Slovenia to host meeting of EU delegates for SMEs

Slovenia to host meeting of EU delegates for SMEs

Slovenia will host next Thursday and Friday for the first time a meeting of European delegates for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The event, to take place at Brdo pri Kranju, will feature representatives from 28 member states, who will also get a chance to try out innovative products by seven Slovenian companies.

Following a visit to Bled and Ljubljana on Thursday, the official part of the meeting on Friday will see delegates discuss the latest initiatives and challenges for SMEs and lay down the operating plan for the rest of this year and 2017.

As part of the meeting, organised by the European Commission with the support of the SPIRIT Slovenija investment promotion agency, participants will be presented the Slovenian startups Pipistrel, Akrapovič, Quadrofoil, Olaf Scooter, Nervteh, Električna vozila F and Foora IT.

These include Pipistrel's ultralight aircraft Alpha Electro, Akrapovič's exhaust systems, the eco vessel Quadrofoil, Olaf Scooter's hybrid between a scooter and suitcase, Nervteh's driving simulator, and Električna vozila F's electric bus.

The network of 28 national delegates for SMEs was formed in 2011 as part of an overhaul of the act on SMEs, the leading EU public initiative in support of SMEs.

The act sets down ten principle meant to boost the competitiveness of this key segment of the economy, including responsive management, dealing with administrative barriers and internationalisation.

The task of the delegates, who are appointed by the governments of EU members states, is to represent the interests of SMEs and facilitate communication between the European Commission, national managers' associations and the companies themselves.

The network is currently chaired by European Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs Elzbieta Bienkowska, while the Slovenian representative is Sabina Koleša, the head of the directorate for entrepreneurship, competitiveness and technology at the Economy Ministry.

Source: SloveniaTimes