Competiveness and Innovation in High-tech Companies: An Application to the Italian Biotech and Aerospace Industries

Abstract

Innovation activities are a critical factor in national and regional development. The innovative behaviour of companies is one of the main sources of competitiveness, business survival, economic growth and employment in a territory. It is therefore important to identify and understand the factors that determine innovation behaviour among enterprises. In line with this, the aim of this study is to analyse the relations between innovation-related variables and the impact that they have on company performance. The research model proposed is applied to two high-tech sectors of the Italian region of Lazio to verify its validity. The examination concerns the aerospace and biotech sectors, which are characterized by strong innovative activity.