Inhaltsangabe:Abstract: The last decade was characterized by mainly to major developments. The first was the ongoing globalization of the markets. A development that was not absolutely new in the nineties, since it is already progressing since the fifties. But it was in recent years when this development gained such an unprecedented momentum and dynamics, which most people and enterprises were just not prepared for. The second was the emerge of the Internet and the following e-hype about the ¿new economy¿. Larry Downes named both in his much considered article ¿Behind Porter¿ as two of three new driving forces and influencing factors for the economic affairs of the new century. And he might probably be right. Although one of them suffered quite a setback at the end of the nineties when the Internet bubble finally busted. But if one looks on the technological developments taking place then there is no doubt, that the Internet will continue its triumphal procession. Certainly in a different way as it did in the last decade. And probably it will not constitute a ¿new¿ economy, but it certainly will extremely change the old one. The same is true for globalization, although its effects are maybe not that obvious. But the trend towards one global market is obvious. The last event in that respect was probably the Peoples Republic of China entering the World Trade Organization and opening thereby up its markets for foreign enterprises. Before that background and as policy-makers and business-people look for development paths which might take economies successfully over the next decades, three of the issues which are receiving a lot of attention are: What is the effect of ¿globalization¿? What is the role of small and medium-sized enterprises? What is the impact of ¿electronic commerce¿, the rapidly changing ways in which commercial activities may be undertaken using innovations in information technology? The small and medium-sized enterprises are building the backbone of the German economy. These companies where responsible for the fast recovery of Germany after Second World War and since them have greatly contributed to develop Germany to the third largest economy ¿ in terms of gross national product ¿ in the world. Ludwig Erhardt, former German Chancellor and influential Minister of economics, once described the importance of the ¿Mittelstand¿ for the German economy and society in a speech held in Göteburg 50 years ago. And his words retain their [...]