UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY WORK: STRENGTHENING OF SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES IN THE CENTRAL PACIFIC - TC-653 COSTA RICA 2019-2021.

Abstract

The relevance of SMEs to the economy of a country and the support of institutions that pursue their development, through collaborative work, is vital to strengthening the sector, creating value in the organization and generating a competitive advantage.
The purpose of this article is to analyze the accompaniment and strengthening of the administrative and technical areas of SMEs or MSMEs in the Central Pacific Region, a project implemented by the Universidad Costa Rica en la Sede del Pacífico de la provincia de Puntarena. The methodology developed was based on a mixed analysis, generating a documentary review of research articles, 2018-2019 diagnosis of SMEs, workshop blogs and TC-653 community program reports and subsequently, the application of a perception questionnaire to 40 SMEs in the region.
The results of support and advice through workshops and socio-educational talks, the use of social networks, improvement of processes, measurements and achievements allow us to consider that, in a world of transformation, projects with the community give rise to a business culture of continuous change where the main focus is to update the operations processes based on innovation and diversification. So, in advising SMEs, it is achieved with efforts to get out of subsistence towards success and business growth. Likewise, there is an awareness among those who carry out communal work on the problem of SMEs in the Central Pacific Region, because they face an economic, cultural and social reality in the country.