2nd Session of the Euro-Arab Conference to Support Small and Medium Enterprises
Arab Industrial Development and Mining Organization (AIDMO)
Italian Ministry of Economic Development
Milan Chamber of Commerce
and the Syrian Business and Enterprise Centre (SEBC)
are organizing the
2nd Euro-Arab Conference to Support SMEs
11-12 July, 2011
Milan - Italy
In the framework of strengthening cooperation between Arab and European countries to support and develop SMEs, the , the Italian Ministry of Economic Development, Milan Chamber of Commerce and the Syrian Business and Enterprise Centre (SEBC), with the support of the League of Arab States and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy, are organizing the 2nd session of the Euro-Arab Conference to Support SMEs which will be held during the period 11-12 July, 2011 in Milan, Italy.
The 2nd Euro-Arab Conference to Support SMEs aims to enhance the existing cooperation between Arab and European countries to develop the capacities of SMEs expanding their contribution to their national GDPs as well as creating new job opportunities to reduce the growing unemployment in Arab States in addition to discussing ways to stimulate mutual investments in the SME sector and to get maximum benefit from the Arab and European funds and aid programmes in the aim to support this important and strategic sector.
The conference aims to cover the following issues:
EU-Arab Cooperation on SMEs
EU and Arab SMEs in Facing the Crises
Traditional Sectors in Facing Global Competition and Globalization
Artistic and Creative Industries
Empowering Women Entrepreneurship
SMEs in Rural Areas
Innovation and Helping Startups
Access to Finance and Small/Micro-Funds
The importance of the 2nd Euro-Arab Conference to Support SMEs comes from the great success of the 1st Euro-Arab Conference to Support SMEs, which took place from 20-22 February, 2010 in Damascus Syria. The 1st conference handled similar issues and was concluded with recommendations critical to the development of the SMEs, one of which was to hold the conference annually taking place once in an Arab state and the next in an EU State.
Arab Ministers of industry and trade and their European counterparts, Investment bodies, SME support institutions and programs, specialized organizations concerned, chambers of commerce and industry, businessmen associations, regional economic communities, funding programmes and funds and export credits, development and regional investment banks and industrial and commercial companies are expected to participate in the conference.
The 2nd Euro-Arab Conference to Support SMEs will dedicate special focus on the following sectors :
* Agrofood Industries
* Furniture
* Clothing and Leather
* Automotive/Engineering and Electronics/Car Supplying Industries
* Construction Materials
Coinciding with the conference, pre organized and scheduled brokerage (business to business) meetings will be held in the afternoon of the first and the whole of the second day, where participating countries and individuals will have the opportunity to find business partners in the sectors which the conference will pay special attention to as mentioned above.
2nd Session of the Euro-Arab Conference to Support Small and Medium Enterprises
