Investimenti pubblici regionali e PMI innovative: una relazione duale

The study analyses the ability of regional public entities' investments to attract highly innovative companies, using a sample of 250 innovative SMEs located in Italy, distinguishing between well and less developed regions, over an 8-year period (2013-2020), by descriptive analysis, T-test and U-test. The results confirm the capacity of such investments in attracting innovative SMEs within the territory and show how innovative SMEs promote the degree of innovation and competitiveness of regions. This contributes to the debate on the relationship between institutional factors and innovative entrepreneurship, offering management implications for public decision-makers in directing investments towards regional economic development and innovation.