National and local agency support for Scottish SME internationalisation activity: lessons for small transition economies

This paper identifies the continuing and new threats to peripheral old industrial areas from EU enlargement and restructuring of inward investment flows. It recognises a key role in regional and national economic development strategies has been assigned to indigenous small and medium enterprises. Research is reported on interventions and frameworks established by national and local agencies in Scotland to initiate and develop export activities by SMEs. This offers a better understanding of which factors create successful foreign market entry strategies and behaviour. The paper assesses whether there are lessons from these strategies which are appropriate for the new member states of the EU.