Abstract: ABSTRACT. The objective of this paper is to study the relation between innovation and business results during different economic periods, and if the SMEs that innovate obtain better results in recession. To do this, we used the economic-financial information for the period 2002-2014 of a sample of 948 manufacturing Companies of the Spanish automotive sector. We have also used disclosed information obtained from the firms' web sites in 2014. With this information, we have developed an indicator of the disclosed information about the intensity of innovation and we have reclassified the productive activity of the company. Applying non-parametric methodologies, we have obtained significant evidences that there is an alternation in the positive effects that the innovation produces in the results of the companies, depending on their size and the economic cycle. This work can contribute to validate the policies that defend and support innovation in MSMEs.

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