Under the theme “The Network at 15: showing the way forward for SMEs”, the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) held its Annual Conference from 15-17 November at the Bilbao Exhibition Centre in Spain, focusing on the commemoration of its 15th anniversary. The event brought together more than 800 participants from 50 countries, including Network partners, European Commission authorities and officials, and representatives from the private and public sector.

In this year’s edition, Nina Morales, Director of Institutional Affairs and Business Cooperation, and Manuela Caruz, Director of International Networks, participated on behalf of Eurochile, whose main objective was to meet and connect with counterparts from different countries for networking and to attend the talks and activities programmed by the organisation.

The Annual Conference featured panels, workshops, networking opportunities and social events. The sessions were organised around four main axes aligned with the EU’s critical policy priorities: Industrial Transition, with a focus on sustainability, digitalisation, resilience, global markets, innovation, startups, and the quality and impact of business support services.

Over the years, the Network has supported SMEs, helping them to innovate, grow and thrive on an international scale. The conference provided an opportunity to reflect on the Network’s journey and to envision an even more impactful future. Discussions focused on how the Enterprise Europe Network can evolve to provide better support, from improving sustainability and digitalisation to strengthening resilience.

During the event, key topics such as improving business support services for SMEs, internationalisation, supporting the transition to clean energy, skills development and promoting comprehensive synergies were addressed, with the aim of providing long-term strategies for SMEs, maximising global opportunities, complying with European environmental initiatives and fostering collaboration with various stakeholders.

“As representatives of Eurochile, we actively participated in those workshops that we considered fundamental for the development of the network. These sessions not only provided us with an in-depth understanding of the functioning of the European nodes, but also of the Commission’s policies on a variety of issues“, highlights Nina Morales, Director of Institutional Affairs and Business Cooperation at the Eurochile Business Foundation.

The conference was divided into specific workshops in the form of roundtables chaired by the European Commission through the European Innovation and SME Executive Agency (EISMEA) and network nodes.

In this regard, Manuela Caruz, Director of International Networks at Eurochile, points out that, “the activities in which we participated not only gave us the opportunity to celebrate the achievements of the network, but also to immerse ourselves in key discussions about the future. We had the valuable opportunity to learn about the vision and goals to be addressed in the coming year. We are excited to apply these learnings and continue to contribute to the success of SMEs on their path to internationalisation“.

In short, Eurochile’s participation in the Network’s anniversary was crucial to establish connections, share and exchange ideas on the new initiatives under development and the progress of the network nodes in Europe. This acquired knowledge will allow the Foundation to assist SMEs in their internationalisation process and to encourage the participation of other companies in this network that facilitates the diversification of national and European markets.

On the left, Manuela Caruz, Director of International Networks and on the right, Nina Morales, Director of Institutional Affairs and Business Cooperation.