Pace of innovation and speed of small and medium-sized enterprise international expansion

The literature emphasises that technological advances have enabled firms to expand internationally at accelerated speed. Yet, are treated as a contextual variable and little is known about how firm-level innovations influence the internationalisation speed of small medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). To address this shortcoming, we draw on insights based capability development theory establish effects innovation timing pace SME international expansion We test our conceptual model using sample 180 Swedish SMEs show faster pace, internationalisation. then boundary conditions relationship elapsed time between firm’s founding first negatively moderates positive its pace. Our findings theoretical, managerial policy implications.