24/05/12
EU measures for SMEs reaping results
The Competitiveness and Innovation Programme’s (CIP) promotes actions that address the challenges European industry is facing, with a special focus on the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises. The programme has been successful in meeting its main objectives according to a recent report, which highlights several of its achievements. Building on CIP's results, its funding successor – the new Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs (COSME) - is expected to further strengthen and streamline actions in this field from 2014 onwards.
11/05/12
Latest trends in European Tourism
Tourism has a huge impact on the EU economy affecting up to 14 million jobs. A 2012 survey offers an interesting insight into the preferences of European tourists and shows that 73% of the EU respondents plan to travel this year.
07/05/12
Innovation in healthcare and access to medicines
A two-day conference gathered key actors and policy-makers in Brussels in order to discuss challenges and opportunities for innovation in healthcare. Access to patent information and local capacity building emerged as two of the most interesting topics explored during the session entitled ‘Improving access to medicines in Africa, where do the solutions lie: At home or abroad?’
30/04/12
Projects for sustainable and competitive industry
The Sustainable Industry Low Carbon Initiative, or SILC, helps European energy-intensive manufacturing industries fuse economic and environmental goals by capitalising on greenhouse gas emission efficiency. As an EU grant scheme, SILC promotes the development of innovative measures to reduce carbon intensity and to create new markets and jobs. The objective is to ensure Europe’s industrial competitiveness whilst combating climate change.
23/04/12
EU Innovation push in raw materials
The European Commission has put forward an ambitious European Innovation Partnership for raw materials whose objective is to establish Europe as the vanguard of raw material exploration, extraction, processing, recycling and substitution technologies by 2020. Central aims include ensuring a sustainable supply of raw materials for the European industry, as well as helping EU companies put innovative technologies onto the market along the entire value chain.
13/04/12
Opportunities for Euro-Mediterranean textiles and clothing
Stakeholders from EU countries and those countries on the southern rim of the Mediterranean met in Milan to discuss ways the neighbours can partner to help businesses become more competitive through closer cooperation.
30/03/12
Your gateway to EU funding
Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in the European Union are of vital importance for economic growth. The Enterprise Europe Network is the world’s biggest business support network: in addition to providing SMEs with strategic services to enable cross-border co-operation, the Network offers valuable information and advice on how to access EU funding.
20/03/12
Africa-EU cooperation on raw materials
Raw materials are high on the agenda as their sustainable supply can provide a key contribution in several areas, ranging from development to industrial competitiveness. Good governance, investment & infrastructure and geological knowledge & skills were the three main themes for discussions at a high-level conference about the Africa-EU partnership on raw materials.
08/03/12
How to boost the EU's innovation performance
This year's Innovation Union Scoreboard shows that most Member States have improved their innovation performance. This allows the European Union to maintain a clear lead over the emerging economies of China, Brazil, India, Russia, and South Africa, but not to close the existing gap with innovation leaders such as the United States, Japan and South Korea. More efforts are therefore needed so as to address the EU's weaknesses. One area in the spotlight is related to firms' innovation activities.
29/02/12
Galileo is right on track
The launch of the first two Galileo IOV (In-Orbit Validation) satellites on 21 October 2011 was a red-letter day for the European Union's global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and the project continues to advance through important milestones. While the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is going to set up its headquarters in Prague, new contracts for satellites and launchers signed in the presence of Vice President Tajani ensure that Galileo will deliver its first services in 2014 as planned. The potential benefits for the European industry and the economy at large are significant.
01/02/12
Supporting European businesses in global markets
Expanding beyond EU borders still presents small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with obstacles, but the potential rewards of internationalisation for their growth are significant. The European Commission has therefore put forward a strategy to help European SMEs seize global opportunities by streamlining and strengthening support available for them.
20/01/12
Protecting European enterprises and workers from unsafe products
Effective market surveillance ensures that the rules of Europe’s Single Market are respected. This is vital for knowledge-intensive EU sectors, such as machinery, which must compete against low-cost – and sometimes low-quality – manufacturers. This was the subject of a recent conference, which also saw the launch of a Common Industry Platform for Market Surveillance.
12/01/12
Responsible business: a key to competitiveness
Socially responsible businesses play a crucial role in achieving sustainable economic growth through generating consumer confidence and positively contributing towards society’s well-being. Supporting responsible entrepreneurship is an EU priority, as a recently adopted package of measures demonstrates.
15/12/11
Galileo takes off
The successful launch of the first two operational Galileo satellites on 21 October 2011 confirms Europe’s arrival on the global satellite navigation stage. This is about more than prestige, it's about growth and jobs which are key priorities in the current economic climate. Satellite navigation technologies play an ever-increasing role in the global economy and the lives of citizens. Galileo is expected to benefit both European citizens and enterprises from potentially every sector.
08/12/11
Building a dynamic Europe
Giving entrepreneurs a second chance at success and encouraging the handover of businesses are crucial ingredients in ensuring Europe’s long-term prosperity, according to a new study. These issues were also highlighted during the recent European SME Week 2011.
30/11/11
Financing social innovation
While social innovation can help Europe respond to challenges where the boundary between the 'social' and the 'economic' blurs, it can only do so through adequate funding. A new report provides recommendations to showcase the funding opportunities that public funding programs, private funds and charitable foundations provide to support social innovation in Europe. The report also gives a number of practical recommendations for future funding programs, emphasizing that social innovation needs a family of funds, that range from funding ideas to large scale roll out in for example care, education and mobility.
23/11/11
World-class business support
The European Commission is further strengthening the Enterprise Europe Network with new contact points in Asia and Africa. The growing reach of the Network was evident at its annual conference, which welcomed more than 900 participants from 50 countries. The event featured awards to companies which have successfully used the Network to find opportunities abroad or to develop their business and research activities.
15/11/11
Economic recovery through industrial competitiveness
Supporting Europe’s competitiveness requires robust industrial and SMEs policies at the national level along with effective EU-level coordination. To this end, the European Commission is ready to promote and monitor the structural improvements which can play a key role in ensuring sustainable growth. Two recent reports offer a valuable insight into the current state of play across Europe, as well as identifying key areas for action.
07/11/11
Promoting good practice in micro-credit
The micro-credit sector can play a significant role in improving access to finance and encouraging entrepreneurship. A new flexible and voluntary European Code of Good Conduct for micro-credit provision aims to guide both businesses and financial institutions towards a better working relationship.
28/10/11
21 new European Destinations of Excellence
By rewarding tourist areas which pursue a sustainable development path, the EDEN initiative boosts awareness of Europe's touristic diversity and quality, and helps to spread good practices. The 2011 edition focused on the regeneration of physical sites which were converted into tourism attractions and catalysts for wider local regeneration: join us for a tour of excellence.
