Summary of the first day of the 14th European SME Congress

This year's edition of the 14th European Congress of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises is attended by nearly 10,000 participants stationary and via the Internet . The vast majority - live - at the International Congress Center in Katowice. This is more than a third more than last year.

Brave business people

 
- I would like to express my great pleasure that we can meet again in Katowice to discuss key economic issues of Poland, Europe and the world. We know perfectly well how much we owe to small and medium-sized entrepreneurs - in Katowice alone we have more than 50,000 companies in the SME and micro sector, which create more than 100,000 jobs thanks to courageous business people,” said the mayor of Katowice during the inaugural session - dr Marcin Krupa.

- Small and Medium Enterprises - sounds modest, but it is not at all so. You are the ones who build our labor market, attract innovation and are the fastest to respond to what is happening in the employment market - stated the Silesian governor  Marek Wójcik.

A considerable audience was attracted by online broadcasts. The ECSME is the largest meeting of representatives of this business sector in Europe. Not surprisingly, information about the congress reached 55 million entrepreneurs, policymakers, researchers, social activists and workers across Europe. It's as if every Italian and Italian woman found out today about the meeting organized by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice.

Strategy for business needed right away!

 
Small and medium-sized companies are the engine of any economy. Vice President of the National Chamber of Commerce and head of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice - Tomasz Zjawiony appealed to those in power to speed up work on a business development strategy. Such a foundation for development, in his opinion, is needed by hundreds of thousands of Polish companies.

- Today, more regulations are not enough. We need effective cooperation with regulatory institutions that not only impose new restrictions, but also offer tools to help entrepreneurs face the challenges of the modern world. Together, we can create conditions in which Polish business can develop and compete effectively on the international stage – said Tomasz Zjawiony.

The road to the future leads through…

 
The record attendance also shows that finding the right path is one of the priorities of European entrepreneurs. “Shape the future now” - shape your future now, was the motto of this year's ECSME. The future, in its various dimensions, was the subject of much discussion.

According to Michał Dąbrowski, president of the Industrial Development Agency S. A., the desire to be a leader in every field can lead the European economy astray.

- Today, we, in my opinion, should really do a deep review of the directions that are a priority for us, strongly developmental. Without a doubt, long-term opportunities are given to us by energy, and for this energy, for its rationality, price predictability, a certain calmness in this market, we should fight today as a priority. This will allow us to build an economic horizon, this will give stability to business and we will not have to worry about investment decisions, opening new factories or possibly closing existing ones – convinced Michał Dąbrowski, President of ARP S.A.

Energy transition is the most important challenge of the EU and Polish economy. This is particularly evident in the Silesian Voivodeship, a region that once stood on coal and today boasts one of the world's best economic zones, a dense network of universities and a growing metropolis, among other things.

- We will not succeed without science and innovation. If we want to play a significant role in international markets, we must be innovative. In turn, for us to be innovative, we must cooperate at the interface between business and science - argued Prof. Marek Gzik, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.

Globalization in reverse?

The world is a global village, economists used to say for years, but the global coronavirus pandemic and the outbreak of war in Ukraine, has disrupted many production processes and raised the level of business risk significantly.

- We are seeing a shift towards locating key elements of industry closer together - a trend that could be an opportunity for Poland. In the context of the reconstruction of Ukraine, we should ask ourselves: how to prepare the infrastructure to make our country an attractive base for investors - argued Dr. Rafał Żelazny, president of the Katowice Special Economic Zone. 

Labor market 20 years after EU accession

The training of new specialized personnel is accompanied by the upgrading of skills present on the labor market, according to the main conclusions of a panel discussion organized in conjunction with the European Commission: “New opportunities on the labor market 20 years after Poland's accession to the EU”.

-  Of all European companies that benefit from Community support dedicated to raising the competencies of employees, as many as 10% are from Poland, reported Mario Nava, director general of the European Commission's Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion.

Also taking part in the discussion was former Polish Prime Minister, President of the European Parliament and long-time MEP - Professor Jerzy Buzek. In his view, Poland's two decades in the European community have turned us from a country of emigrants into a country of immigrants.

- Currently in Poland there is a lot of work. There is a shortage of workers by which entrepreneurs are worried. The answer to this challenge may be not only artificial intelligence, but also migration policy, which is very much related to the labor market, according to Prof. Jerzy Buzek.

Both phenomena arouse social fears, but these processes, especially technological development, cannot be stopped.

- History teaches us that no technology is bad or good. It is the way we use it that can be bad or good. For example, mines were very dangerous and difficult places to work. Machines and technology took over tasks that posed risks to humans. The same is true for artificial intelligence - it's how we use it and what rules we set - said Li Andersson, chairwoman of the European Parliament's Committee on Employment and Social Affairs;

AI is not a threat to employees, but a support for them, another participant in the dispute agreed: Dr. Blazej Mądrzycki, vice-president of the All-Poland Alliance of Trade Unions, and Piotr Kaminski, vice-president of the management board for finance of the Employers of the Republic of Poland. Its use will result in better utilization of workers and filling shortages in the labor market.

Mocniejsze więzi gospodarcze

The 14th edition of the European Congress of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises resulted in the signing of two important agreements. During the discussion on “The impact of refugees and migrants on the shape of the future labor market,” an agreement on cooperation in the employment of refugees and migrants was signed. Cooperation in this field was declared by Kevin Allen, Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Poland (UNHCR), Director of Caritas Poland - Rev. Marek Kąsek, Ewa Klekot from the District Labor Office in Katowice and Marlena Miąsko, Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice.

During the European SME Congress, a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was also signed between the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice and the Indian Economic Trade Organization (IETO). This important agreement, which aims to strengthen economic ties between Poland and India, opens up new opportunities for cooperation in international markets. The ceremony was attended by key representatives, including Tomasz Zjawiony, President of RIG in Katowice and Vice President of KIG, Dr. Asif Iqbal- President of IETO, Ms. Krinal Shah Suri, Specialist in International Relations in Asian markets, Mr. Mohanlal- Counsellor (Commerce) & Head of Chancery, Embassy of India in Warsaw, and Kinga Gajewska, Vice Chairman of the Committee on Education and Science and Chairman of the Polish-Indian Parliamentary Bilateral Team.

Second day of the SME Congress 

Twenty-six more meetings and discussions are scheduled for Wednesday, the second day of the European Congress of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. Green cities, new investments, doors to business abroad, raising capital for investment, and new trends in marketing and HR are just some of them. The first discussions will begin at 9:30 am at the International Congress Center.