SMEs

The PITCCH project aims to create a pan-European Open Innovation network to facilitate collaboration between big companies and SMEs or start-ups who can provide new technologies. The project has launched its 3rd open call for corporate challenges. Big corporations can submit their Corporate...

The Covid-19 crisis has strongly impacted the EU economy. 60% of SMEs reported a decrease in turnover in 2020. Businesses are now facing new consumer demands and must meet sustainability goals, while all industrial ecosystems have to adapt to the post-crisis economy. To help businesses through the...

More than ever before, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) must use digital technologies to stay competitive. Digitalisation can help SMEs to reduce costs, innovate, and enter the global market. Digital leaders are also more equipped to overcome disruption and take advantage of new business...

Energy Projects of Common Interest (PCIs) are cross-border energy infrastructure projects for building a more integrated and resilient EU energy market. On 19 November, the EU adopted the  5th list of energy Projects of Common Interest. The list contains 98 projects, including 67 in electricity...

Calling all clusters and SMEs in energy! The European Commission is working on an action plan on the digitalisation of the energy sector. In this context, the Commission is carrying out a public consultation to gather input from stakeholders and individuals. The consultation survey covers multiple...

SMEUnited, an association of crafts and SMEs across Europe, has released a position paper, outlining their comments on the European Commission’s consultation on the 2030 Digital Compass. The Commission had launched a consultation in June 2021 for the 2030 Digital Compass vision, inviting...

On 8 June, the European Alliance Against Coronavirus looked at the planned Joint Cluster Initiative, a new European programme for Clusters that will be launched in the second half of 2021, most likely in October. The Joint Cluster Initiative is part of the second pillar of the new EU Single Market...

On 1 June, the European Alliance Against Coronavirus welcomed Ilse van Rompuy from the European Commission’s DG GROW who introduced the European Single Market Programme (SMP). It is the first-ever programme to boost the Single Market with a budget of €4.2 billion for 2021-2027​. The SMP is designed...

Clusters make up a significant part of the European industrial landscape. Currently, there are around 3000 specialised clusters in Europe accounting for 54 million jobs. Clusters are key to boosting collaboration and connecting enterprises, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)...

On 27 April, the European Alliance Against Coronavirus looked at the cluster landscape in Ireland, how cluster organisations are developing in the country, and in which sectors and ecosystems they are active. Eleanor Doyle from the University College Cork​ provided insights into how clusters are...

On 31 May, the European Commission delivered a workshop on Strengthening technology infrastructures for advanced technologies, introducing the Advanced Technologies for Industry (ATI) project. The workshop was part of a series of eight policy seminars organised within the ATI project and...

To help SMEs navigate the current economic crisis, the European Commission has created several funding schemes. In particular, the REACT-EU funding scheme is a comprehensive and ambitious recovery plan. It will play a key role in ensuring a balanced recovery, fostering convergence, and ensuring no...