Over the last three years, financial institutions, business development agencies and regional authorities from the Baltic Sea Region have worked together to promote innovation and internationalisation of SMEs by facilitating better access to finance. With the support of the EU's INTERREG programme, we have jointly designed, developed and implemented regional loan and guarantee instruments based on an innovative use of EU financial instruments and accompanied by coaching services.
The Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Technology and Research and the Investitionsbank Berlin as Lead Partner have organised the Final Conference of JOSEFIN which took place on the 17th January in Brussels. This event was meant to spread the results of the project towards regional, national and European policies and share our recommendations for a favourable business environment for innovative SMEs in Europe. The conference gave also the opportunity to learn about the EU's financial instruments for innovation and SMEs in the next programming period.
- JOSEFIN beneficiary Michał Czekalski, IK - Internetowy Kantor, Poznań
- JOSEFIN beneficiary Priit Vimberg, Chief Executive Officer, YOGA – The 1st Self-learning Intelligent Building, Tallinn
- JOSEFIN beneficiary Przemysław Wolański, DZIGUT – Freefly Center, Poznań
- Richard Pelly, Chief Executive, European Investment Fund
- Rudolf Niessler, Director for Policy Coordination, DG Regional Policy, European Commission
- Jürgen Varnhorn, Senate for Economics, Technology and Research
- Karin Hallerby, Head of Department International Affairs, Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth
- Gecas Kastytis, Director, Lithuanian Innovation Centre
- Ulrich Kissing, Chairman of the Management Board, IBB
- Irene Schucht, Head of Product Management and Project Director, IBB
