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What are the YEC 2018 Jury looking for? – David Gomes
September
04
2018
The SME Week Youth Essay Competition is getting even closer…only 12 days to go until the deadline on 16 September 2018! Today on Promoting Enterprise we present David Gomes, another Youth Essay Competition jury member. David Gomes will be on the jury as the representative from the JADE Network (The European Confederation of Junior Enterprises), who are one of our competition partners. Read on to find out what he is looking for in an entry and don’t forget to submit before the deadline!
What will you be looking for in an entry?
Innovation is the keyword – I will be looking for entries that suggest practical and concrete ways for entrepreneurs and governments to become more innovative. For me an entry needs to offer more than just sharing ideas and thinking about what we want in the future. I want the entries to really consider what we want to see in terms of innovation and how we can make this a reality. The writers should think about how we can foster an environment that promotes innovation on a constant basis. I am expecting really good answers as the question of innovation is one that we need to answer as fast as we can.
What are the top three criteria you will base your judging on?
I will judge each essay on the following three criteria: originality, feasibility, and presentation.
What will make an entry stand out for you?
An entry will stand out for me if it considers both the strengths and weaknesses of our present environment, and proposes solutions that are suitable for the problem identified. It is not enough to come up with ideas and expect them to be the best solution for the perceived problem. In order for an entry to be well rounded and thought provoking, the author will need to demonstrate a deep understanding of what is being done at the moment, and propose their solution in light of that.
What advice would you give for those still not sure about entering the competition?
Over time the younger generations are taking an ever increasing role in important societal discussions. This competition is an amazing opportunity to make an impact on what policy-makers are defining for our collective future and to make your voice heard. When we are invited to give our opinions we should embrace the challenge and speak up!
What steps do you think should be taken to foster and encourage innovation?
For me, it is much more about change management. Our society is ready for innovation, the problem simply lies with how people react to new ways of doing something or new products and services. We need to embrace innovation as a way to keep improving our lives for the better. Innovation should be a constant in our mindsets, in everything we do – both personally and professionally, and the leaders of this change should definitely be both governments and entrepreneurs.
Interested in entering this year’s competition? Find out more about the 2018 SME Week Youth Essay Competition right here. Use the News Portal for all your competition questions and be sure to have a look at the previous winning entries for inspiration. Finally, don’t forget to submit your essays by 23 September 2018!
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EEPA National Winners 2018 – Improving the Business Environment
July
26
2018
EEPA – The European Enterprise Promotion Awards, recognises outstanding projects from across Europe that are working to support entrepreneurs and small businesses across six different categories.
The next EEPA category is “Improving the Business Environment” which recognises initiatives that support enterprise start-up and growth, and simplify both legislative and administrative procedures for businesses. Have a look through the national winners in this category below and stay tuned until the end of September to see which of these makes it onto the European shortlist!
Austria: Industry-Startup.Net
Finland: Kakola – from a Prison to an Etrepreneurial Base
Iceland: Electronic Company Register
Italy: PLL – Piani Locali per il Lavoro
Malta: Setting of a one-stop-shop customer care service to facilitate simplification for SMEs
Poland: Entrepreneur Package
Romania: Start up Nation Romania
Slovakia: Better Regulation Center
Spain: Open Innovation 4.0.
*Portugal and the UK have yet to announce their 2018 national winners. The winning projects will be added accordingly.
Come back to Promoting Enterprise every week to find out about the national winners across the other five EEPA categories: Promoting the entrepreneurial spirit, Investing in entrepreneurial skills, Supporting the internationalisation of business, Supporting the development of green markets and resource efficiency and Responsible and inclusive entrepreneurship.
Want to know who will be judging the 2018 projects? Meet the EEPA 2018 Jury here on the Portal!
What are the most entrepreneurial cities and regions in Europe?
December
01
2017
The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) has opened the call for applications for the European Entrepreneurial Region (EER) 2019 award on 23 November in Tallinn, at the European SME Assembly organised by the European Commission in cooperation with the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The EER 2019 edition was launched by Johanna Mikl-Leitner (AT/EPP), CoR Member and Governor of Lower Austria, one of the three EER winners of the current year. The EER award is open to all EU regions and cities that are ready to implement an ambitious strategy to support their SMEs and entrepreneurs. The deadline to apply for the EER 2019 label is 17 April 2018.
Each year, the EER label is awarded to three EU territories with an outstanding, future-oriented strategy to promote entrepreneurship and support small and medium-sized enterprises in their territories. The forward-looking orientation of the EER initiative means that the EER label is open to all EU territories – not only to those that are already among the top performers, but also to regions and cities that may still be less prosperous, but that have an ambitious entrepreneurial vision to reinvigorate their economy and a credible action plan to transform this vision into reality.
Over the past seven years, the EER winners have demonstrated how cities and regions can successfully strengthen their entrepreneurial ecosystems. During the SME Assembly’s first day, Lower Austria (EER 2017) was awarded the Commission’s European Enterprise Promotion Award (EEPA) in recognition of its outstanding achievements in supporting SME internationalisation.
“SMEs, start-ups and scale-ups are a motor for life quality and sustainable development in our cities and regions. I strongly believe that, as regional and local decision-makers, it is our responsibility to set up the right conditions for the emergence of flourishing entrepreneurial ecosystems. Through the European Entrepreneurial Region (EER) label, the European Committee of the Regions contributes to this objective. We identify and reward EU regions and cities that create an environment in which entrepreneurial initiative can unleash its full potential”, stated CoR Member Johanna Mikl-Leitner.
The implementation of the awarded regional and local strategies will be monitored throughout 2019 by the EER jury, which is composed of CoR members, representatives of EU institutions and social partners. At the end of the award year, the jury will visit the awarded territories in order to verify the progress made, provide them with an objective outside appraisal of their policies and gain new insights and inspiration for the further development of the EER scheme. The main results and achievements of the EER 2019 winners will also be shared and discussed among regional and local authorities through the EER network, which since its inception in 2010 has grown to include 24 territories, giving it the critical mass necessary for a fruitful exchange of good practices, peer-learning and successful cooperation among past and present EER winners.
The deadline for the submission of applications is 17 April 2018. The application form and detailed information about the assessment criteria are available on the EER web page: www.cor.europa.eu/eer
Contact:
Carmen Schmidle
Tel. +32 (0)2 282 2366
Mobile: +32 (0)494 735787
carmen.schmidle@cor.europa.eu
European ideas that will change the world
November
15
2017
On November 22, entrepreneurs from all around Europe will present their ideas to change the world for the better. 28 innovators from across the European member states will compete in the semi-finals of ‘Ideas from Europe’ in Tallinn and share their solutions to global challenges.
From tackling food waste, using innovative technology to diagnose health problems, cures for the common cold and antibiotic resistance, smart uses of renewable energy, diminishing CO2 emissions, programs for children with Autism, anti-bullying initiatives and refugee support systems – and more; these entrepreneurs have come up with innovative solutions to pertinent global challenges. This competition puts a spotlight both on the entrepreneurs and their ideas to help them grow their business and make an even bigger impact.
What is the next step?
The Ideas from Europe journey is ready for its next phase, the semi-finals, which will be held in Tallinn, Estonia during the SME Assembly 2017. Each European member state will be sending an innovative entrepreneur with a ground breaking business idea as their representative. The 28 innovators will deliver a three minute pitch in front of a renowned jury to compete for ten places in the finals. The jury, as well as the audience, will choose nine ideas to be showcased during the finals in The Hague in April 2018. The choice of the tenth finalist is down to you, all Europeans – you can all vote, online for the tenth solution that you want to see in the Hague.
Program
The semi-finals of Ideas from Europe in Tallinn will start on November 22 at 16.00 UTC (GMT+2). The whole program will be broadcasted via a live stream. On November 23, at 09.00 UTC, the nine best ideas will be announced and the online public voting will open! The live stream can be viewed via ideasfrom.eu. 
Speakers
Do you want to know more about the entrepreneurs and their ideas? Have a look at the list of all 28 semi-finalists below, or visit www.ideasfrom.eu, to get familiar with their pitches and know for whom you wish to vote. Public voting for the tenth finalist will be open from November 23 until mid-January 2018, on www.ideasfrom.eu.
Press release
Please download the Press Release Ideas from Europe 2017.
Invest Week 2017
October
04
2017
Invest Europe, the association representing Europe’s private equity, venture capital and infrastructure sectors, has once again joined forces with policymakers, the investment industry, policy–focused organisations and entrepreneurs to host Invest Week 2017. Supported by the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Invest Week 2017 will focus on how Europeans can work together to create a brighter future through investment and innovation. A variety of events throughout the week will look at the role of investment in stimulating sustainable economic growth.
Michael Collins, CEO of Invest Europe stated:
“Europe is a global standard bearer for sustainable investment and has an increasingly powerful entrepreneurship and innovation culture. With 30 organisations spanning finance, pensions, insurance and entrepreneurship involved, Invest Week exemplifies the cross-border, collaborative approach that makes Europe a special place to invest and build businesses.”
“Invest Europe is proud to once again lead the organisation of Invest Week, which has this year secured the backing of the Estonian Presidency, the European Investment Bank and the European Investment Fund. We look forward to a packed agenda sharing ideas to help the EU meet its sustainable investment goals.”
Consult the agenda to view already scheduled events covering topics ranging from funding for start-ups, female entrepreneurship, financial regulation and sustainability. Confirmed speakers include: European Commission Vice President Jyrki Katainen, serial entrepreneur and investor Hermann Hauser, Chairman of the European Innovation Council, and Roger Havenith, Deputy CEO for the European Investment Fund.
For events and the latest updates, follow Invest Week 2017 on Twitter.
Journalists are welcome to attend Invest Week events. For more information and registration, please contact Emma Thorpe on emma.thorpe@investeurope-advisors.eu.
Read the full press release here.
About Invest Europe
Invest Europe is a non-profit association located in Brussels, that represents Europe’s private equity, venture capital and infrastructure sectors, as well as their investors. Their members take a long-term approach to investing in privately held companies, from start-ups to established firms. This commitment helps deliver strong and sustainable growth, resulting in healthy returns for Europe’s leading pension funds and insurers, to the benefit of the millions of European citizens who depend on them.
Invest Europe aims to make a constructive contribution to policy affecting private capital investment in Europe, and provides information to the public on their members’ role in the economy. Their research provides the an authoritative source of data on trends and developments in their industry. It also promotes the industry’s professional standards, demanding accountability, good governance and transparency from their members.
From leather design to Quality Assesment – Find out about Stella and Kristel
September
12
2017
We are back with the next two entrepreneurs in our ‘Meet an Estonian entrepreneur’ series! Why Estonian entrepreneurs? This year the SME Assembly 2017, the flagship event for European SME Week, will be held in Tallinn under the Estonian presidency from 22-24 November 2017. In order to get ready for the event, Promoting Enterprise will be exploring Estonia as a digital pioneer as well as meeting the exciting entrepreneurs it has to offer! Today it is time to meet Stella Soomlais, a sustainable leather accessories designer and studio owner, and Kristel Kruustük, co-founder and CEO of Testlio – an end-to-end Quality Assessment management platform.
Stella Soomlais
Stella Soomlais is a leather accessories designer and studio owner, who designs and creates bags made to last. In 2004 she began making custom orders whilst at Tartu Art School, and set up her own company in 2011. In 2014 she began recruiting employees and now has over 10 people working for her. Her vision, and that of her company, is a sustainable one, and champions the idea of reusing leather after its first life cycle so as to maximise material use.
What motivates you?
I’m motivated by the ability to make things better and to improve situations. It makes me happy when I see that my actions are making a difference.
The best thing about being an entrepreneur?
Freedom – I can pick the projects and people I love to work with and be the boss of my own time.
What skills do tomorrow’s entrepreneurs need?
I would say that tomorrow’s entrepreneurs need to treat others as they would like to be treated. This includes everybody and everything, clients, colleagues and Mother Nature as well. Understanding different characters, the way they work and feel motivated, and the importance of sustainability is the key to success. In addition, good old patience is still necessary – it takes years of 24/7 work to implement your dreams and visions. But it’s worth it!
Find out more about Stella and her sustainable products: www.stellasoomlais.com
Kristel Kruustük
Kristel Kruustük is co-founder and CEO of Testlio – an end-to-end Quality Assessment management platform and community of highly vetted testers that help businesses deliver amazing customer experiences. At the age of 23 she came up with the id ea of building a platform that would appreciate the work of testers and elevate the importance of Quality Assessment within organisations. Since launching in 2012, the company has raised $8M in funding, hired over 60 employees, and established offices in Tallinn and San Francisco. Clients include Salesforce, Lyft, Microsoft, CBS Interactive, Flipboard and Strava.
What motivates you?
I’m motivated by my vision for Testlio which is to change the way Quality Assessment is done and to help businesses create successful products with a great team, community and customers. Even when things get very challenging and hard, I know that there’s always a solution for every problem.
What’s the best thing about being an entrepreneur?
Making your vision and dream come true. Testlio began because of my own frustration about how software testers were treated in the industry. Testing was often perceived as an afterthought and testers were often blamed when things didn’t go as expected.
What’s especially rewarding about being an entrepreneur is when things move in the right direction. It is so inspiring when the people around you are happy, excited and motivated to make a difference. I have written more on what I love about entrepreneurship here.
What skills do tomorrow’s entrepreneurs need?
Putting people first and not treating business like a machine. Businesses are all about people (your team, your customers, your community) and in today’s world, ideas don’t matter anymore, what matters is people, making connections and building long term relationships.
Read more of Kristel’s ideas and thoughts on her entrepreneurial journey: https://medium.com/@kristelkruustuk
Let the adventure begin: get ready for the EYE2018!
July
27
2017
Have you heard the news? The third edition of the European Youth Event (EYE2018) is taking place on 1 and 2 June 2018. On this occasion, the European Parliament seat in Strasbourg will welcome more than 8,000 people aged between 16 and 30 from any EU member State or another European country.
The European Parliament offers once more a unique opportunity for young Europeans to make their voices heard and to come up with innovative ideas for the future of Europe. Participants will get the chance to discuss them with political decision-makers and inspiring personalities on the European stage.
EYE2018 includes a wide range of activities in English, French and German run under the motto “The plan is to fan this spark into a flame.” (Hamilton, My Shot). The activities centre around five main themes:
- Young and old: Keeping up with the digital revolution
- Rich and poor: Calling for a fair share
- Apart and together: Working out for a stronger Europe
- Safe and dangerous: Staying alive in turbulent times
- Local and global: Protecting our planet
Young people who want to take part need to register on this website between October and December 2017. After successfully registering, they can also shape the EYE programme by proposing to organise an activity or an artistic performance.
Those who cannot make it to Strasbourg will still be able to debate the five main themes of the event online and take part in competitions on social media before and during the event.
The 3 Education Trends Preparing the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs
June
08
2017
Educators are tasked with the necessary burden of preparing today’s students to shape tomorrow’s world as our next generation of thinkers, leaders and entrepreneurs — the tireless creators who are at the forefront of innovation and driving the world’s economy. Recently, we’ve seen the traditional learning models begin to evolve with the meaningful incorporation of technology, as we try to equip students with the digital literacy required of today’s employees. But, with technology constantly changing, can we actually predict what skills and knowledge today’s students will need to lead the future workforce?
This uncertainty about the future is precisely what defines the type of workers we’ll need: flexible and collaborative problem solvers. Where the traditional learning model leans heavily on memorisation and discipline to create uniform, self-reliant students, the educational system must shift the focus from what students learn to how well students can apply knowledge to break barriers, chart their own paths and ignite their own career passions and interests. As we redefine the education environment through technology and innovative learning styles, we can prepare students to meet changing workplace expectations by teaching them how to learn, think and lead.
In these new education models key styles of education have been identified:
- Mobility enhanced personalised education: Learning how to learn
- The Maker Movement: Learning how to think: a hands-on approach
- Student-led learning: Learning how to lead
Incorporating technology in the classroom is already having an enormous impact on students, but if the lesson doesn’t go beyond the classroom, what value does it truly have for students’ real lives? Educators need to focus not only on how far we can advance learning with tech, but also how to build a culture of challenging outdated models and embracing new solutions; this is critical for our future workforce.
For today’s students to succeed in the workforce, they must learn to be contributors and innovators, rather than masters of a specific skillset. As technology evens out the playing field for global companies, innovation and differentiation will become even more instrumental in the success of a business. Today’s students will carry the burden of taking risks and thinking outside their roles to keep companies competitive and afloat. Future workplaces will not need “expert accountants” or “expert coders,” but rather expert problem solvers, thinkers, collaborators and “intrapreneurs.”
The burden doesn’t only fall on educators; technology companies also need to continue to provide communities with special STEM programs, focused on areas like data science and engineering. They can also help by supporting organisations like Girls Who Code, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to closing the gender gap in computer science and technology, and Major League Hacking, a student hacking league that supports weekend-long invention competitions. Organisations like these inspire students and foster a drive to learn the skills needed to build a better world.
So whether you’re an educator or member of the tech community, it is up to us to help students think differently by teaching and supporting them with the world of tomorrow in mind, rather than defaulting to the ways we were taught as children. It’s vital we work together to set a precedent for innovation now so the next generation of entrepreneurs and employees can create a positive global impact when we pass the torch.
Read the full article: www.entrepreneur.com
SME Assembly 2016 – Refresh your memory with presentations
February
07
2017
As we prepare for SME Assembly 2017 in Tallinn, let us not forget about the success of the SME Assembly 2016 in Bratislava! The presentation from the SME Assembly 2016 is now available for you to look at here.
Want to have a look at some of the presentations from the SME Assembly 2016? Browse the list below to refresh your memory:
10 Years On
Ladislav Ambrovics (MINIT Slovakia)
Scale Up Lab
Pieter Waasdorp (NLGroeit)
Policy Session – Skills for SMEs
Rosanna Kurrer (Digital Leadership Institute)
Alberto Onetti (Mind the Bridge, SEP)
Masterclass – Crowdfunding: Yannig Roth (Marketing Director, WiSEED)
Policy Session – Single Market Lab
Stefan Vratny (EEN)
Policy Session – Creating a Collaborative Economy
Marco Torregrossa: Rethinking Work in the Collaborative Economy (Secretary General, European Forum of Independent Professionals Managing Director, European Sharing Economy Coalition)
Julia Rzepecka (VVA – Europe)
Policy Session – Accessing Alternative Finance
Pim de Bokx (Founder PIONEERZ Chairman DIA – Dutch Incubators & Accelerators)
Kristof de Buysere (Eucaps)
Philippe Gluntz (Business Angels Europe)
Policy Session – The Growth of Social Enterprise
Roger Spear (OU&RUC)
Nils Dreyer (Hilfswerft GmbH)
Joseba Sagastigordia (Mondragon corp.)
Ariane Rodert (EESC)
Tallinn, Estonia
This year the SME Assembly 2017 will take place in Tallinn, Estonia! Keep up with all the latest information, preparations and exciting announcements right here on Promoting Enterprise and we hope to see you in Tallinn…
EEPA – Improving the business environment
October
21
2016
We continue our showcase of the European Enterprise Promotion Awards (EEPA) shortlist with an introduction to the national winners competing in Category-3 – Improving the Business Environment. These three projects, each with their own specific focus, have in common the fact that they improve the entrepreneurial ecosystem in their respective countries – Denmark, Portugal and Slovenia. Two of the projects are based on a competition/award scheme, while the third is a co-working space that motivates young entrepreneurs.
So, in no particular order, the first in our list this week is Denmark’s Next Step Challenge (NSC). NSC is an ambitious European startup competition focusing on Smart Energy & Digitalisation and Sound & Home Integration. Ambitious startups are offered the chance to access a one-of-a-kind business development programme in direct collaboration with big corporations, SydEnergi and Bang & Olufsen. Along with EUR 250 000 in prize money, the winners are also supported by SydEnergi and Bang & Olufsen, who open up their organisations, share knowledge and strategy, and assist with product and/or business development. Check out their video!
The next project takes us to Portugal and the Leader SME programme, which
annually rewards SMEs with the best financial performance and risk levels, as viewed by IAPMEI and Turismo de Portugal. The award offers public recognition of their successful growth strategies and competitive leadership, and winners benefit from more favourable conditions for accessing finance and other specialised business management support. In just eight years, the number of companies recognised has more than doubled from around 3 000 in 2008 to approximately 7 300 in 2015! Have a look at their video!
KIKštarter was established to encourage young people in Slovenia to develop their entrepreneurial ideas. A co-working space in the deprived area of Kamnik, it provides entrepreneurs with a supportive environment and is home to 27 startups. The startups receive assistance and guidance in developing their ideas, have access to workspace, and participate in a series of motivational events. The project is contributing to the promotion of entrepreneurship to all residents in the area, which is undergoing regeneration, and helping to unlock the potential of the area and its people. The initiative has directly resulted in seven new businesses and at least as many new jobs with minimal financial investment.
Only one of these projects can be declared the ultimate winner in the category and, given the high standard of all three, the EEPA Jury is faced with a difficult choice. But choose they must, and their eventual choice will be revealed at the EEPA Awards Ceremony during the SME Assembly on 24 November in Bratislava, Slovakia, when the Grand Jury prize-winner will also be announced.
Don’t forget that you can still read about EEPA Category 1: Promoting the Entrepreneurial Spirit and Category 2: Investing in Entrepreneurial Skills national winners.
