FOI executive Jeanelle Catania, who is responsible for the Federation's Micro & Small Enterprises (MSE) Committee, was recently in Brussels on a two-day visit focused on identifying the various obstacles that micro, small and medium enterprises face when considering participation in EU programmes. Despite the various efforts of the EU Commission, the participation rate in the various EU programmes still remains low, and SMEs are unfortunately not exploiting opportunities.
The meetings stem from the Federation's MSE committee's efforts to address the hindrances that are blocking SMEs' participation in the various programmes, which aim to help SMEs in their research, innovation, networking and expansion. This challenge is also high on the Commission's agenda since statistics show that SMEs make up 99 per cent of all EU enterprises, and provide around 75 million jobs. SMEs are therefore vital to delivering the growth and higher employment objectives envisaged in the goal to make the EU a knowledge-based society.
The visit included meetings with various stakeholders operating in policy areas related to the development and growth of SMEs, such as the Confederation of European Business (BusinessEurope), DG Enterprise and DG Research. The general issues covered during all meetings were an introduction to the MSC, an overview of the challenges encountered by local SMEs (namely restricted human and financial resources), and obstacles related to the various EU programmes.
The first day's intensive programme of meetings, which was co-ordinated by MBB executive Omar Cutajar who accompanied Ms Catania throughout the day, involved meetings with Natasha Waltke, senior adviser at BusinessEurope, responsible for the Entrepreneurship and SME Committee; Jeremy Heath, a senior administrator at DG Enterprise; Slovenian Business Research Association (SBRA) director Boris Cizelj; Antti Karhunen, deputy head of unit also at DG Enterprise; Mr Coluccio and Mr Petralia, project officer and policy co-ordinator respectively at DG Research; and Maryline Maillard, head of Swiss Core Office, an organisation member of IGLO (Informal Group of RTD Liaison Offices).
The following day, the FOI executive, who is also the National Contact Point for SMEs within the EU's Seventh Framework Programme, attended a programme committee meeting at the Centre Borschette, where the 'Research for the benefit of SMEs' Work Programme for 2008 was discussed. Delegates from member states and associated countries analysed the findings obtained from a study made of the first calls launched at the end of 2006. In view of the recurrent barriers in both FP6 and FP7, the DG Research will be conducting an umpteenth impact assessment on SME participation on FP6.
Follow-up meetings will be held at the Federation's premises next week with relative stakeholders to discuss the way forward. Micro and small enterprises interested in joining the Federation are encouraged to contact the FOI secretariat on tel: 2123-4428 or 2122-2074, or by e-mail at info@foi.org.mt.