Small and medium district enterprises and the new product development challenge: Evidence from Italian eyewear district

This study describes the results of an empirical research on a sample of small and medium enterprises belonging to one of Italy's most important local manufacturing systems: the eyewear district. The main objective of the project was to suggest ways of improving new product development within the small and medium enterprises of the district. Data were collected from five buyer firms and 49 subcontractors, and experts of the local system were interviewed in order to acquire information on the product development process. The study: highlights the distinctive aspects of eyewear products and the consequent design and manufacturing specificity; maps the product development activity; identifies difficulties and problems SMEs usually encounter in these activities; and suggests how improvements can be made.