CROATIA: INNOVATIVE ENTERPRISE WEEK 2020

ended

Access to finance for innovative SMEs Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of the European economy with strong contributions to employment, innovation, growth, and social cohesion. They therefore deserve special attention and true support to enable them to further contribute to a prosperous Europe. Sufficient access to external finance - with the main goals of filling the gaps in funding for early-stage, high-risk research and innovation by SMEs, as well as stimulating breakthrough innovation - for SMEs is crucial to obtain economic growth, job creation and competitiveness of enterprises. It is one of the central elements in the European economic policy debates. To improve access to finance for SMEs, the EU as well as most EU Member States support SMEs with a wide range of loan, guarantee and/or equity instruments to mitigate market failures in SMEs finance. In addition, in the past years the EU initiated both the Investment Plan – of which SME-financing is an important part – and the Capital Markets Union Action Plan aiming at establishing an integrated capital market in the EU to boost the creation of jobs and economic growth. Objective of the project is to organize a 2 full day international conference CROATIA: INNOVATIVE ENTERPRISE WEEK 2020 (year 2020), including a restricted VIP-dinner/reception in the evening prior to the conference (year 2020). Objective of the conference is to raise awareness of the potential for the financial instruments, facilities and accompanying measures launched, in particular, under Horizon 2020 to enhance access to finance for research and innovation. The conference will focus on financing and financial tools for developing innovative products and services in highly innovative Small and medium-sized enterprises. (SMEs) Horizontal topics: Artificial Intelligence (AI), ICT / Energy sector