Intellectual capital on regional innovation systems: toward the momentum of growth rates of business performance

The aim of this paper is to introduce a model that makes explicit the links among intellectual capital (IC) items (human-HC, structural-SC and relational capital-RC) and the indicators activity growth in innovative SMEs. Several authors have pointed out the importance of knowledge and innovation as basic factors of competitiveness. Other authors have studied the relationships between some elements of intellectual capital and business performance. Through the relevant literature review done, a set of relationships has been developed and contrasted in 163 SMEs. Must be stressed the importance of the structural capital (SC) in the internal management of innovation in innovative SMEs. Furthermore, the growth of their activity can be explained mainly by the link HC-SC. There are relevant implications from the perspective of the triple helix, especially regarding to the innovation regional policies and the strategic orientation of the science-technology system.