BASKAM3 · Innovation services and key account management support for Basque SMEs for 2019

The EU considers SMEs and entrepreneurship as key to ensure economic growth, innovation, job creation and social integration in the European Union. SMEs are the backbone of Europe’s economy since they represent 99% of all businesses in the European Union, employing 93 million people and generating 57 % of value added in the sector. The general macro-economic environment in the EU-28 in 2016 strengthened SME activity in all industries due to the expansion of all categories of final demand. In previous years, the main driver of SME recovery was exports. The year 2016 marked the third consecutive year of steady increases in EU-28 SME employment and EU-28 SME value added. As a result of the recent upturn, EU-28 SME employment has finally recovered from the 2008/2009 economic and financial crisis and even slightly exceeded the 2008 level in 2016. The level of value added generated by EU-28 SMEs showed even greater recovery, at 11 % higher than in 2008. This has also been the trend of Basque SMEs during the same period. Programs supporting SME exports benefit directly only a sub-set of SMEs. However, indirectly, all SMEs benefit to some extent from growth in exports as higher exports raises a) overall income levels, and hence the demand for goods and services sold by domestic demand facing SMEs, and b) the demand for goods and services originating from exporting- oriented enterprises. Some of the main drivers for a high competitiveness score can be linked to the presence of strong skills and innovation capacity and capability, entrepreneurship and easy access to finance. In the Basque Country we are very much aware of this scenario and that is why the Basque Node has designed an implementation plan aiming at contributing to the objectives of COSME. Facilitating access to European and international markets for Basque SMEs and by providing growth-oriented, integrated business and innovation support services that help strengthen the competitiveness and sustainability.