Dancing with gorillas - How SMEs can go global by forging links with MNCs

For SMEs, interaction with the local subsidiaries of multinational corporations (MNCs)provides tremendous opportunities for collaborative innovation which may formthe basis for internationalisation, providing resources not normally available, andbestowing credibility and legitimacy which would otherwise be difficult to achieve.Our research shows that while making a connection with MNCs can be difficult forSMEs, and despite the potential pitfalls and obstacles, the benefits for both SMEsand MNCs will often make the risks worthwhile. And the odds of obtaining thosebenefits are much greater for the SME if it follows a number of strategies revealedby our research[...]