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Enterprise Europe Network
News article31 October 2022

Enterprise Europe Network Annual Conference concludes successfully

The Enterprise Europe Network Annual Conference, held in Prague and online on 25-27 October, successfully came to an end after three days of enriching conversations, captivating sessions, and exciting business matchmaking opportunities.

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Under the theme ‘New Network, new realities, new impact’, the event was designed around an important and timely question: how can the Network best meet the evolving needs and interests of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in a changing world? The conference brought together a diverse and engaged set of speakers and panelists to discuss how the Network can support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on their way to recovery and success.

For three days across 27 sections, Network partners, representatives of EU institutions, and key external exchanged ideas on how the Network can contribute to the European industrial transition, shared best practices to improve the quality and visibility of the Network’s services, and discussed ways to foster cooperation and synergies among Network members. The conference sessions were structured around four main strands reflecting these priorities: industrial transition, the Single Market and beyond, innovation, and quality.

The event was a massive success, gathering 183 speakers and over 1,000 on-site and online participants across 55 countries. ‘The conference was a great opportunity to reunite with the Network after a long time and meet new colleagues. I would like to thank our Czech partners for hosting a very successful event’, said Muriel De Grande, Head of Sector at EISMEA. Crispin Waymouth, the Deputy Head of Unit of DG GROW, added: ‘For the first time since 2019, we were able to get together as a Network physically. We all felt that positive energy and enthusiasm for reconnection. Additionally, the hybrid format of the conference enabled us to reach hundreds of participants online, which is a great achievement. It shows the breadth of the Network’.

The opening session gathered high-level EU and national officials as well as industry representatives, including the Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic, Marian Piecha; the Deputy Director-General of DG GROW, Maive Rute; the EISMEA Director, Jean-David Malo; the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry President, Gennadiy Chyzhykov; and Gabriela Takáčová, CEO of Recombee. The recording of the session is now available on our YouTube channel.

We thank our dedicated staff, Network partners, session organizers, speakers and all conference participants for creating a memorable conference experience!

We look forward to seeing you again next year in Bilbao!