Project summary
The 7 SIE partner regions are keen to respond to the challenge of increasing SME internationalisation capacity and this project will help them to assess the effectiveness of current policies and the support initiatives that they cover.
Each partner will showcase successful support interventions in its region so that the other regions can test new ways of helping companies.
SIE will include study visits, local stakeholder groups, joint research into barriers faced by SMEs and regional action plans to improve policy design and implementation.
The partners will explore how different SME support mechanisms (workshops, trade missions/fairs, investment funds, B2B matchmaking and online tools) work in each region. The project activities will focus on a variety of topics including digital vs physical exports and international vs European trade.
What did this project achieve?
Internationalisation is a key way for SMEs to innovate & grow and is an essential part of ensuring that Europe continues to compete in the global market.
SMEs want to find new markets for their products & services but internationalisation can be complex. Companies face barriers when doing business in other countries but with the right support, internationalisation can help businesses to grow & become more innovative.