COSME: Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs

1. EU policy for SMEsWorkshop – the power of ideas: innovation and design thinking for growthNicola-Elizabeth MorrisDG Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEsUnit Enterprise Europe Network and SMEs InternationalisationBrussels, 28 October 2015

2. COSME: Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs 1st EU programme targeted to SMEs • Promoting the creation and growth of SMEs • Strengthening their competitiveness Access to markets Access to Finance Improving framework conditions for business Promoting entrepreneurship

3. Improving framework conditions for business 11% • Reducing administrative burden and supporting smart regulation; • Promoting measures to improve SME policy development; • Stimulating the development of certain markets or sectors (clusters, e-skills, KETs, tourism…).

4. Promoting entrepreneurship 2,5% • Developing of entrepreneurial skills and attitudes for new entrepreneurs, young people or women; • Mentoring schemes. Examples: • European Network of Mentors for Women Entrepreneurs; • Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs; • Education for entrepreneurship and self-employment at school and university.

5. Improving access to finance 60% • Support those SMEs which would otherwise not obtain financing (concept of "additionality"); • Overall target is to provide support to up to 330,000 SMEs; provide up to € 25 billion in financing; • Debt and equity financial instrument for SMEs: • Loan Guarantee Facility (LGF) • Equity Facility for Growth (EFG) => Both part of a single EU debt/equity financial instrument for enterprises’ growth and R&I.

6. Improving access to marketsSME internationalisation is a core aspect of EU SME Policy • 90% of future global growth will happen outside the EU • Only 13% of EU SMEs export beyond EU borders • SMEs face bigger challenges to enter third countries markets: • less in-house expertise and financial or human resources • Not enough specific information to locate/analyse markets • Difficulty for finding possible customers or the right partners • High cost of internationalisation, language issue and compliance withforeignlaws and regulations Support to SMEs at EU levelshouldcomplementmeasures in place at national or regionallevel

7. Political actions for internationalization • Regulatory approximation • Economic Diplomacy • SME Dialogues • SME internationalisation – firmly integrated into trade policy: • New trade and investment strategy • Highlights need to ensure that European SMEs can take full advantage of more open markets. • Commitment to include SME chapters in future trade agreements (effective provisions • for SMEs)

8. Political actions for internationalization • 1. Regulatory approximation • Long term objective: to create a business-friendly environment abroad by eliminating non-tariff barriers, approximating standards and strengthening the rule of law. • Giving SMEs the confidence to invest and do business abroad. • 2. Economic Diplomacy • Including initiatives such as trade missions and events • Also building on: • The Enterprise Europe Network's strong reputation in the area of partnership, in countries where the network is present

9. Political actions for internationalization • 3. SME Dialogues • Listening to business stakeholders' views on EU SME policy, including SME internationalisation, exchanging best practice. • Bilaterally with the USA, China, Russia, and Brazil • Multilaterally in the Eastern Partnership, the EU-MED Industrial Cooperation and the enlargement countries. Example: Euro-Mediterranean Dialogue on the textile and clothing industry: • launched in 2014 • platform for an exchange of experiences and information on available instruments and initiatives to improve the competitiveness of the textile and clothing industry across the Euro-Mediterranean area

10. Supporting SMEs internationalisation through dedicated actions (1) • IPR Help-Desks • free of charge, first-line support on IP and IPR matters toEU SMEs involved in transnational partnership agreements • Helpline service provides tailor-made and confidentialadvice on specific IP or IPR query • Training support (notably via webinars) and publications to address main IPR issues for SMEs ("know before you go") • IPR Help-Desks developed for Greater China (incl. Hong Kong & Taiwan), ASEAN countries + Latin America

11. Supporting SMEs internationalisation through dedicated actions (2) • Business Centres • Example of the EU SME Centre in China or the EU-Japan Centre on Industrial Cooperationadvising SMEs on howto invest and seize business opportunities • Trade Agreements • Inclusion in all future EU Trade agreements of effectiveSME provisions (example of ongoing TTIP negotiations)

12. Enterprise Europe Network Advice, information and cross-border partnership services for European SMEs How do I get European funding? How do I find a new market abroad? I need a business/technology partner Legal obstacles, administrative requirements for exporting my products to…. Relevant standards… How can I sell my innovative ideas and technology? What does this EU law mean for my business?

13. Thematic scope • Internalmarket, innovation, EU programmes……. • Access to finance / Improving SMEs' financial knowledge • Energy efficiency, climate & environment (in-house services or signposting) Services to SMEs • Advice, support & information • Support for cross-border business and technology partnership • Enhancing SMEs' innovation management capacities • (Key Account Management services for Horizon 2020 SME instrument) + Feedback to the European Commission on difficulties encountered by SMEs Third countries: Business Cooperation Centres (services focus on partnership)

14. Advice How the Enterprise Europe network operates • Integrated services: consortium partners provide an SME with a set of services to address its specific needs (assesses needs, tailor made advice…): egpartner search, support for concluding partnership agreements, advice on relevant legislation/formalities to help an SME expand to new markets Key assets of the Network: • Experiencedstaff • Provencapability to network withpartnersabroad to solve cross-border issues Partnership professionals Database + advice by experts 13000 technology & commercial opportunities Strong experience in B2B meetings Company missions

15. Business Cooperation Centres Based in 3rd countries Role: Partnership and country information to help EU businesses benefitfromopportunities on international markets Norway, Switzerland Armenia, Belarus 1, Georgia, Russia, Serbia, Ukraine, Egypt, Israel, Jordan 1, Tunisia Canada, USA Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru India Central China, East China, West & North China, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, S. Korea, Taiwan New Zealand South-Africa

16. Erasmus for young entrepreneurs • Helps new entrepreneurs acquire competence to manage an SME • Via a placement with an experiencedentrepreneur in anotherEuropean country participating in the programme Addedvaue for the host business: • Exchange of knowledge and experience • Extension of network of contacts to anotherEuropean country • New business contacts • Access to foreignmarketsthat are new for you The stay is co-financed by the EU

17. Erasmus for young entrepreneurs Obligations / responsibilities for the host business: • Supports a high quality training experience: based on experience and action for creating a viable business • Establish good working relations • Ensuringquality of experience • Specific objectives and activities for each individual placement defined beforehand.

18. Other design and innovation related initatives Design-Driven innovation: using design techniques and user-centric innovation strategies to: - develop and market products or services - improve market advantage and customer satisfaction • A project "Capabilities for design-driven innovation in European SMEs" running until Sept 2018 will build capacities of business intermediaries to help SMEs implement this form of innovation • The Enterprise Europe Network will have access to results Workplace innovation: Various resources available on the EU Workplace Innovation Network (http://portal.ukwon.eu/) Including short films illustrating how some of Europe’s most exciting companies are engaging employees in enhancing performance, innovation and working lives

19. Other design and innovation related initatives • COSME includes a range of actions to promote cluster excellence and international cluster cooperation (in Europe and beyond), with special emphasis on cross-sectoral cooperation to support emerging industries. • The Cluster Excellence Programme • Cluster internationalization programme • Cluster observatory

20. Future initiative in the pipeline • A pilot action to allow SMEs to formulate vacancies for innovation-relevant skills which they cannot find on the national labour market (2016). Your Enterprise Europe Network partner will have further information as soon as this is launched.

21. Specific initiatives for textiles WORTH project financed under the previous EU programme for SMEs (CIP): • Supported transnational partnership between designers and businesses (manufacturers, retailers, craftsmen, technology companies) to create new innovative products • In the fashion, textiles, jewelry, shoes, optical industry, furnishings and leather sectors • Requirement to have partners from different Member States (or other countries participating in the programme) • Likely that this will be re-launched in 2016 (dependent on the adoption of the related work programme)

22. EU programmes relevant to textiles Horizon 202O: Research and development: Also includes specific SME measures: • Emphasis on promising technological ideas with excellent commercial potential. • Support for the feasibility and innovation phases, and advice/support for a third phase to signpost SMEs to other sources of finance for commercialization Eurostars • Supports development of a new product, process or service that will be rapidly commercialized • Focus on research intensive SMEs (atleast 10% of turnover dedicated to research). SMEs do the research. Supported by membercountries LIFE: environment

23. Thank you for your attention! Nicola-Elizabeth MorrisEnterprise Europe Network and Internationalisation of SMEs DG Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs nicola-elizabeth.morris@ec.europa.eu