SME 2.0 Newsletter 3rd issue
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The document discusses the SME 2.0 project, which aims to develop an e-learning platform and courses to help European SMEs utilize web 2.0 technologies and social networking in business management. The project involves partners from Hungary, Italy, Ireland and the UK. It will adapt materials from prior projects and develop online courses in four topics: project management, information and knowledge management, human resource management, and online marketing. The courses will be piloted starting in autumn 2012.
SME 2.0 Newsletter 3rd issue
- 1. smepro.eu Proactive Networking in Business Management of European SMEs LLP-LdV-TOI-2011-HU-012 May 2012 3rd issue SME 2.0 – PROACTIVE NETWORKING IN BUSINESS MANAGEMENT OF EUROPEAN SMES LLP-LDV-TOI-2011-HU-012 Welcome This 24 months long project is a collaboration of 10 CONTENT partners from four countries. The “transfer of WELCOME.........................................................................1 innovation” will ‘valorize’ the results of two earlier SME2 EXPERIENCES, ACTIVITIES ......................1 successful LdV projects: SMELearning and TENEGEN. HUNGARIAN CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES IN GERMANY .........................................................................2 Small and Medium Enterprises are acknowledged all over the world as the drivers of economic growth. UEAPME MEETS BARROSO ......................................2 The economic importance of SMEs is declared in the FOREIGN BANKS LENDING LESS TO SMES IN European initiatives, but their limitations regarding IRELAND ...........................................................................2 the innovations are reported in the related studies. ITALY SEEKS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN In spite of this fact even the new generation of VIETNAM ..........................................................................2 entrepreneurs (Net Generation) is not fully aware of SCOTTISH MICRO BUSINESSES PROSPER ....2 the business potential of social networks, online PROJECT BASICS .........................................................4 collaboration, and communication tools. The aim of the project is to transform the comprehensive methodology, the innovation of the LdV project SMELearning into a proactive This issue were published by: networking of European SMEs, in which they will University of West-Hungary able to utilize the business potential of the newest Editor: Zsolt Tóth web 2.0 and networking technology offered by the © SME2 Consortium digital age. SME 2.0 project will transplant the methodology into living and sustainable e-learning practice by generating online, knowledge sharing community. SME2 Team http://smepro.eu SME2 experiences, activities The second meeting of SME 2.0 project took place in Cork, Ireland on the 17th and 18th of May 2012. The participants came to know the results of questionnaire, which prepares the needs analysis, on the first day of the meeting. The results of all the Hungarian, Italian and English questionnaires enriched the participants with interesting experiences and provide important information for the further content development. Moreover, the participants evaluated the results of the project till now, laid down the major features and the deadlines of the completion of the competency framework. We also came to know the project experiences and expectations of a startup micro enterprise. E-learning courses are going to begin within the scope of the project in Hungary and Italy from autumn. However, it is indispensable for the success that the appropriate curricula are to be put into shape, which is to be adapted to both the experiences of the donor project and SMEs’ demand clarified from the results of the questionnaire. Therefore the second day of the project session passed with the discussion of content, technical and pedagogical questions of the four modules to develop (Project management, Information and knowledge management, Human resource management, On-line marketing). Copyright and organizational questions related to content development also have been succeeded to clarify satisfactorily. We also could taste the throbbing, yet small-townish atmosphere of Cork beside work. We are very thankful to our Irish partners for the excellent arrangement. The next project meeting is now due to take place in Milan, Italy on the 14th and 15th of March 2013. This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. Page 1 of 4
- 2. smepro.eu Proactive Networking in Business Management of European SMEs LLP-LdV-TOI-2011-HU-012 May 2012 3rd issue Hungarian construction companies in Germany Hungarian construction companies (SMEs) had estimated revenue of EUR 350m from operations in Germany in 2011, up almost 10pc from 2010, and could achieve 7% growth this year, according to a survey by the National Association of Hungarian Construction Enterprises (EVOSZ). An average 500 companies with about 8,000 employees work in Germany, the survey based on interviews with 250 companies shows. Half of the companies’ revenue came from Germany. 30% of the companies said they had outstanding debt in Germany, but this only accounted for 5.8% of their revenue, far less than the percentage typical in Hungary. 62% of the companies said their market position in Germany improved over the past twelve months. EVOSZ made the survey on the first anniversary of the phasing out of limitations on Hungarian businesses’ construction work in Germany. (realdeal.hu) UEAPME meets Barroso President Gunilla Almgren and Secretary General Andrea Benassi met on 30 April with the European Commission’s President José Manuel Barroso. Ms Almgren insisted on the need to fully apply the “Think Small First” principle. She also stressed the importance of SME-focused measures in the 2014-2020 programming period for cohesion policy, R&D and innovation and SMEs’ competitiveness. Finally, President Almgren highlighted the possible negative effects on SMEs’ access to finance linked to the implementation in the EU of the “Basel III” rules on capital requirements, and reinstated UEAPME’s (The European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises) commitment to work alongside the other European Social Partners to tackle youth unemployment Further reading: http://www.ueapme.com/IMG/pdf/120502_pr_meeting_barroso.pdf Foreign banks lending less to SMEs in Ireland Lending to SMEs is much more concentrated with the market share of foreign lenders falling off since 2008, according to a new survey by the Central Bank. This reflects the trend of foreign banks pulling out of the Irish market since the economy tanked. “The SME lending market is much more concentrated than the lending market for all firms, with current trends in SME new lending suggesting that concentration levels are set to rise further,” the Central Bank said. (Irish Independent) Italy seeks business opportunities in Vietnam More than 40 small and medium enterprises (SME) from Italy attended a seminar on development of the Vietnam-Italy business partnership, in Ho Chi Minh City on May 24. Representatives from the two countries introduced the partnership and business opportunities for foreign investors. The seminar heard that foreign direct investment in Vietnam is rising, especially in the production sector. Vietnam boasts many advantages to attract foreign investors with stable socio-economic conditions, improved tax and legal regulations and cheap labour costs, they said. (talkvietnam.com) Scottish micro businesses prosper Scotland's micro businesses are outperforming their rivals south of the Border, research shows. This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. Page 2 of 4
- 3. smepro.eu Proactive Networking in Business Management of European SMEs LLP-LdV-TOI-2011-HU-012 May 2012 3rd issue In a survey of customers of Vistaprint 77% of the micro businesses in Scotland said they had increased or maintained turnover in the past six months compared with the same period last year. Only 72% of respondents across the UK said they had matched that achievement. The survey defined a micro business as a firm with fewer than 10 employees and less than £1.7 million turnover, in line with the European Commission's categorisation. The survey found that confidence levels are higher in Scotland than other parts of the UK. Only 7.7% of respondents said they are less confident about their business prospects than they were last year, around half the UK average. The survey findings suggest respondents on both sides of the Border believe the UK Government could do much more to support micro businesses, which are a key driver of economic activity. Only 4% of respondents in Scotland, and 5.3% in the UK, said the Government does enough to help them. (Herald Scotland) This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. Page 3 of 4
- 4. smepro.eu Proactive Networking in Business Management of European SMEs LLP-LdV-TOI-2011-HU-012 May 2012 3rd issue Project basics Acronym: SME 2.0 Title: SME 2.0 – Proactive Networking in Business Management of European SMEs Duration: 1.October 2011 – 30. September 2013 Action type: Transfer of Innovation Programme: Leonardo da Vinci – LLL Subprogramme Participating countries: Hungary, Italy, Ireland, United Kingdom Website: http://smepro.eu Contact: Mária Hartyányi, Prompt-G Educational Centre for Informatics, Hungary E-mail: [email protected], skype: hmaria718 Partnership PROMPT PROMPT-G Education and Training Centre for Information Technology HU www.prompt.hu DEIS Cork Institute Of Technology in Ireland IE www.cit.ie NYME University of West Hungary (Faculty of Economics) HU www.nyme.hu CAPDM CAPDM Ltd. EN www.capdm.com AICA Assotiation of Italian Information Technologie IT www.aicanet.it SZIGSZ Széchenyi István Secondary Grammar and Comprehensive School HU www.szechenyi.hu TREBAG TREBAG Ltd. HU www.trebag.hu LIBETRA Libetra Service Ltd. HU VART VisionArt Europe Kereskedelmi és Szolgáltató Kft HU WireSpider WireSpider Ltd. HU Target groups ⇒ managers, employees, owners of European SMEs., ⇒ teachers and trainers of vocational education; ⇒ policy makers ⇒ European e-learning providers. Objectives ⇒ SME 2.0 Multilingual Open Learning Platform with constructivist approach, with project based ìlearning by doing methods. ⇒ e-learning course for SMEs that enables them to utilize the open source web 2.0 applications in their business management ⇒ four e-learning modules (Information and knowledge management, Project management, Online marketing Human resource management) for developing their advanced digital competencies in practice oriented approach. ⇒ proactive Networking Platform of European SMEs which supports a heavy collaboration and knowledge sharing among ⇒ disseminate the results all over Europe. Work-packages WP1 Project management WP2 Systems Analysis and Design of the Transfer of Innovation, needs-analysis WP3 SME 2.0 Course design by adapting the donor products WP4 Implementation of SME 2.0 course content and the SME 2.0 Proactive Networking Platform WP5 Implementation of SME 2.0 modules WP6 Pilots WP7 Develop EU dimension of SME 2.0 PNP based on ECVET, EQF WP8 Evaluation WP9 Dissemination and valorisation Impact The project would contribute to the general and specific objectives of LLL programme, to the LdV priorities by creating a sustainable community of practice of SMSs in order they should create successful business management motorized always by the newest information and communication technology This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. Page 4 of 4