Eco Innovation Practice and Romanian SMEs

According to European Commission figures, more than 99% of all European businesses are SMEs. They provide two out of three of all private-sector jobs and contribute to more than half of the total value-added created by businesses in the EU. Moreover, SMEs are the true backbone of the European economy, being primarily responsible for wealth and economic growth, in addition to their key role in innovation and R&D. All these enterprising companies are trying to find their niche in the economy and respond to needs in society. But, while they are creative and dynamic, their size is such that their market influence is very small. The creativity and dynamism of SMEs means they have a crucial role to play in this area - both as eco-innovators and as recipients of green technologies. Eco-innovation is key to supporting our society over the next 50 years and to minimize the gap between environmental pressures and a standard of living with which we will feel comfortable in our society. Technology will have to bridge that gap and the development of that technology involves eco-innovation in products, processes and - increasingly - services, much provided by SMEs. This paper is an examination of the role of SMEs as agents for eco-innovation and market transformation in Romania. We tried to show the importance of policy and the role of eco-innovation in these times of crises.