PERFORMANCE THROUGH INTERNATIONALIZATION AS A STRATEGIC OPTION FOR SMES

Internationalization is often considered a strategic option for SMEs, but a large part of small firms’ contribution to internationalization is not reflected in statistics, as many of them participate indirectly in the global economy as suppliers of exporting firms. The export-oriented model of SMEs seems to follow the general strategic choices, most SMEs do not export at all, and most exporting SMEs are regular companies. The literature mentions a number of characteristics that distinguish companies that are likely to export such as group membership, consistent expertise, size, rapid growth and innovation orientation, production experience or collaborations in production and distribution. At the European Union level, the recognition of the role of internationalization in increasing the performance of SMEs and the performance of the economy as a whole is complemented by extensive support measures, which prove both their direct role (volume of exports and imports, degree of international cooperation, profitability, turnover, competitiveness) but also their indirect role, to train young companies, dynamic in the world economic circuit.