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Textiles, Fashion and Creative Industries

Textiles, Fashion and Creative Industries

Industrial revolution brings industry back to Europe

Europe needs to reverse the declining role of industry for the 21st century with the aim to deliver sustainable growth, create high-value job and solve societal challenge that we face. Immediate action should contribute to reverse the current downward trend from its current level of 15.6% of EU GDP to as much as 20% by 2020.

 
Which are the TOP 10 most burdensome legislative acts for SMEs?

Complaints are often aired about the red tape created by European law. We want to cut red tape and we can. However, there is a definite lack of concrete proposals to reduce this burden. With this in mind, the European Commission is calling upon businesses: "Let us know what could be done better - we would like your ideas for reducing red tape!".

 
Enterprise & Industry magazine n° 13 - July 2012

The European Commission has made a number of initiatives and programmes available to ensure that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – widely recognised as being the backbone of the European economy – continue to thrive during this time of financial hardship.

 
Innovation in the public sector

Can public sector innovation generate growth? This question is of major significance given the current economic situation, where effective ways of creating growth are being explored. A recent survey provides interesting data from the business perspective on this topic, with many respondents putting improvements in public services for business down to innovation. There is also a high demand for public sector innovation and later this year the European Commission will pilot a Public Sector Innovation Scoreboard to help Member States exchange good practices.

 
European SMEs make a big splash on International Markets

Thirty-seven examples of European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that have achieved success on the international stage have just been unveiled in a publication as part of the European Commission’s drive to encourage entrepreneurship in Europe. 'The Secret of Success 2012-13' is a flagship publication for the European SME Week, which will be held from 15 to 21 October 2012. One of the aims of this event will be to promote entrepreneurship and inspire more European citizens to consider it as a viable career option.

 
Helping EU enterprises seize opportunities in Japan and Korea

If you are considering entering these markets or expanding your activities there, the European Commission offers two valuable programmes to help you to do so. Previous participants explain how their companies benefited from the Executive Training Programme (ETP) and the EU Gateway Programme.

 
Main EU funding opportunities for SMEs

Big multinational companies tend to secure the lion’s share of Europe’s media coverage, with lots of articles being written about their activities and plans. However, the reality is that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are a crucial driver for our economy, representing more than 98% of European businesses. SMEs can benefit from EU support in different forms and a recent guide presents a useful overview of the main opportunities available to them.