SMEs Showcase Innovation at European Biotech SME Awards

We attended the EuropaBio event 'Biotechnology: what's in it for you', where the 'Most Innovative European Biotech SME Award 2011' was presented.  This event aimed to highlight the entrepreneurship and pioneering activity of European Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in biotechnology and their inventive answers to complex problems such as environmental contamination, degenerative medical conditions, epidemics or food security.  The judging panel consisted of G. Steven Burrill, Founding CEO of Burrill and Company, Dr Paul Ruebig, MEP, Tom Saylor, Chair of EuropaBio's SME Platform and CEO of Arecor, and Nathalie Moll, Secretary General of EuropaBio.

Cut Small Businesses A Break Not A Push Overseas

The European Commission's SME policy launched today encourages European small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to seek their fortunes in emerging markets, like China, India, Russia, South East Asia and Latin America.  

The Commission Communication ‘Small Business, Big World - a new partnership to help SMEs seize global opportunities’ says that only 13% of EU SMEs operate outside the EU and shows examples like European SMEs active in chemicals in Brazil.  We really appreciate the Commission throwing their hat in the ring for us small businesses but what role can they really play in this?