International Models of SME Sustainable Development: A Comparative Analysis of the EU, the USA, Japan and Republic of Moldova

Abstract

This article examines international models of sustainable development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through a comparative analysis of the European Union, the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Moldova. The research addresses the question of how institutional frameworks, SME classification systems, financial instruments, innovation mechanisms, and sustainability-oriented policies influence the sustainability, resilience, and long-term competitiveness of SMEs in different economic environments. The study is based on a comparative institutional analysis using regulatory documents, international statistical reports, and academic literature. The selected cases represent advanced coordinated economies (EU and Japan), a market-oriented model (USA), and a fragmented transition economy (Republic of Moldova). Methods applied include classification analysis, institutional comparison, value-chain analysis, and qualitative synthesis of empirical data related to economic, social, and environmental dimensions of SME development. The results demonstrate that SME sustainability is achieved where classification systems, financial support mechanisms, innovation policies, and sustainability-oriented institutional frameworks function as an integrated system. The EU model relies on regulatory harmonization, coordinated financial instruments, and green transition policies; the US model emphasizes flexibility, sector-based classification, entrepreneurial competition, and innovation-driven growth; Japan ensures sustainability through SME integration into corporate supply chains, technological modernization, and national innovation networks. In contrast, Moldova exhibits a gap between formal regulatory alignment with EU standards and the actual functioning of SMEs, characterized by limited innovation capacity, weak institutional coordination, and insufficient integration into sustainable value chains. The findings suggest that for fragmented economies, sustainable SME development requires systemic alignment of institutions, finance, innovation, and sustainability-oriented policies rather than the isolated adoption of foreign policy instruments. The study contributes to the literature on SME sustainability and provides implications for policy design in transition economies. UDC: 502.131.1:334.72.012.63/.64(4EU+478+520+73); JEL: L26, O11, O57, Q56, M21