ECCP survey identifies key needs for SMEs to meet COVID-19 challenges

Submitted by Lee Gibson on 12 June 2020

Three key areas where European SMEs need help to counter the impact of the COVID-19 crisis have been identified by a European Cluster Collaboration Platform (ECCP) survey.

Conducted in conjunction with the platform’s soon-to-be-launched SMEs Go International Technical Assistance Facility, the study revealed that, while the majority of companies surveyed (86 percent) experienced some degree of impact, 24 percent felt a major impact.

SMEs are the driver of the European economy and the SMEs Go International initiative will support them to develop business projects in partnership with local stakeholders in non-EU markets by providing tailored support.

Given the rapidly changing situation around COVID-19, the survey identified three key areas in which that support will be most urgently needed:

  • understanding the challenges and opportunities in third markets;
  • developing new and innovative business models; and
  • assistance in digitalisation.

More details on these and other key findings of the survey are published here.

Some of these challenges will now be addressed by the SMEs Go International Technical Assistance Facility at launch.

If you wish to receive regular updates on the launch of the call, please smes-go-international [at] ecorys.com (contact us) so we can add you to our mailing list.

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