What is it about?
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often struggle to share valuable knowledge across their supply chains, especially when that knowledge is based on experience and informal interactions. This paper introduces a practical model that explains how trust, social connections, and simple digital tools—like WhatsApp or shared cloud folders—can help SMEs exchange knowledge more effectively. The model is tested in the real-world context of Alcoi, a Spanish city known for its artisan textile production. The findings show how collaboration, digital communication, and strong local ties can boost innovation and flexibility in small business networks. This work is useful for SME managers, policymakers, and local organizations interested in strengthening knowledge flows and competitiveness in their regions.
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Why is it important?
The study highlights how local collaboration and community trust can drive innovation in small business ecosystems. It demonstrates that traditional sectors, like Alcoi’s artisans, can stay competitive by sharing knowledge and adopting simple digital solutions.
Perspectives
Working closely with local SMEs and artisans in Alcoi, we saw how tradition and collaboration can spark innovation. These findings remind us that small firms can achieve great things when they build on their social and cultural roots.
Josep Capó-Vicedo
Universitat Politecnica de Valencia
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Socially embedded knowledge sharing in SME networks: a conceptual model for territorial ecosystems, VINE Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems, November 2025, Emerald,
DOI: 10.1108/vjikms-05-2025-0188.
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