pages
53
Abstract
I et stadig mere integreret Europa er grænseområders vækst tæt knyttet til grænseoverskridende samarbejde. EU finansierer sådanne indsatser gennem samhørighedspolitikken, og derfor findes der mange projekter langs den tysk-nederlandske grænse. I den nordlige del er Eems Dollart Region den centrale ramme. Her ønsker kommunerne og erhvervsforeningerne i Veendam (NL) og Papenburg (DE) at samarbejde. Dette speciale undersøger, hvordan man bedst kan facilitere samarbejde mellem små og mellemstore virksomheder (SMV'er) i de to byer for at opnå konkurrencefordele. Som casestudie anvendes Porters diamantmodel (1990), et rammeværk for at forstå, hvad der skaber konkurrenceevne. Gennem interviews og litteraturstudier analyseres data med grounded theory, en kvalitativ metode hvor mønstre udvikles ud fra data, for at besvare forskningsspørgsmålet: Hvordan kan grænseoverskridende samarbejde mellem SMV'er i Veendam og Papenburg faciliteres? Resultaterne peger på, at innovation er den vigtigste faktor, fordi den skaber konkurrencefordele og økonomisk gevinst. For at virke skal samarbejdet være småt i skala, specifikt, direkte og drevet af virksomhedernes konkrete efterspørgsel. Den foreslåede samarbejdsmodel involverer alle centrale aktører, hvor både myndigheder, erhvervsliv og virksomheder har klare roller og ansvar. Målet er at omsætte samarbejdet til højere omsætning, mere værdiskabelse og flere jobs i begge kommuner. Samlet set viser studiet, at et efterspørgselsdrevet, innovationsfokuseret samarbejde med tydelige roller – forankret i Porters diamant – kan styrke SMV'ernes konkurrenceevne i Veendam og Papenburg.
In an increasingly integrated Europe, growth in border regions is closely linked to cross-border cooperation. The EU funds such efforts through the Cohesion Policy, which has led to many projects along the German–Dutch border. In the north, the Eems Dollart Region provides the main framework. Within this context, the municipalities and business associations in Veendam (NL) and Papenburg (DE) seek to collaborate. This thesis examines how to facilitate collaboration among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the two towns to achieve competitive advantages. As a case study, it applies Porter’s diamond model (1990), a framework for understanding what drives competitive advantage. Using interviews and literature, the data were analyzed with grounded theory, a qualitative approach that develops insights from the data, to answer the question: How can cross-border collaboration between SMEs in Veendam and Papenburg be facilitated? Findings highlight innovation as the most important factor because it creates competitive advantage and economic gains. To be effective, collaboration should be small in scale, specific, direct, and driven by business demand. The proposed collaboration scheme involves all key stakeholders, with clear roles and responsibilities for public authorities and the business community. The goal is to translate cooperation into higher revenues, more value-added activity, and jobs in both municipalities. Overall, the study suggests that a demand-driven, innovation-focused approach grounded in Porter’s diamond can strengthen the competitiveness of SMEs in Veendam and Papenburg.
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