Two commonplaces in the debate about industrial competitiveness are that wealth and job-creation are increasingly dependent on the performance of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and that future success will be dependent on innovation and knowledge-driven products and services. In one region of the UK, there is a stealthy attempt to create a virtual learning network including education institutions, business support agencies and intermediaries, and manufacturing SMEs. The stealthy approach refers to the need to overcome mutual, competitive suspicions by building track records of success in small-scale collaborative endeavours within a larger overall program. It allows diverse sources of funding to be harnessed while giving each funding body clear visibility of their particular contribution.
| Number of Pages : | 6 |
| Published : | 11/01/1998 |
