The Role of Knowledge in the Process of Size Growth of Italian Firms

Italian firms are historically characterized by their small size. The small dimension is often not only a starting point but also a condition of existence itself, due to the harsh environment in which companies work. Knowledge sharing together with stable collaborative relationships among firms can help to avoid the environmental constraints that Italian firms usually have to deal with. The aim of the paper is to show – also by means of a case study ‐ how collaboration based on trust and knowledge sharing facilitate the Italian firms’ process of growth, even in the less developed areas of the Country.