THE PROGRESS AND COMPETITIVENESS OF SMEs FROM SBA UP TO HORIZON 2020: A NEW APPROACH OF INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT

SMEs are the engine of the economy, in fact, their advancement and economic progress carry out, as it is known, immediatepositive impact in the country where they insist, or, otherwise, negative. This consideration led the EU institutions to theformulation of policies to support SMEs in order to improve competitiveness (SBA) and to broaden the range of areas wherethey can play a leading role (Horizon 2020). With this work we want to reconstruct the thread from the first strategicapproach of the European Commission, aimed at the creation of new SMEs and the growth of existing ones (focusing onsimplification, entrepreneurial education, competitiveness, access to credit, etc.), through the SBA, up to Horizon 2020 withwhom it is presently increased support for SMEs, by allocating funds, in order to involve the latter in the strategy " researchand innovation" by providing them loans to improve the technological state and exploit it in view of the creation ofinnovative products and services .