EUROCITIES: the network of European cities

What Im going to say

Why is this so important? How can cities support entrepreneurs?

Recommendations to European Commission

Specific recommendations on COSME (2014-2020)

What were doing in Liverpool

Why is this so important?

% who would prefer to be self-employed

EU27 45% South Korea 51% USA 55% China 71%
[Source Entrepreneurship in the EU and beyond, European Commission, 2009]

Why is this so important?

Top 2 reasons for preferring employee status

EU27 (1) regular, fixed income, (2) stability of employment South Korea (1) stability of employment, (2) regular, fixed income USA 55% (1) other reason, (2) regular, fixed income, stability of employment much lower

China 71% (1) lack of finances, (2) lack of skills

[Source Entrepreneurship in the EU and beyond, European Commission, 2009]

Why is this so important?

Employment preference
In EU27 lack of ideas, lack of skills, lack of finance, red tape, legal/social consequences of failure not major factors
[Source Entrepreneurship in the EU and beyond, European Commission, 2009]

Why is this so important?

% who think self-employment is feasible

EU27 29% South Korea 23% USA 36% China 44%
[Source Entrepreneurship in the EU and beyond, European Commission, 2009]

Why is this so important?

How can cities support entrepreneurs?

Cities develop support services tailored to local realities and specificities

financial incentives for business development, including in deprived areas business incubators clusters networking between local stakeholders synergies between local companies, universities and researchers

Recommendations to the European Commission

Improve coordination between European funds to help support entrepreneurship as part of local integrated development Improve enterprise awareness Target interventions on growth

Facilitate access to finance through new schemes

Promote and support research and development Make public procurements rules more SME-friendly

Develop indicators and gather evidence on entrepreneurship

Support the internationalisation of small businesses Support training schemes and the exchange of practices

Specific comments on COSME (2014-2020)

COSME should reach cities and have a strong territorial dimension The regulation should clarify what actions will be implemented to facilitate SME access to markets outside the European Union and international industrial cooperation

The Enterprise Europe network should be strengthened

Financial instruments should be easily accessible for SMEs

There needs to be wide dissemination of information about COSME, especially to local and regional authorities

What were doing in Liverpool

High growth start-ups Young people/graduates BME entrepreneurs Women entrepreneurs