Abstract
This paper examines divergences in the degree of openness towards innovation partners (i.e. search breadth). Our explorative analysis, focused on Italian SMEs competing in mid-high tech industries, generally confirms our hypothesis based on behavioral theory of the firms. In particular, we show that Italian family-owned SMEs have a lower search breadth than their nonfamily counterparts. Furthermore, our preliminary findings points out that the stronger the family is, the less Italian SMEs will be open to cooperate with external actors supporting R&D processes.