Why is this conversation important?
Through recovery and towards global leadership, the way to Europeās future is powered by digitalization. Between the recession caused by COVID-19 and the upcoming energy crisis, for many European Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) survival is challenging enough that planning for an increasingly uncertain future is out of the question. Improved operational efficiency, an expanded customer base, higher revenues and lower costs, as well as a competitive advantage ā all undisputed benefits of digitalization ā cannot be a priority when the focus is on survival and daily business.
In such a fractured economic landscape, how can we reach out and successfully engage entrepreneurs and SME owners in order to jumpstart their digital transformation and support them throughout it?
Both on the national and the European level, policy makers need to foster the right environment through targeted action packages and funding opportunities for SMEs to invest in their future. It is clear, however, that a āone-size-fits-allā approach will not work, due to to the incredible diversity of the SMEs.
The upcoming summit will bring together stakeholders from the institutions, trade associations, the private sector as well as SME representatives to share experiences and best practices in connecting and engaging SMEs. Only by cultivating cooperation across all sectors, we can create and strengthen public-private partnerships to make digitalization accessible to all.
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