Stepping over the Threshold: SMEs Crossing the Border in the Dutch-German Borderland

My name is Mark Hanraets (student at Radboud University).

In my research (graduation placement at CBBD), I examine how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) decide to engage across the Dutch-German border. My starting point is the fact that each business conducts cross-border business differently. Consequently, I zoom out and examine how each SME came to the same decision, namely the decision to go cross-border. I examine the factors that contributed to their decision and the consequential steps the entrepreneur undertook in order to realise the internationalization. Moreover, I explore how the entrepreneurs perceive the specific locational challenges and opportunities that business face in border regions. I will conduct interviews with cross-border SMEs in order to answer the research question. My research greatly contributes to the literature on SME internationalisation by applying a specific focus on SME in border regions and by emphasizing that borders are not merely barriers but also potentially provide opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Contact: Mark Hanraets, m.hanraets@fontys.nl.