Barriers to Innovation in Manufacturing SMEs: Evidence from the Mazowieckie Voivodeship (Poland)

Henryk Wojtaszek (), Ireneusz Miciuła, Anna Kowalczyk, Mikołaj Handschke, Irena Malinowska, Dariusz Budrowski, Aneta Pawlińska and Agnieszka Wójcik-Czerniawska
Additional contact information
Henryk Wojtaszek: Faculty of Social Science, Higher Vocational School, 53-329 Wrocław, Poland
Ireneusz Miciuła: Institute of Economics and Finance, University of Szczecin, 70-453 Szczecin, Poland
Anna Kowalczyk: Faculty of Social Science, Higher Vocational School, 53-329 Wrocław, Poland
Mikołaj Handschke: College of Economics and Management, SGMK Nicolaus Copernicus Superior School, 00-695 Warsaw, Poland
Irena Malinowska: Faculty of Social Science, Higher Vocational School, 53-329 Wrocław, Poland
Dariusz Budrowski: College of Economics and Management, SGMK Nicolaus Copernicus Superior School, 00-695 Warsaw, Poland
Aneta Pawlińska: Humanities and Economics Academy, 01-043 Warsaw, Poland
Agnieszka Wójcik-Czerniawska: Department of Local Government Economy and Financing, Warsaw School of Economics, 02-554 Warsaw, Poland

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 16, 1-26

Abstract: This study explores the innovation barriers and implementation strategies within small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises (SMEs) in the Mazowieckie Voivodeship of Poland. Despite their crucial role in the regional economy, these enterprises face significant hurdles that impede their growth potential and innovation capabilities. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research analyzes both quantitative and qualitative data from 426 manufacturing enterprises. The findings reveal that the primary barriers include limited access to capital, outdated technologies, and a shortage of skilled labor. Furthermore, the study identifies that while company size and age do not significantly influence the type of innovations introduced, external factors such as market reach and capital availability play critical roles. The study underscores the need for tailored policy interventions to support SMEs in overcoming these barriers and fostering an environment conducive to innovation.

Keywords: small and medium enterprises (SMEs); innovation barriers; manufacturing industry; Mazowieckie Voivodeship; mixed-methods research (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/16/7525/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/16/7525/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:16:p:7525-:d:1728603

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().