Small and medium-sized companies, especially those in services, are essential to create the new sustainable and digital jobs required to fuel the economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. SMEs are the backbone of Europe’s economy, representing 99% of all businesses in the EU and employing around 100 million people. They account for more than half of Europe’s GDP and play a key role in adding value in every sector of the economy. Encouraging growth in SMEs can deliver the innovation required for a successful twin transition to a sustainable and digital economy.
The fourth edition of the BANKING ESSENTIALS webinar series seeks to anticipate how SME financing will develop in the challenging years ahead of 2020 and will identify how banks can appropriately handle the challenges and opportunities in relation to data, technology, policy and regulations. How does the financial ecosystem for SMEs need to develop so that they can flourish and deliver on their economic potential? Ultimately, this is about powering up the recovery engine, in Europe as well as elsewhere in the world.