Study of the growth opportunities and barriers facing engineering and technology-based SMEs in emerging economies: cases from Egypt
The TFM should provide a review of the evaluation of two SMEs' experiences doing business in Egypt. The experiences of the two SMEs will demonstrate the business opportunities and obstacles that engineering and technology-based SMEs face in emerging economies. The two chosen SMEs are different in terms of sector and nationality to provide a good perspective. The first SME is an Egyptian company working in the renewable energy that has a success story collaborating in Egyptian governmental project with Spanish, Chinese and Saudi partners. The second SME is a Canadian company working in the construction sector that is entering the Egyptian market to provide a new construction technology solution using wood and clay as a construction material instead of steel reinforced concrete. Both companies not only share the size or the status of start-up growing to medium but also share the first mover advantage as they both introducing new technologies to the Egyptian market. The TFM will attempt to identify, evaluate and analyse the opportunities and barriers both companies face doing business in Egypt either with public or private sector. The TFM shall provide a review of the evaluation of the two cases through conducting interviews with the companies CEOs, the executive teams, and the clients. At least one specific project for each of the two SMEs will be analysed and reviewed as a case study. The objective is to share the analysis of both companies experiences so future engineering and technology companies, either from the same country or from abroad, interested in working in emerging economies in general or in Egypt specifically can better manage their risks. ; A process to collect and analyze the data about each SME and the chosen project shall be standardized for both. A questionnaire shall be developed and answered by both CEOs through a series of interviews conducted by the TFM author. After collecting the operational / technical, financial data and historical data of both the SMEs and each of their chosen projects, a comparison will be made between the two SMEs to identify any possible patterns of opportunities and barriers. The conclusion of the TFM will be suggesting guidelines for internationalization and growth strategies for engineering and technology-based SMEs considering entering an emerging economy in general or the Egyptian market specifically.