business support at your doorstep

Enterprise Europe Network | Jenny Laine | 2009-06-10 | Stockholm

European CommissionEnterprise and Industry

Business supportat your doorstep




What is Enterprise Europe Network?

• Network of regional/local business support organisation in all EU member states

• Launched in 2008 by the European Commission under the CIP programme

• Builds on its predecessors Euro Info Centre (EIC) and Innovation Relay Centre (IRC)

• Co-financed by the European Commission Services free of charge for SMEs

• Offers service and support to SMEs in their aim to access new markets



Where can you find us?

• 15 partner organisations(offices) in Sweden Coordinated and co-financed in Sweden by

Tillväxtverket (The Swedish Agency forEconomic and Regional Growth)

• 550 partner organisations in 44 countries

• In all EU member states And in: Croatia, Iceland, Israel, Norway, Turkey, Macedonia,

Armenia, Chile, Egypt, Russia, Switzerland, USA, China



The network in the Mälar region in Sweden• SMEs in the Mälar region in Sweden find

their network partner organisation at:

Europa Institutet in Västerås Acreo in Kista



For whom and why does the network exist?

• The idea behind the Enterprise Europe Network is to encourage small and medium sized enterprises to get better use of the internal market and the EU membership

• The services of the network are free or charge for SMEs



What do we do for the SMEs?1. Information and advice on EU regulation, internationalisation

and market expansion, EU funds and grantsHelpdesk through e-mail / telephone | Individual company

visits

2. Access to new international business contacts Partner search databases/tools and brokerage events

3. Service in technology transfer Advice on patents, licenses, cooperation agreements andaccess to financeBrokerage event, partner search

4. Feedback to the European Commission Surveys and panels, report trade barriers



Example: Partner search and brokerage eventHTC Sweden AB, Söderköping, attended a brokerage event in Frankfurt 2007 organized by the network. Found a Greek supplier and initiated a cooperation.

Together, the Swedish and the Greek company have set up a pilot project, and have also been approved Eurostars funding for a larger R&D project.



Example: CE markingAn advertising and marketing business were planning on importing air mattresses and putting their client's logotype on them. The company turned to the network helpdesk and asked if the air mattresses needed CE marking.

According to the toys directive 88/378/EC and the guidance documents, air mattresses that are designed (length) for adults do not need CE marking. But if the product is marketed as such to children, CE marking is recommended Principle of "better safe than sorry"



Contact details

www.EnterpriseEurope.se

Europa Institutet i Västerås

www.eiv.u.se [email protected] 021-448 07 90

Christina Söderström-NilssonJenny LaineChrister StenströmKarin Wiberg

020-93 10 10

Acreo

www.acreo.se

Rolf AnderssonStellan GranströmHåkan Sehlin



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business support at your doorstep

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