After the first EU-African SME Summit in Brussels in 2019, when 10 African and European SME support organisations signed – under the good auspices of the European Commission – the EU-African SME Alliance, and where the basic values and strategic visions for better economic cooperation between Europe and Africa have been shared, it is now time to explore more in-depth the opportunities for investment and trade among small and medium-sized enterprises in the two neighbouring continents.
At the beginning of the twenties of the second millennium, Africa is organising to significantly increase intra-African trade, as exemplified by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and wants to unleash more entrepreneurial spirit to generate jobs, inclusive growth, and social and political stability.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of many economies in Europe and Africa, for example of the first two manufacturing nations of Europe, Germany and Italy. Entrepreneurship and professional training are the focus, as keys for a strong African Mittelstand and a good basis for shared value business – in the framework of sustainable economic, social and environmental development.
The 2021 conference aims to bring European and African entrepreneurs into play, encourage them to cooperate and co-invest, build alliances, joint ventures and partnerships through appropriate support and monitoring structures and mechanisms to verify the effectiveness and impact of their initiatives.
The event will highlight the chances for entrepreneurs and define together with decision-makers and experts the roads towards successful economic cooperation of dynamic and future-oriented companies in Africa and Europe.