This paper aimed to analyse the evolutionary courses taken by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in response to
environmental changes still ongoing. The survey was carried out by administering a semi-structured questionnaire. Various aspects related to firm management and organisation were investigated and special attention was paid to the management of inter-organisational relations and knowledge. Our preliminary results showed a scenario of intense relations between firms but scarce pooling and exchange of knowledge and expertise. This is also reflected in the low level of endowment encountered in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) systems and applications