After suffering the consequences of the COVID crisis, SMEs are now particularly affected by soaring energy prices, inflation, and supply chain bottlenecks. That is why Commission President Ursula von der Leyen offered the SMEs a lifeline by announcing in her 2022 State of the European Union address that the Commission will put forward an SME “Relief Package”. In his blog, Commissioner Thierry Breton puts forward three key areas for this “Relief Package”:

1. Combating late payments to secure cash flow
2. Making it easier to do business in the Single Market
3. Facilitating access to finance and skills

To discuss these support areas for SMEs, the European Cluster Collaboration Platform, on behalf of the European Commission, DG GROW, organised the EU Clusters Talk “'Relief' for SMEs: how to enhance business, funding access and skills” on 11 January 2023, 8:30 – 9:30 CET. The panellists spoke about ways to facilitate doing business in Europe, getting access to funding, and enhancing the workforces’ skills.

Speakers at this EU Clusters Talks included:

• Bonifacio García Porras, Head of Unit SMEs, DG GROW, European Commission
• Véronique Willems, Secretary General, SMEunited
• Montse Daban, Director of Science Policy and Internationalization, Biocat
• Ola Svedin, President, Clusters of Sweden
• Jorge Guillén, Export Manager, Agroveco Group

This event is part of bi-weekly online meetings brought to the cluster community by the European Cluster Collaboration Platform. They offer up-to-date insights into the latest industrial policies and clusters’ involvement, projects, and best practices, the latest ECCP news, and funding opportunities. The EU Clusters Talks are a space to exchange knowledge and to discuss cluster-relevant topics, which will change with every meeting.

Watch the record