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Issued by Academ y Avignon of Craf ts and SMEs in Europe

O B S E R V A T O R Y O N E U R O P E A N

R E S E A R C H F O R C R A F T S A N D S M E s

The Observatory on the European Research for Crafts and SMEs  was set up by the Academy Avignon of Crafts and

SMEs in Europe, based in Brussels. Its mission is to monitor the results of research on Craft and SMEs carried out in

Europe by several bodies e.g. research centres, universities, the EC agencies. The Observatory diffuses the results to

Crafts and SME organizations and the other relevant stakeholders.

Author(s): By S. Aaltonen, D. de Tommaso, G. Ielpa, A. Heinze, C. Kalantaridis, E.

Vasilieva, S. Zygiaris; ( University of Salford).

MAIN CONTENTS IN TH IS ISSUE

POWER OF THE PAST A ND SME COMPETITIVEN ESS: A EUROPEAN STUDY

N E W S L E T T E R

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LINK 

SUMMARY

(EN)

Enterprise Cultural Heritage (ECH) is an innovative and complex concept

combining the company’s own history and creations (technical contents, industrial

design, organization, marketing, etc.) with the potential to transform information

and materials into “extended products & services”. This paper drawing on the resultsof a review of the literature and a survey of 60 Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

(SMEs) based in four European Union (EU) countries argues that effective ECH

management can increase creativity in production and innovate knowledge

management skills. The current study makes two distinct contributions: Firstly, it

introduces the ECH concept and embeds it in a broad body of literature. Secondly, it

provides evidence-based insights into the potential impact of using ECH in order to

enhance competitiveness.

1–  Po wer o f t he Pa st a nd SME c o mpet i t i veness: a Euro pea n S t udy;

By S. Aaltonen, D. de Tommaso, G. Ielpa, A. Heinze, C. Kalantaridis, E. Vasilieva, S.Zygiaris

2 - Co mpa ra t i ve Adva nt a ge a nd W i t hi n- Indust ry Fi rms Per f o rma nce;

B y  Matthieu Crozet and Federico Trionfetti 

3- Empl o yee Ownershi p i n t he Euro pea n Co mpa ny: Ref l exi ve La w,

Rei nco rpo ra t i o n a nd Esca pi ng Co det ermi na t i o n; By Njoya, W 

MARCH 2011/N.20

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SUMMARY

(EN)This article assesses the effects of reincorporation on codetermination, focusing on

the scope for escaping codetermination by restructuring under the European

Company (SE). This is usually associated with the prospect of corporate flight from

codetermined jurisdictions. The article presents an alternative possibility, arguing

that because the self-regulatory framework of employee participation in the SE

encourages diversity and experimentation, it does not inevitably erode the

institution of codetermination. Viewed within a framework of reflexive

harmonization, the effects on codetermination are better understood as part of an

open-ended process of evolution in the ownership and control structures of the firm.

This points to the potential for codetermination to become more, rather than less,integrated as part of the ownership landscape of European firms.

LINK 

EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP IN T HE EUROPEAN COMPANY: REFLEXIVE LAW,

REINCORPORATION A ND ESCAPING CODETERMINAT ION

Author(s): By Njoya, W. (University of Cambridge, Centre for Business Research). 

LINK 

SUMMARY

(EN)

Guided by empirical evidence the authors consider firms heterogeneity in terms of 

factor intensity. The authors show that Heckscher-Ohlin comparative advantageand firm-level relative factor-intensity interact to jointly explain the observed

differences in relative sales. Firms whose relative factor-intensity matches up with

the comparative advantage of the country have lower relative marginal costs and

larger relative sales than firms who do not. Their empirical analysis, conducted

using data for a large panel of European firms, supports these predictions. They

findings also provide an original firm-level verification of the Heckscher-Ohlin

model based on the effect of comparative advantage on firms relative sales. 

Author(s): Matthieu Crozet and Federico Trionfetti. (CEPII) 

COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE AND WITHIN-INDUSTRY FIRMS PERFORMANCE 

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Newspapers:

Bridging the skills gap 

(EN)03/03/2011; The European Voice 

By Sonja van Renssen

Andrea Benassi, secretary- general of Ueapme, the European craft and SMEassociation, agrees: “The whole economy will change.”

The numbers are impressive. In his first ‘state of the Union' address last September,

 José Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission, said he wanted to

see three million “green jobs” by 2020. This is laudable, but preparing Europe's

workforce for a low-carbon future is in practice more about providing people with a

new set of skills than a new set of jobs.

New Tax Hampers Small Businesses 

(EN) 01/03/2011; The Moscow Times 

By Khristina Narizhnaya It's a sad situation," Russian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises president

Alexander Ioffe said at the National Institute of Systematic Research of Enterprise

Problems fifth annual forum.

[…]

Russia has about 1.2 million small enterprises for a population of 142 million and an

area of 17.1 million square kilometers. Small business provides about 20 percentof the country's gross domestic income. This number has stayed roughly the same

for nearly 20 years.

Mister Pmi arriva anche in Italia 

(EN) 01/03/2011; Il sole 24ore 

By Cristina Casadei

..”Il suo compito sarà di «assicurare che i principi dello Small business act diventino

effettivamente espliciti» e di «fare da punto di riferimento per iniziative che

facilitino la crescita e la capacità di competere delle Pmi, così come di assicurare che

le regolamentazioni che nascono, nascano a misura di Pmi».”..

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Events:

The European Commission's DG Enterprise and Industry is organising togetherwith the Hungarian EU Presidency a high-level conference "Mobilising SMEs forthe future of Europe - The Small Business Act for Europe & European Enterprise

Awards 2011: exchange of good practices" on 24-25 May 2011 in Gödöllő, nearBudapest, Hungary.

The event will focus on local and regional solutions to the key challenges facingSMEs and on implementing the Small Business Act (SBA) for Europe in theMember States. The event will incorporate the European Enterprise Awardsceremony.

The event will include:

- key-note speakers on implementing the Small Business Act (SBA) for Europe in

the Member States and moving forward with implementing the SBA;

- workshops with inspiring local and regional examples of best practices;

- exhibition stands to present in detail the projects shortlisted for the 5th edition of 

the European Enterprise Awards;

- the announcement during a gala dinner of the European Enterprise Awards 2011

winners by European Commission Vice President A. Tajani, Hungarian Minister

of State for National Economy Dr Zoltán Cséfalvay, and the President of the

Committee of the Regions Mercedes Bresso.

When:24-05 > 25-05-2011

Where: Gödöllő

Castle, near Budapest, HungaryRegistration:link; 

Draft Programme: link 

European Network of Mentors for Women Entrepreneurs

This initiative will offer expert mentoring to women entrepreneurs, to help them

keep new businesses going during their first, very challenging years.

The plan is to set up national networks of mentors for women entrepreneurs in at

least 15 countries. Together, these will form the European Network of Mentors for

Women Entrepreneurs.

The deadline for submission is: 20/04/2011

More informations: link 

And link 

Mobilising SMEs for the future of Europe obilising SMEs for the future of Europe 

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THE LIST OF SOURCES IN THIS ISSUE.

University of Salford: The University of Salford has a rich history stretching back to 1896.

CEPII: LINK 

The Centre for Business Research (CBR) :is an independent research institution within theUniversity of Cambridge. It began originally as the Small Business Research Centre, and to

this day, the study of smaller enterprises remains a key area of research. In October1994, after obtaining core funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC),it was relaunched as the CBR.

IL SOLE 24ORE: Si tratta del quotidiano di stampo economico più importante ed il quarto

giornale d’informazione più venduto in Italia. La testata nacque il 9 novembre 1965 dalla

fusione di due quotidiani: Il Sole, fondato nel 1865, e 24 Ore, nato nel 1946.

EuropeanVoice.com: is the website of European Voice, the only weekly newspaper with an

independent view of the EU. European Voice's mission is to promote informed debate,

openness and progress in the EU and the newspaper has become essential reading for the

EU regulatory and political affairs communities – Europe's most important decision-

makers.

The Moscow Times :is an English-language daily newspaper published in Moscow, Russiasince 1992. The circulation in 2008 stood at 35,000 copies

If you have any question or comment, please, don’t hesitate to contact us at:

Academy Avignon for Craft and SMEs in EuropeRue Jacques de Lalaing, 4

B-1040 Bruxelles

Phone: +3222850709

E-mail: b.palmieri@ueapme.com odesk2@ueapme.com 

To remove your name or to suggest further emails to add to our mailing list, please contact us at: desk2@ueapme.com 

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