About the product
The notion of “business development service” (BDS) is quickly gaining popularity among policy makers and scholars of management, industrial organization and development. Similarly, attention is increasingly paid on the institutions and centres offering BDS, as an essential part of the “local” or “regional innovation system”. This paper analyzes the experience of BDS centers in three highly developed Northern Italian regions (Emilia Romagna, Lombardia and Veneto) and evaluates their performance and contribution to the regions’ industrial, and notably SME development. It uses quantitative and qualitative information to portray the details of a reality that is often quoted as a “success-story”, sometimes beyond the actual empirical evidence. Finally, conclusions and implications for public policies are suggested, and the reasons for their public and subsidized provision are discussed. Useful lessons may be learned for countries at lower levels of industrial development, and specifically for Latin America.
