The Business Country Desk (BCD), a regional initiative designed by BUSINESSMED and implemented within the framework of the EBSOMED project, will be introduced Online on 12 January 2021.

BUSINESSMED's next cycle of actions positions entrepreneurship and investment at the core of its development strategy. The achievement of this mission is notably reflected in the setting up of a special platform aimed at assisting and boosting regional economic development and creating strategic and sustainable networks.

For SMEs to be the engines of inclusive growth, a re-thinking of SME development strategies that puts digitalization at the center of reforms is needed. Digital innovations can help unlock funding for SMEs, improve government efficiencies and integrate women in the labor force. But more critical, digital technologies are rapidly transforming consumer expectations, thus SMEs need to adapt to remain competitive in the digital economy.

Efficiency and productivity enabled by digital technologies can help the private sector and particularly SMEs to accelerate the migration from microenterprises to larger firms that are more resilient and competitive with greater scope to create employment trough network effects. Moreover, for SMEs, the economic impact of the Covid-19 has been particularly heavy. It has hindered their competitiveness and business continuity. Therefore, in today's turbulent times, it is absolutely vital to strengthen the resilience of SMEs through the development of digital skills and the digitalisation of services.

Hence, the "Business Country Desk" represents not only a catalyser of the engagement of all partners at the local, national and regional levels, but also a privileged space for promoting talent, internationalisation and the private sector in Europe, the Mediterranean region and Africa, keeping innovation and the sectoral approach as the highest priority for the years to come.

The BCD will serve the business community in the future and will act as the regional online tool and database of contacts at macro, meso and micro level, following a multidimensional and multi-stakeholders’ approach, opening up more inclusive and more sustainable growth prospects.

In this framework, BUSINESSMED through the Business Country Desk Platform, will provide free digital services to SMEs via three main services: Partnerships, Business Helpdesk and the Matching tool.

These three functions will enable SMEs and investors access potential markets, trade for good and services in an easily way including:

1. A Business events-focused tool with Intent-based matchmaking that align with attendees’ goals;
2. SME-friendly digital tools to reduce the digital skills shortage in the region through ad hoc capacity building and mentoring sessions;
3. The access to macro-economic information of the country of region, current amendments on the investments and trade regulatory frameworks of the Southern Neighbourhood countries;
4. An intuitive directory combined with a multi-criteria search engine by country of origin and client requested.

The objectives of the webinar are:

• Present the platform, the purpose of its implementation and its main features;
• Expose the benefits for the Public-Private Sectors and BUSINESSMED members and network;
• Identify opportunities for synergies with existing other regional initiatives or other complementary initiatives of the platform;
• Explore & collect the needs and expectations from economic operators with a view of enhancing future services, in particular in times of COVID-19;
• Laying the groundwork for the next training webinar on how to properly use the platform.

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• Registration is available via this link.
• The Agenda