SME100 Expo 2024: New Growth Agenda for SMEs

Conference-exhibition on the development potential and support ecosystem for the Serbian SMEs

October 17, 2024, NTP Čačak

9:00am – 10:00am

Tour of the SME100 Exhibition and Expo of Support to SMEs

  • Registration
  • Networking opportunities

10:00am – 10:40am

Welcome to SME100 Expo 2024 – Opening Addresses

  • Nemanja Šormaz, CEVES, Director
  • Mirko Pešić, NTP Čačak, Acting Director
  • H.E. Christopher Hill, Ambassador of the United States to Serbia (TBC)
  • Ambassador of Switzerland to Serbia (TBC)
  • H.E. Anke Konrad, Ambassador of Germany to Serbia (TBC)

10:40am – 11:30am

Plenary Panel 1: “The New” Market in the European Union: What Awaits SME Exporters? 

  • Restructuring and slow economic growth in the EU and the window for SME exporters
  • The growth plan for the Western Balkans through a new EU instrument and its planned measures and resources for SMEs
  • Preparing SMEs for the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, and additional opportunities for SME development support.

Matteo Colangeli, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Regional Director (TBC)
Nicola Bertolini, Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia, Head of Cooperation (TBC)
Jasna Atanasijević, Ernst&Young, Director of Economic Advisory Team (TBC)
Representative, VDMA/UNIDO (TBC

Moderator:
Jelisaveta Lazarević, Bloomberg (TBC)

11:30am – 12:00pm

Coffee Break

12:00pm – 2:00pm

Hard Talks for Easy Growth – SMEs Ask Support Providers

  • Are current programs and resources sufficient?
  • Do they adequately address company problems?
  • Are they sufficiently promoted, clear, and accessible?
  • What is overemphasized, what is missing, and what is “just right” and should serve as an example to others?
12:00pm – 12:40pm Hard Talk #1: Banking system

  • OTP Bank (TBC)
  • ProCredit Bank (TBC)
  • Banca Intesa (TBC)
  • Moderator: Representative, SME100 company #1
12:40pm – 1:20pm Hard Talk #2: State agencies

  • Development Agency of Serbia
  • Innovation Fund
  • Development Fund (TBC)
  • Moderator: Representative, SME100 company #2
1:20pm – 2:00pm Hard Talk #3: International donors

  • GIZ
  • USAID
  • SME Hub
  • Moderator: Representative, SME100 company #3

2:00pm – 3:30pm

Lunch Break and Expo of Support

3:30pm – 4:45pm

Plenary panel 2: New growth agenda for SMEs

  • New development instruments and institutions – survey results from companies and review of comparative practices (CEVES), with panelists’ reflections on the presented priority and missing development instruments and institutions
  • Serbia 2027 – how to ensure SMEs are the backbone of the announced development cycle
  • Old and new SME100 initiatives – priority and achievable measures for improving the business environment.

Siniša Mali, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance (TBC)
Adrijana Mesarović, Minister of Economy (TBC)
Marko Čadež, Serbian Chamber of Industry and Commerce, President (TBC)

Moderator:
Nemanja Šormaz, Director, CEVES

4:45pm – 5:45pm

SME100 Champions Award Ceremony and Closing Remarks with Cocktail Reception
Closing remarks by the organizers: Kori Udovički, President of the Governing Board and Chief Economist, CEVES

Register to participate at the SME100 Expo 2024: New growth agenda for SMEs

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