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Report on eBSN results 2003 – 2005 and the way forward

EEUROPEAN E-UROPEAN E-BBUSINESS USINESS SSUPPORUPPORTT NNETWORKETWORK

European

Commission

Report on eBSN results 2003 – 2005 and the way forward

European Commission Enterprise & Industry Directorate General

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................6

2. MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS OF EBSN ...................................................................................................9 2.1. Sharing information and best practices on e-Business policies in Europe ......................................... 9 2.2. Validating existing e-Business policies and agreeing on targets for future e-Business policies ...........12 2.3. A "one-stop-shop" for information about regional, national and European initiatives and funding possibilities for SMEs ............................................................................................................................13 2.4. Organisation of thematic workshops to share practical experience and to identify future challenges 14

3. GOOD EXAMPLES OF NATIONAL/REGIONAL POLICY INITIATIVES.............................................15 3.1. Austria ....................................................................................................................................15 3.2. Belgium ..................................................................................................................................18 3.3. Cyprus ....................................................................................................................................19 3.4. Denmark .................................................................................................................................20 3.5. Finland....................................................................................................................................22 3.6. France.....................................................................................................................................23 3.7. Germany .................................................................................................................................25 3.8. Greece ....................................................................................................................................27 3.9. Hungary ..................................................................................................................................29 3.10. Ireland ....................................................................................................................................30 3.11. Italy ........................................................................................................................................32 3.12. Lithuania .................................................................................................................................34 3.13. Poland ....................................................................................................................................35 3.14. Portugal ..................................................................................................................................36 3.15. Slovakia...................................................................................................................................37 3.16. Spain ......................................................................................................................................38 3.17. Sweden ...................................................................................................................................41 3.18. United Kingdom ......................................................................................................................44

4. EBSN WORKSHOPS AND THEIR MAIN RESULTS .........................................................................49

5. EBSN PORTAL STATISTICS..........................................................................................................64 5.1. General Statistics......................................................................................................................64 5.2. Visitors by Number of Visits.......................................................................................................65 5.3. Top Geographic Regions...........................................................................................................66 5.4. Most Active Countries...............................................................................................................67 5.5. Summary of Activity for Report Period........................................................................................68

6. WHAT FUTURE FOR EBSN? .........................................................................................................69 6.1. New thematic areas to be explored by eBSN ..............................................................................69 6.2. Improving the operation of eBSN ..............................................................................................70

6.2.1. Improving the current operations of eBSN..............................................................................70 6.2.2. Extending eBSN outreach: ....................................................................................................70

ANNEX 1: QUESTIONNAIRE ON THE MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS AND THE FUTURE OF EBSN ....................72

Report on the eBSN achievements and the way forward

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Introduction

The European e-Business Support Network for SMEs (eBSN) was established in 2003 by the European Commission, in response to high-level political focus on the important role of ICTs in boosting the competitiveness of the overall EU economy. Particular attention has been paid to the role of SMEs, as well as to how to improve the effectiveness of public SME policies to foster their competitiveness by promoting the productive use of ICTs.

The Go Digital initiative1 had clearly demonstrated the increased interest of SMEs in the opportunities offered by e-Business but also highlighted the existing barriers in the uptake of e-Business by SMEs. With the objective of better assisting SMEs in increasing their involvement in e-Business, many efficient policies have been developed at national, regional or local level. Several of these e-Business policies have been effectively implemented with concrete results, notably for SMEs.2 However, their efficiency could be further enhanced by learning from each other and sharing best practices and information.

On 6 June 2002, the Industry Council3 notably invited the Member States and the Commission to “intensify dialogue, exchange experience regularly, identify specific goals for e-Business policies and share best practices”, as well as to “foster measures to encourage the use of ICT especially by SMEs in all business processes and in those sectors which currently do not make full use of them, including traditional sectors;”

In response, the eEurope 2005 Action Plan, as adopted by the Commission on 28 May 2002 and endorsed by the European Summit in Seville on 21 June 2002, foresaw the establishment of "a European e-Business support network (eBSN), federating existing European, national and regional players in this field with a view to strengthening and co-ordinating actions in support of SMEs in the field of e-Business."

On this basis the European Commission established eBSN and invited e-Business experts representing various eBusiness policy initiatives in Europe to join the network and to share experience and good practice in support of e-Business for SMEs. As part of enterprise policy, eBSN is meant to be a tool to improve co-operation among existing e-Business policy initiatives in Europe and to better use synergies between them.

The objectives of eBSN are:

• To bring together decision-makers in the field of e-Business, to share information, to discuss strategic policy orientation;

• To validate existing e-Business policies and to agree on targets for future e-Business policies;

• To provide a "one-stop-shop" for information about regional, national and European e-Business initiatives and funding possibilities for SMEs;

• To organise special meetings of governmental e-Business experts to share practical experience and to identify future challenges.

EBSN is open to voluntary participation by all policy-related initiatives in support of e-Business for SMEs in the Member States, the Acceding and Candidate Countries and the EEA States, which are willing to share experience and information. Members of this network are:

1 Commission Communication, Helping SMEs Go Digital, COM(2001)136, 13 March 2001 http://europa.eu.int/eur-

lex/en/com/cnc/2001/com2001_0136en01.pdf 2 ‘Benchmarking study on national and regional policies in support of e-business for SMEs’, Final Report of the E-business

Policy Group, 28 June 2002 http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/ict/policy/benchmarking/final-report.pdf. 3 Conclusions of the Industry Council 9938/02, of 6 June 2002. http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/ict/policy/ind-cou-

20020606.pdf


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• E-business experts from public administrations in EU Member States, the EU acceding and candidate countries, the EEA countries and the European Commission;

• Representatives of European, national and regional initiatives, which provide support to SMEs with regard to the take-up of ICT and e-Business (i.e. SMEs support networks, EICs, public-private partnerships, etc.). Only initiatives stemming from public policies, i.e. supported by public authorities, either directly or indirectly through public-private partnerships, are eligible to participate in the European e-Business support network. This is motivated by the consideration that this network is primarily meant to inform policy-makers about other successful initiatives in the area of ICT and e-Business promotion and eventually to influence policy making in this field.

• Academics, representatives of the business community and International organisations with special interest on policies in support of e-Business for SMEs.

A standing invitation for expression of interest to join eBSN is available on the eBSN portal (www.e-bsn.org).

eBSN is structured as follows:

• A Steering Group, consisting of representatives of the Commission, the participating countries, academics and the business community. The role of the Steering Group is to take strategic decisions on the objectives and modus operandi of the network, the practical arrangements to foster cooperation and to set the policy directions and priorities for action.

• The virtual network, namely the eBSN Portal (http://www.e-bsn.org) linking all identified stakeholders and initiatives, and providing information, statistical data, best business practice, etc. This virtual network has been established and managed by the Commission services (DG Enterprise), with the technical assistance of a contractor.

• 2 - 3 thematic workshops per year, aiming at bringing together interested stakeholders to deepen the dialogue on specific issues of common interest. The workshops provide the opportunity for in-depth analysis of good policy practices, with a view to learning lessons from successful initiatives and to setting realistic targets for future policies in this area. The workshops are hosted and organised by eBSN members.

On 27 March 2003, the Commission adopted a Communication on “Adapting e-Business policies in a changing environment”, emphasising the shift in the main policy challenge from getting SMEs connected to the Internet to the effective and productive integration of ICTs into business processes (e-Business). Furthermore, this Communication described priorities and identified nine areas for future actions in order to further stimulate the transition towards the digital economy (see chart below).


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Framework for SME specific e-Business policies – Challenges and objectives

In the Council Conclusions of 13 May 2003, the Competitiveness Council welcoming this Communication, underlined, “the need to assist SMEs, in particular, to identify e-Business opportunities and to implement successfully their transformation towards e-Business”, and invited Member States and Acceding Countries, "to actively engage in the European e-Business Support Network for SMEs (eBSN)".

The eBSN represents policies from the entire spectrum of this framework. Apparently, not all Member States, candidate countries or EEA States may face all of these policy challenges at the same time or in the same manner. This policy framework, however, is facilitating the re-orientation of e-Business policies, thus better responding to the changing needs of enterprises.

The political context of eBSN remains valid nowadays more so than ever: the Communication on fostering structural change in an enlarged Europe4 stresses that the successful integration of ICT in all aspects of production and business processes is a key factor to productivity growth which, in turn, determines economic development. This validates the need for co-ordinated policies and actions in support of the productive use of ICTs by European enterprises, in particular SMEs.

This report is meant to take stock of the progress made so far with regards to the operations and achievements of eBSN. It is drafted on the basis of eBSN activities over the past two and a half years and is supported by the results of an on-line questionnaire addressed to eBSN members, as well as by the stimulating discussions in the eBSN session “Networking eBusiness Policy-makers in Europe: achievements and future challenges” in the context of the conference “eBusiness: The Way Forward”, organised by the European Commission in Cambridge, 5-6 December 2005. The on-line questionnaire was addressed to eBSN members and aimed at collecting detailed information on the concrete benefits eBSN members experienced through their participation in the network, at learning more about the synergies and cross-fertilisation among policy initiatives, as well as at assessing the functionality of eBSN and the main expectations for future improvements (Annex 1).

4 Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on “Fostering Structural Change: an

Industrial Policy for an enlarged Europe”, COM(2004) 274 final, 20 April 2004.

Overall challengeTo stimulate and supportSMEs in the

adoption of e-business

Challenge 1 To improve managerial understanding and skills

for e-business

Challenge 2To improve the

availability of e-businesssolutions for SMEs

Challenge 3To promote effective

participation of SMEs in business networks and electronic marketplaces

Objective 1.1. To

improve knowledge transfer to SMEs

Objective 2.1.To leverage the results of

research one-businesstechnologies

Objective 1.2. To promote and

disseminate ‘ good e-business practice ‘

Objective 3.1.To promote

participation of SMEs in B2B e-marketplaces

Objective 2.3.To promote e-businessinteroperability through

national testbeds

Objective 1.3. To enhance e-business

skills for SMEs

Objective 3.2.To promote participation

of SMEs in electronic public procurement

Objective 2.2.To promote regionalclusters between ICTservice providers and

SMEs

Objective 3.3.To promote virtual co-

operative SME networks


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Main Achievements of eBSN

Sharing information and best practices on e-Business policies in Europe

The main objective of eBSN is to bring together decision-makers in the field of e-Business, to share information and to discuss strategic policy orientation.

Since its establishment by the European Commission, in 2003, the eBusiness Support Network for SMEs (eBSN) has grown into a sound policy network, bringing together 175 representatives of public policies or private-public partnerships in support of the promotion of e-Business practices to SMEs, from 29 countries in Europe. The balance between national initiatives (representing 55% of the members) and regional (representing 45% of the members) initiatives is satisfactory, but some further efforts need to be made in order to improve the participation of the new Member States and Candidate Countries (only 10% of the current eBSN members).

The eBSN has now reached a level of maturity which allows its members to further deepen their information exchanges into concrete policy exchanges and joint policy initiatives. The eBSN members declare themselves very satisfied with networking and gathering valuable information on policy developments in Europe in the area of e-Business through their participation in eBSN and unanimously call for the continuation and further strengthening of the Network.

Firstly and most importantly, the key political messages provided by eBSN have contributed to the emergence of innovative cooperation between government, the business community and academia. The eBSN may be viewed as the direction generator, motivator and action stimulator, both at European, national and regional/local level. It has contributed to a shift in the focus of public policies from more generic actions such as promoting Internet access and acquisition of technical infrastructure by SMEs, to specific actions aimed at helping business to successfully re-design their business processes with a view to integrating ICTs as part of their overall business strategy. The eBSN has also helped to draw the attention of the ICT suppliers and software development community on the needs of SMEs and to engage them in more collaborative e-Business solutions development schemes.

Many policy initiatives, European or national, have become widely known through the eBSN initiative and have inspired others, for example:

• The recent French TIC-PME2010 initiative launched by the French Ministry of Economy, whose purpose was to boost the investment of SMEs in enhanced ICTs and to harmonise the internal processes in specific sectors of the economy (i.e. aeronautics, transport, tourism, agriculture, etc.), was inspired by the main political messages disseminated through eBSN: the underperformance of the EU economy’s competitiveness is linked to its underinvestment in ICTs, and, therefore, policy measures should further support targeted, strategic investments in the promotion of sectoral e-initiatives that would facilitate the integration of ICTs into industrial and service processes.

• In preparation of the "eTIC" Label, a Belgian initiative launched last year, policy experts had in-depth discussions about how to set-up and manage an accreditation scheme for e-Business advisors under the eBSN umbrella. As a result, the “eTIC” Label is a professional code of ethics and practice supported by local and national professional federations and associations, which has now been signed by more than 150 Belgian specialist undertakings.

• eBSN involvement helped the National Business-to-Business Centre, a West Midlands Region SME e-Adoption Programme, to shape its current activities as well as its next phase of development from April 06-March 08. For example, learning exchanges have been initiated with the team of the MFG Baden-Wurttemberg ebigo.de initiative, on identification of SME Best Practice and e-Business Portal, exchanges that are expected to be mutually beneficial in helping both parties to further develop their current projects.


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• The Portuguese “e-Business Observatory” initiative, ordered by the national telecommunication body regulator ANACOM, which is also in charge of e-Business framework, analysed the difficulties and benefits faced by Portuguese SMEs in adopting e-Business practices. This Observatory involved nearly 1 000 SMEs and includes recommendations based on examples of policy initiatives that have been submitted to a benchmarking analysis through eBSN and presented at different eBSN workshops.

• Similarly, another Portuguese initiative, the “Internationalisation of SMEs in the External Electronic Markets”, to be launched by the Ministry of Economy, is a training and support campaign for SMEs on the e-methods to be used in international markets, the techniques to reach foreign markets and the appropriated marketplaces to do e-Business. This initiative, which represents a fundamental tool to leverage the participation of SME in the international markets, adopted many recommendations and techniques from the case-studies of good e-Business policies as analysed by the eBSN benchmarking study of national and regional e-Business policies.

• “The Future of e-Business – Trends, Driving Forces and Impacts” in Portugal, is a worldwide

unique training course for enterprise managers, with the objective of helping them analyse the impact of ICTs on the development of their business, as well as to inform them about consumer and market organisation trends in the e-Business area. The training material is based on case studies and best practices from the eBSN network, as well as other complementary EU projects, namely the ELEAS project on legal issues in e-Business. This initiative was implemented with great success in Germany, Hungary, Denmark and Portugal and eBSN can further promote the replication of this innovative action in other European regions.

• The ‘eBusiness in the Region of Santarem’ initiative, in Portugal, was modelled along the design and specifications of the Digital Regions project of which it formed part. However, the information available about other experiences gained from eBSN helped to validate the technological choices as well as to devise follow-up projects.

• Numerous ideas for initiatives and events are reported to be generated as by-products of the eBSN workshops. For example in Slovenia, the Bled eConference panels in 2004 and 2005, and the Business & Government Executives meetings in 2004 – 2005, were influenced by the activities and main thematic priorities of eBSN. Although these are only intangible benefits through eBSN, they undoubtedly share an important part of eBSN merits.

Moreover, eBSN is a dynamic synergies generator, so needed in the eBusiness environment, where the borders of branches (industries, sectors) have to be removed. It offers the opportunity for bilateral or multilateral synergies supported or established by eBSN:

• The AchatVille initiative in France was started in Grenoble in 2000. Its goal is to raise the awareness of SMEs (local retailers) about the benefits in using eBusiness tools. Following its labelling by the European Commission as a “European good practice” in 2002, the French Ministry of Economy, Finances and Industry (MINEFI) granted further financial support to the Assembly of the French Chambers of Commerce and Industry to facilitate synergies between the Chamber of Commerce in Grenoble and other CCI in France, with a view to spreading this successful policy and to further developing the Achatville model. As a result, 20 towns are in the network now and others have expressed their intention to join in the near future. All partners and final clients are impressed to know that the European Commission has recognised this initiative, a fact that created a virtuous circle attracting more stakeholders into the programme.

• The Finland & Slovenia "eInvoicing LivingLab” initiative, is a successful bilateral partnership, under the eBSN umbrella, in the field of e-Business. Promoting eInvoicing by SMEs, a very practical and interesting e-Business initiative of a Finnish regional policy in South Karelia was successfully transferred to Slovenia proving that transferability of best practices in e-Business is feasible. This resulted in a Slovenian e-invoicing national initiative, which very quickly triggered a new series of cross-border joint policy initiatives, between Slovenia, Italy, Croatia, Hungary and Austria. In parallel, the Finnish regional eInvoicing initiative expanded into cross-border exchanges with Sweden and Denmark.


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During 2005 eBSN decided to focus policy exchanges and actions on the following four e-Business-related policy priorities:

• e-invoicing/e-procurement: starting from a regional policy initiative in South Karelia, in Finland aiming to promote the use of eInvoices among the SMEs of the region, with concrete targets and expected administrative cost savings, eInvoicing became a key policy issue and inspired the generation of relevant pilot initiatives in Slovenia, Italy, Croatia, Hungary, Austria, Sweden and Denmark. There are numerous on-going activities and interesting perspectives for the future, while work needs to be continued in relation to standardisation and piloting cross-border transactions within the Single market in particular.

• Sector-specific policy approaches: sectoral initiatives can potentially be more efficient than broader generic strategies to promote SME uptake of e-Business. On-going national and regional sectoral e-Business policy initiatives promote business opportunities and the creation of partnership networks within individual sectors at regional level. They produce more sector-specific solutions, training and instructions to increase skills within individual sectors. They usually support sectors that are lagging behind in terms of e-Business readiness, or that national governments recognise as having potential to add value to the economies of their countries. They allow sharing of experiences and information at sectoral and cross-sectoral level. Although some Member States have realised the importance of sectoral policy approaches in promoting e-Business for SMEs, it seems that there is not sufficient knowledge and assessment of those policies and other private-public partnerships that may exist in this field. Therefore, it seems appropriate to launch a benchmarking study to analyse and assess existing sectoral e-Business policy initiatives.

• Improving e-Business solutions availability for SMEs and e-Business for micro-enterprises: SMEs have different needs with respect to ICT and e-Business applications compared to large companies. The difficulty that they may have in recruiting ICT professionals, as suggested by the e-Business w@tch results, as well as the sometimes limited budget they can dedicate to ICT-related purchases, reinforce the importance of finding integrated and interoperable e-Business applications. In the first phase of eBSN (2003 – 2005), a lack of affordable ICT solutions adapted to the needs of micro, small and medium sized enterprises was observed. Therefore, Member States and the Commission alike took actions to enhance collaboration between ICT suppliers and SMEs.

However, the ICT market has evolved and ICT suppliers increasingly focus their attention on SMEs, by offering adapted solutions and services. As a result, at the latest eBSN workshop in Cambridge, in December 2005, the need for improving the availability of e-Business solutions for SMEs, through relevant policy actions at EU level, seemed no more valid. What is still missing, though, is better marketing and commercialisation of the available solutions, as well as awareness about their characteristics and mapping them to specific SME business processes and needs.

In addition, in 2005 the Enterprise and Industry Directorate General launched a number of specific actions in order to further support the work of eBSN, through the following calls for grants and studies:

• A study to assess the impact of ten (10) national or regional e-Business policies, members of eBSN, to the beneficiaries SMEs, as well as to the overall economy. The policy initiatives that were assessed have been selected by the eBSN Steering Group, mostly among the 19 examples of good e-Business policy practices, identified by the benchmarking study of national and regional policies in support of e-Business for SMEs. The study is to be completed in January 2006 and the impact assessment of these policies, namely the eAskel (FN), Opportunity Wales (UK), AchatVille (FR), Go on-line (GR), SVEA (SW), e-Commerce Leveraging Centre Galicia (SP), PRISM II (IR), Shortcut to e-Business (DN), South Karelia eInvoicing initiative (FN), VerDI (NO) will be available on the eBSN portal.

• a call for grants in order to “Support best practice exchange of e-Business policies for SMEs”, whose objective is to support the exchange of e-Business policies and improve synergies between e-Business policy stakeholders in the EU.

• a call for grants on “Dissemination of good e-Business practices” with the objective of identifying and promoting selected good e-Business case studies among European enterprises, in particular SMEs.


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• a call for grants on “Enhancing cooperation between SMEs and ICT suppliers”, aiming at promoting closer collaboration and mutual understanding between ICT suppliers and SMEs with a view to improving the availability of e-Business solutions adapted to the needs of SMEs.

• a call for grants on “Train the trainer: educating independent business advisors”, whose objective is to promote world-class training for independent e-Business advisors through SME support networks.

A number of projects will be supported through the aforementioned calls and are expected to deliver results in the second half of 2006.

Validating existing e-Business policies and agreeing on targets for future e-Business policies The second eBSN objective is to validate current e-Business policies, as well as to lead the process of having the EU Member States setting SMART targets for their e-Business policies for SMEs. By offering EU-wide visibility at expert-level to its members, be it public policy initiatives or private-public partnerships, and encouraging open dialogue and the exchange of views and perceptions on policy efficiency, mostly through its virtual network, publications and focused workshops, eBSN provides a sound platform for presentation and validation of relevant e-Business policies and assessment of their results. The debate on setting targets for e-Business Policies was launched with the first eBSN workshop in Athens, in January 2003. A broad consensus has been achieved among all Member State representative on the need to set concrete, measurable, quantitative targets for e-Business policies, provided that Member States can select those targets that comply with their own policy priorities. Only by setting SMART targets at national level, would monitoring and assessment of the e-Business activities, their output and impact be feasible in the near future. In the context of the Lisbon Strategy, an open process of voluntary policy co-ordination among the Member States has been established with the view to setting quantitative targets at national level and monitoring achievements. As part of this process, a proposal for a policy framework and potential quantitative targets for e-Business policies for SMEs has been discussed. Representatives from the business community welcomed this prospect and stressed the importance of the participation of all Member States in this process. It was made clear that the success of this initiative will depend on the willingness and strong commitment of the Member States to setting their own targets in the context of the suggested policy framework and to closely monitoring achievements. The target-setting process proceeded with the second eBSN workshop on “Good targets for eBusiness policies” in Brussels, May 2003, where certain Member States and acceding country representatives presented their own programmes, priorities and examples of SMART targets for specific e-Business policies for SMEs. The analysis of a Finnish regional policy in South Karelia attracted great interest by spotting e-Invoicing as the emerging major e-Business application in the future, expected to save administrative costs of 2 billion Euro in this region only, and setting very concrete and realistic targets for its promotion among SMEs. In this context, it was suggested that public authorities should set quantitative targets regarding the use of e-invoices by SMEs and should analyse the “cost of non-implementation” for SMEs, as well as the social side-effects.

However, besides the great consensus on the need to improve the efficiency of e-Business policies by setting SMART targets and measuring achievements, most Member States did not feel ready to make commitments in this direction, at that moment, and preferred to use eBSN as a platform for knowledge exchange and validation of their e-Business policies.

The necessity and value of setting clear, realistic and measurable targets for e-Business policies for SMEs at national level, was reiterated at the latest eBSN workshop in Cambridge, December 2005, as an important step towards concrete achievements: “There is no better way of achieving things than having them measured”.

Therefore, a huge potential in e-Business policy improvement, through national target-setting and open policy co-ordination, still remains to be exploited.


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A "one-stop-shop" for information about regional, national and European initiatives and funding possibilities for SMEs With regards to the third eBSN objective, namely to provide a "one-stop-shop" for information about regional, national and European initiatives and funding possibilities for SMEs, the eBSN portal is fully operational in terms of content and functionality. The key objective of the portal is to act as the backbone of eBSN, an electronic communication platform for sharing information and enabling dialogue between eBSN members. The portal includes a section open to the general public, including SMEs, together with an area with restricted access for eBSN members. The portal provides information for the following themes:

• eBSN aims and structure;

• Presentation of and links to regional, national and European eBSN members;

• E-business policy initiatives at European and national/regional level;

• Workshop results and presentations;

• Articles and background documents;

• Statistical data and surveys in relation to the adoption of e-Business among European SMEs. It includes statistics at European level from Eurostat and also statistics at national and regional level;

• Examples of best practices;

• News / Announcements;

• Quarterly BSN newsletters

Moreover, the eBSN portal provides useful links to relevant European information platforms such as e-Business Watch, e-Business Legal Portal (ELEAS) or the B2B marketplaces portal. In addition, the eBSN portal contains a forums section, where each eBSN member can share views and information with other members.

Four active forums, reflecting the four thematic priorities of eBSN for 2005, are currently active at the eBSN portal:

Sector-specific approaches: its objective is to identify which sectors are most promising, whether sectoral policy initiatives are more efficient than others, with a view to making recommendations on potential cross-sectoral initiatives.

E-business for micro-enterprises: its objective is to discuss which issues are at stake when talking about e-Business for micro-enterprises, what policies have already been devised in this field and what should be the way forward.

Improving e-Business solution availability for SMEs: its objective is to discuss/review the needs of SMEs, to identify good policy practices in helping SMEs finding appropriate solutions and to recommend new policy actions at European, national and/or regional level.

e-invoicing/e-procurement: its objective is to identify public policies and public-private partnerships that aim at further promoting the efficient usage of e-procurement and e-invoicing in SMEs.

Moreover, there is another active forum on:

e-Business self-assessment tools and training toolkits: this forum aims at collecting links and descriptions to available material and tools like e-maturity self-assessment tools.

Finally, the eBSN portal has a chat-room area where eBSN members can organise on-line discussions on various issues.


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Organisation of thematic workshops to share practical experience and to identify future challenges

With a view to facilitating the diffusion and validation of good examples of e-Business policies and to encourage cross-border co-operation among eBSN members, eight eBSN thematic workshops were organised in the period 2003-2005. A broad range of topics were discussed, including, inter alia, quantitative targets for e-Business policies, articulation between national, regional and sectoral e-Business policies, the extension of eBSN to new Member States, strategies for efficiently training SMEs in the field of e-Business and how to improve the availability of e-Business solutions for SMEs. The latest eBSN workshop in Cambridge, in December 2005, aimed at taking stock of the main policy developments and achievements of eBSN so far, as well as validating the options on future policy priorities. A full list of eBSN workshops with links to their results is annexed to this report (Annex 2).

These workshops notably demonstrated that new policy priorities set by many Member States, regions, business associations or business support organisations reflect the shift of attention from general promotion of the use of e-Business tools to facilitating business re-engineering by the efficient use of ICT. Moreover, the need for continuously overhauling on-going policies and initiatives and re-focusing objectives in a fast changing e-Business environment has been underlined by many eBSN members. Special attention to start-up SMEs has been identified as an important potential priority.

Beyond the consensus on the catalytic role for competitiveness of the efficient use of e-Business, it has also been largely recognised that managerial innovation and entrepreneurial spirit are as important as technological breakthroughs. More and more, the concept of “business process innovation” is becoming an intrinsic part of e-Business; in fact “business process innovation” is the keyword for the development of new e-Business strategies and models. Therefore, coordination between the relevant policy instruments, for instance through integrated support programmes has clearly emerged as necessary during the eBSN workshops.

The importance of the sectoral approach to e-Business promotion has also been largely confirmed. In particular, several e-Business sector-specific initiatives have been presented and discussed in sectors as diverse as wine, aerospace and defence, or textiles. A categorisation of sectors regarding their e-Business usage has even been devised: e-champions (like the ICT sector), e-intensive sectors (like banking / leasing or the media & printing sectors), e-specific sectors (like tourism or chemical industries) and late e-adopters (like metal products industries or health and social services).

Implementing an e-Business solution in a company typically requires the selection and set-up of the appropriate ICT infrastructure (network, hardware, software) as well as getting the right advice to align the technical solution with the business objectives pursued. SMEs usually need guidance and business consultancy services in order to properly transform their business processes and to efficiently integrate ICTs. This is a domain where local SME support organisations can bring value, as independent advisors, trusted by the local SMEs. Interesting practices have been discussed under the eBSN umbrella, for instance, how to promote world-class training for independent e-Business advisors through SME support networks and business support organisations, how to set-up and manage an accreditation scheme for e-Business advisors in order to increase SMEs trust and confidence in their ICT partner and, also, how to bring together SMEs and local ICT suppliers in order to improve mutual understanding and eventually more adapted e-Business solutions for SMEs. All these seem to be domains where independent and trusted SME support organisations have a crucial role to play. The Commission services have followed-up these concepts by launching specific support actions, as described in section 2.1 above.


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Good examples of national/regional policy initiatives

Austria

Title Austrian e-Commerce trust mark Responsible organisation

Austrian Economic Chamber

Name Dr. Gerhard Laga Address Wiedner Hauptstraße 63,1045 Vienna E-mail [email protected]

Contact details

Website http://wko.at/ebusiness http://www.guetezeichen.at http://www.euro-label.at

Description The Austrian e-Commerce trust mark was developed in the context of the Internet Ombudsman project, another best practice model, by experts from the public sector, the social partners, organisations for consumer protection and the chamber of commerce. The Austrian e-Commerce trust mark was the first label of this kind within the whole European Union. It is granted after strict examination and only to those companies that show customer friendliness above the legal minimum standard and a serious way of carrying out orders. The trust mark, as part of the EU-wide EURO-LABEL System for safe online shopping, is officially recognised by organisations for consumer protection, the public sector and the economic sector. The Austrian e-Commerce trust mark has initiated Euro-Label and was a founding member of the Euro-Label trust mark system (http://www.euro-label.com). After strict inspection, the trust mark is awarded to enterprises which distinguish themselves by customer-friendliness beyond the minimum standard and sound conduct of business. The Austrian trust mark organisation performs the initial examination. At least once a year it checks those websites which have already been accredited with the trust mark, to ensure continuous examination. Where a consumer complains about a violation of the European Code of Conduct, an additional examination may take place. Thereafter problems will be directed to a national Alternative Dispute Resolution system or to an international Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanism in the case of a cross-border transaction. The Austrian trust mark provides the owner of Online-Shops with information and advice on how to efficiently build a legally unobjectionable website. Up-to-date news from the field of e-Commerce and general information regarding security on the Internet can be obtained from the website of the Euro-Label organisation. As an additional service the owners of certified websites will immediately be informed about relevant changes in the law.

Objectives On-line shop owners receive professional assistance in designing their websites. This is to encourage a larger number of enterprises to sell their products via the Internet. Furthermore, the Austrian e-Commerce trust mark aims to give on-line customers the (legal) certainty that they are dealing with a fair on-line product supplier, which will also boost e-Commerce in terms of quality and trustworthiness. The objectives of the Austrian e-Commerce trust mark (Euro-Label Austria) are: - to immediately indicate the seriousness of a website at first sight - to increase consumer trust, increase turnover for certified shops and thereby safeguard

jobs, ensure legal certainty for shop-owners by intensive information in the certification process

- to increase marketing for the certified companies by press articles, TV spots, speeches and more.

- to promote certified companies at national fairs (http://www.eday.at) and support them via annual reviews, information on new or changed e-Commerce laws.


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Title EC Austria Responsible organisation

EC Austria

Name Christian Czaak Address Gonzagagasse 12/12, Vienna E-mail [email protected]

Contact details

Website http://ecaustria.at

Description ECAustria an interactive information service & organisational platform for the purpose of improving the flow of information between SMEs by setting up a network of existing initiatives and with direct access to advice and support. The potential for e-Business is still enormous, both in co-ordinating business processes with customers and suppliers and in connection with Internet marketplaces. Large companies increasingly do business over the Internet and small and medium-sized enterprises often act as suppliers. Thus, entering e-Business becomes a key factor for their success in the market. To further increase e-Business awareness in Austria the ECAustria Commerce initiative is intended to enhance the Austrian economy's general knowledge and to offer direct support and solutions for specific concerns of the individual industries. The main focus as regards content is to provide industry-specific case studies of e-Business projects that have already been implemented, to offer a direct inter-active possibility to contact the persons who implemented the projects, both on the part of companies and providers

Objectives To create a platform where newcomers, advanced users and experts will find all relevant information and services regarding e-Business in a clear and easily comprehensible form.

Title e-Business Service-package for SMEs Responsible organisation

Euro Info Centre Vienna

Name Dagmar Tomschitz Address Rathausplatz 2, Vienna E-mail [email protected]

Contact details

Website http://www.erfolg-im-internet.at Description Together with Vienna Communications, the Vienna Business Agency has conducted an

analysis to find out about the current situation and the need for e-Business applications among SMEs in the Vienna area. On the basis of this analysis a customised service package has been designed and offered to SMEs. Information on this topic is provided via mailings, a hotline or during events and there is also the possibility for face-to-face meetings with experts in the field of e-Business. In order to ensure the transfer of know-how in the field of e-Business, consulting services to SMEs are provided for free. SMEs learn which strategies to pursue in e-Commerce, but also the basics of Internet-usage, like which hardware and software to buy, how to get connected to the Internet and which aspects to observe, for example web design, marketing, security, payment and logistics, to name but a few. All this information can also be found on an online-platform called "e-Business-InfoCenter" (http://www.erfolg-im-internet.at), which was established by the Vienna Business Agency and Vienna Communications. Furthermore, the Vienna Business Agency has set up a programme for the financial support of local SMEs, which is co-funded by financing from the European Structural Funds. This programme, called "ZAK 2/20" (ZuschussAktion 2/20) should enable SMEs to gain access to new media and technology. In the context of this "e-Business Service Package", the "ZAK 2/20" action will support investments in hardware and software and training activities in the field of e-Business with a non-repayable subsidy of up to 20% of the total cost.


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Objectives SMEs are confronted with many questions concerning the Internet and e-Commerce. Therefore competent help is needed to provide customised advice and information and to create an environment of trust. The overall objective of this project is to create awareness among SMEs on how to make efficient use of new technologies in terms of marketing, communication with customers and suppliers, etc. and on the importance of these new media for the enterprises' economic development. In addition, the project promotes business location and improves the situation in the job market in the target area.


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Belgium Title e-Business Policy for Textile and Clothing SMEs Responsible organisation EURATEX – European Apparel and Textile Organisation

Name Deborah Santus Roosen Address 24, Rue Montoyer, Bruxelles E-mail [email protected]

Contact details

Website http://www.euratex.org/content/projects.html

Description EURATEX, the European Textile and Clothing Organisation (www.euratex.org) strongly supports the adoption of e-Business by European SMEs in its industry and therefore in the past it has led important projects such as e-Tailor, e-TCluster, Fashion-On-Line, Tex-Spin, Tex-Weave and Tex-Map which all represent important stepping stones towards a well-defined T/C e-Business policy. Although e-Business would be essential to speed up information flows along the Textile/Clothing value chain, the industry is still lagging behind full adoption of these technologies when compared to other manufacturing sectors in Europe. The cause of such delay in the adoption of homogeneous e-solutions is due to the polymorphic structure of the industry which translates into the existence of regional clusters which use traditional means of communications such as fax, telephone and ordinary mail rather than internal business processes automation, procurement and supply chain integration, connectivity of enterprise and electronic means of conducting marketing campaigns and sales. The purpose of the e-Business Policy for Textile and Clothing SMEs is to share experience and information material on current e-Business initiatives and policy impacts at local, European, sectoral and cross-sectoral level in order to identify gaps and strengths in the field of e-Business which might help both industry stakeholders and policy-makers in defining their future strategies.

Objectives The objectives of the e-Business policy initiative for Textile/Clothing SMEs are: - To strengthen T/C SME awareness on the potential of e-Business in the EU25

and acceding countries - To promote best practices and the results of e-Business projects undertaken

by the T/C Industry at local, regional and national level while reinforcing their links

- To monitor developments, inform members and support e-Business policies that might help T/C SMEs develop in the SEEM

- To foster the creation of cross-sectoral synergies in e-Business in order to make T/C SMEs more competitive in the global environment


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Cyprus Title E-learning management system Responsible organisation Cyprus Productivity Centre (CPC)

Name Nikos Philippou Address Cyprus Productivity Centre P.O. Box. 20536 1679 Nicosia E-mail [email protected]

Contact details

Website http://www.kepa.gov.cy

Description The system is expected to provide additional support to traditional training programmes and to enable the CPC to design and operate e-learning training programmes which will be tailored in order to meet the specific needs of the-Business community in Cyprus. At the initial stage of its operation, the system will provide the opportunity to all interested employees from SMEs to participate, free of charge, in an e-learning course. This specific course will provide training support to SMEs in order to encourage e-Business initiatives. Some of the topics to be offered by this specific course will be: - Internet awareness - Internet Applications and Technologies - E-Commerce Applications - Web site Design and Development - Customer-Related Business Processes - Intranet Design.

Objectives The aim of the programme is to support Cypriot SMEs through the concept of life-long learning.


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Denmark Title E-business to SMEs Responsible organisation Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Danish IT and Telecom Agency

Name Helle Dam Sørensen

Address Danish Ministry of Science, Technology Bredgade 43 1260 Copenhagen

E-mail [email protected]

Contact details

Website http://www.vtu.dk

Description The initiative supports projects that can improve SME use of IT and e-Business (and in particular small and micro undertakings) and it has been decided to make a grant of a total amount of DKK 9.7m (approx. EUR 1.3m) over a 2-year period. The purpose of the grant is to overcome the existing barriers regarding the use of IT and investments in IT infrastructure. Industry organisations, Business Councils and Business Service Centres have applied for part of the grant. These organisations can form consortiums, which apply for the grant, but it is a condition that at least one of the members of each consortium consists of one of the abovementioned organisations. The maximum grant for each applicant was DKK 2m, and the total grant of DKK 9.7m was divided between 8 applicants. The award criteria were objective and specified in advance. The grants were awarded on the basis of an overall assessment of the following criteria: - The quality of activities and services - Integrated solutions for services - Strategy for attracting the SMEs - Evaluation of projects - Budget and co-financing - Plan for permanent (own) financing of the services - The degree of specialist competence of the applicant.

Objectives - To give SMEs assistance in getting the necessary overview of IT potential and the market for IT solutions, thus enabling enterprises to set priorities

- To induce regions, local authorities and trade associations to give higher priority to efforts promoting IT use in enterprises

- To anchor the effort at a point as close as possible to SMEs - To ensure collection of experience data and dissemination of knowledge

with regard to the experience gathered by individual enterprises. Title Promoting innovative IT take up in SMEs Responsible organisation Funen Business Support and Development Centre

Name Erling Sörensen Address Blangstedgaardsvej 1, Odense E-mail [email protected]

Contact details

Website http://www.fec.dk

Description The Funen region of Denmark has 30 000 people employed in SMEs in traditional manufacturing industries. Due to competition from Asia and Eastern Europe, these enterprises are under heavy pressure to make continuous improvements in productivity and efficiency in all traditional business processes. If this battle for competitiveness is not to be lost in the end, it is necessary to find ways to make more sustainable improvements in productivity and


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competitiveness. It is argued in the latest report from the Commission on The Productivity of the Union that IT take-up can influence the way of doing business in a more productive and innovative manner but only hand-in-hand with business process re-engineering and development of the necessary skills. However, experience shows that it is extremely hard to get this message across to the managers in SMEs in their daily fight for survival. Business magazines and conferences convey many best practice stories. Nevertheless, the necessary awareness and motivation are not established. This eBusiness policy initiative will apply the ideas of collaborative learning in a more intuitive way of becoming aware and getting interested in IT take-up in the integrated way described above. Networks of management representatives from SMEs will together go through a bench learning process around different core industry applications (eBusiness in general, major administrative applications, etc.). Learning islands on the net will compensate for the problem of bring busy people together in space and time to do the networking. Experts will facilitate the discussions and the exchange of experience and good practice. The initial interest to engage in these networks will be created through a highly focused awareness creation campaign based on existing knowledge of relevant companies in the various industries. This eBusiness initiative is part of a comprehensive regional IS strategy, the eFyn strategy, addressing all major eEurope issues at regional level.

Objectives - To draw the attention of SMEs to the potential of e-Business and application of digital tools and methods in improving competitiveness and developing core-Business in an innovative way.

- To underline and make it understood that the positive-Business effects from IT take-up within the various business process areas can only reach fullpotential if the implementation of new IT possibilities goes hand-in-hand with business process re-engineering and development of necessary skills and competences in an integrated overall business strategy process.


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Finland

Title eAskel –expert service Responsible organisation Ministry of Trade and Industry

Name Jaana Lappi Address P.O. Box 32 FIN -00023 Government E-mail [email protected]

Contact details

Website http://www.ktm.fi

Description The eAskel programme is one of the ”branded expert services” offered to businesses via the Finnish Employment and Economic Development Centres (T&E centres). Its aim is long-term, business-oriented development of the use of information technology by SMEs. Under the programme, the possibilities created by information technology and networks for improving the efficiency of business activities and processes are individually identified. In the development programme, the IT solutions concerning business activity of the firm in question and its development needs as regards information technology and networks are examined. As the end product, the firm receives a practical “roadmap” for developing its use of information technology. As a result of the eAskel programme, the management of a firm is better prepared for directing the development of an IT strategy. The eAskel service is provided in the form of individual confidential consultancy for firms in cooperation between experts on SMEs and entrepreneurs. The service can be ordered from the T&E centre (http://www.te-keskus.fi). To ensure high quality, the service is provided by experienced experts with skills in developing the-Business of SMEs and IT solutions.

Objectives The aim of the eAskel programme is long-term, business-oriented development of the use of information technology by SMEs. It aims to make the use of information technology and networks part of a firm's planning and development of its business activities; develop the working methods and processes of businesses (with the help of information technology and networks); develop long-term planning of investment in IT; and find solutions (involving information technology and networks) that give a competitive advantage and benefit business activity.


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France Title ICT-SMEs 2010 Responsible organisation MINEFI / DGE

Name Antoine Tardivo Address 12 rue Villiot, 75572 Paris CEDEX 12 E-mail [email protected]

Contact details

Website http://www.telecom.gouv.fr/tic-pme2010

Description To improve their profitability and their competitiveness regarding the market, SMEs have to co-ordinate their strategy in accordance with the sector strategy they belong to. “Sector strategy” involves harmonisation of the exchange model used between each player in the sector from main principals (for instance Renault, Airbus, Carrefour) to others main representatives of the industrial, or services sectors, subcontractors (level 3, 4,..) included. The fundamental objective is to find agreement in order to optimise whole production and procurement process in terms of profitability, time to market, reactivity. The exchange models include data structures, catalogues, and standards such as ebXML and GS1. They have to be compliant with EC standards as far as possible. The measure begins with a call for tenders. Tenders are projects involving the whole sector from top to bottom with the objective of harmonising and standardising the exchange models. Success depends on the following criteria: the tenderer must be representative, legitimate and proclaimed by the entire sector he belongs to, in order to be able to make harmonisation of the exchange model agreeable for each component of the sector (main principals, subcontractors).

Objectives When exchange models are defined and harmonised through the entire sector, it is possible to standardise them and consequently to stabilise the data processing architecture. Thus three consequences are expected: - The moment the data processing architecture is standardised, it becomes

easier to identify software solutions suitable for SMEs. Moreover, this approach promotes compatibility between solutions.

- For SMEs, risks from investment in ICTs become more acceptable because they are more “readable”.

- Compatible data processing architectures easier improvement of the internal organisation of SMEs make. In the same way, client / provider relationships between companies can also be optimised as supply chains and time to market constraints.

The consequences of such an approach are the ability to take into account the “ecosystem” further down the line (relationships between industrial sectors) which is a fundamental point for the SMEs. These SMEs are actually involved in many sectors at the same time (in the engineering domain, for instance, they have to provide components for cars, aeronautics, railways, marine industries). For them, it is unthinkable to adopt different data processing architectures for each main principal. As a result, for a same “ecosystem” the data processing architecture design has to be carried out with a shared understanding.


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Title Achatville Responsible organisation CCI de Grenoble

Name Christine Petit

Address CCI Grenoble 1 Place André Malraux BP 297 38016 GRENOBLE CEDEX 1


Contact details

Website http://www.achatville.com Description AchatVille is a programme to offer assistance to Small Enterprises, especially

retailers, and make them aware about the importance of the use of Internet today in their activities. This objective is achieved through: - an internet platform - information on the AchatVille website’s possibilities - training seminars on the internet On the internet platform SMEs can choose to have a shop window presenting their activity with 10 products. If ready, SMEs can sell on-line thanks to secure on-line protected payment facilities. The originality of this programme is that it covers 3 concepts: - Access for all: all the SMEs of the region concerned are able to be included

in the internet platform database, at least in the directory - Local internet: Even if Internet is known as a worldwide communication

tool, AchatVille helps the local SME to better sell to the consumer of his region, by inciting the users of the internet to physically come into the real shop through a local public communication plan.

- The use of public-private partnerships with their defined role: for the public sector (Chamber of Commerce) the role of informing and training; for the private sector, the cost of investing in the internet platform to maintain it with the latest technical tools.

This programme was started in Grenoble in 1999 after a survey on small retailers and companies that showed these SMEs were having trouble accessing ICTs and using e-Commerce. The Chamber of Commerce set it up with the help of private partners: Business & Decision (which provided the internet platform) and a bank, Caisse d’Epargne (which provided secure payment). The success and relevance of this mode of support has led the Regional Chamber of Commerce to implement this AchatVille programme in other towns of the Region. Since 2003, AchatVille has been proposed nationally to other Chambers of Commerce for implementing this strategy among their various programmes in their area.


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Germany Title The promotion of measures to introduce-Business-to-business (B2B) e-

Commerce for SMEs Responsible organisation

WTSH (Business Development and Technology Transfer Corporation of Schleswig-Holstein)

Name Rita Wanke Address Lorentzendamm 24 24103 Kiel E-mail [email protected]

Contact details

Website http://www.wtsh.de Description The promotion of measures to introduce e-Commerce with a business-to-business focus:

• services provided by external consultancies whose expertise has been by confirmed by suitable referees, including:

• consultancy, concept development and the implementation of B2B solutions in various fields such as external and internal communication processes, supplier and customer networking, in-house workflow and structural management, logistics, marketing and customer relationship management. Planned solutions should draw considerably on modern electronic resources such as the Internet and/or mobile communications. Costs incurred for the purposes of data security, encryption, digital signatures and electronic payment systems are also eligible;

• the necessary adjustment of standard software (which, in itself, is not eligible) and also staff training and qualifications;

• evaluation and performance monitoring; • Investments e.g. in required hardware, provided that it is directly related to the B2B

solution.

Objectives The aim of the-Business-to-business (B2B) programme is to introduce the economy of Schleswig-Holstein, which is predominantly characterised by small and medium-sized enterprises, to e-Commerce with a B2B focus. SMEs will be offered incentives for tapping into the potential of electronic business operations in a clear-sighted and consistent manner. The risk linked to the introduction of these modern technologies will be lessened by the incentives programme, which provides financial resources, in particular for the successful design and implementation of solutions. The programme should therefore help to overcome any hesitations on the part of SMEs concerning use of modern information and communication technologies. As this measure is based exclusively on funding from the ERDF, this support benefits SMEs in the EU Objective 2 region, thereby making a targeted contribution to equal opportunities in this disadvantaged region.

Title The promotion of e-Business skills among SMEs through integrated processes

and standards (PROZEUS) Responsible organisation

Institut der Deutschen Wirtschaft Köln Consult (Institute for the German Economy) + GS1 Germany

Name Thomas Einsporn (IW); Tim Bartram (GS1)

Address IW - Institut der Deutschen Wirtschaft Köln Consult GmbH Gustav-Heinemann-Ufer 84-88 50968 Köln GS1 Germany GmbH Maarweg 133 50825 Köln

E-mail [email protected]; [email protected]

Contact details

Website http:// www.prozeus.de

Description PROZEUS stands for the promotion of e-Business skills among SMEs through integrated


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processes and standards with a view to their participation in the global procurement and sales markets. E-business has started to play an increasingly important role, as it leads to cost savings, increased turnover, competitive advantages, new sales markets, and much more. So when is e-Business worthwhile and which applications are available? How can a company introduce e-Business in a targeted manner and who can provide assistance? In short, how is e-Business developed in practice? These are the questions asked by many SMEs, a growing number of which are faced with the difficult task of acquiring e-Business skills in order to achieve international competitiveness. The PROZEUS transfer project was launched in order to provide SMEs with support in this area.

Objectives The PROZEUS project will: * create e-Business transparency through the development of know-how and the provision of information; * give SMEs planning and investment security through the establishment of procedural and application recommendations for e-Business standards; * improve the e-Business skills of SMEs by providing examples of tried-and-tested e-Business solutions; * encourage SMEs to introduce e-Business applications themselves. The focal point is the real-life application of e-Business exercises for medium-sized businesses. The e-Business solutions tested in real-life scenarios by selected SMEs (in 25 pilot businesses) are to help other businesses launch and apply e-Business. The basis must be the use of globally applicable, well-defined processes and standards.

Title E-Business. IT. Antworten für den Mittelstand Responsible organisation

MFG Medien - und Filmgesellschaft Baden - Württemberg mbH

Name Eva Pfendert Address Breitscheidstrasse 4, Stuttgart E-mail [email protected]

Contact details

Website http://www.ebigo.de

Description The ebigo.de Internet service combines educational texts about the different subjects of the digital value chain (for example web design, CRM, e-procurement etc.), checklists, an event calendar, web links and literature recommendations with daily news. The transfer of know-how through a neutral service will make the decision for investments easier. Another crucial element of ebigo.de is a service provider database, which allows potential customers to search for a competent solution provider for their specific needs. On the other hand, this database offers E-Business and IT service providers the possibility of presenting their specific competencies. To back up the Internet service, the initiative publishes printed products concerning special topics and uses marketing and public relations to achieve broad attention. Secondarily, the staff of the initiative ebigo.de organise events, participate in conventions, give lectures and consult SMEs. With this project the state government of Baden-Württemberg is strengthening its reputation as a business location and developing a new identity as an e-Business location.

Objectives The objective concerning small and medium-sized businesses is to promote awareness, know-how and motivation to invest in IT and E-Business. On the other hand, the objective concerning the IT-Industry is assistance in generating business. Therefore ebigo.de is based on three pillars: - The website www.ebigo.de with plenty of information concerning IT and E-Business and

special features. - Printed products concerning special topics, such as IT-Security and online market places. - Events (for example CeBIT, Systems and self organised events) and consulting for an

active face-to-face communication with the target group and for personal assistance.


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Greece Title E-business Forum Responsible organisation

The Greek Research & Technology Network – GRNET S.A

Name Ilias Hatzakis Address 56 Mesogion Ave., Athens E-mail [email protected]

Contact details

Website http://www.ebusinessforum.gr

Description The e-Business Forum is a standing mechanism for consultation between the Greek State, the academic and the business world on various subjects related to electronic business. The forum is an initiative of the General Secretariat for Industry (Ministry of Development) to create a favourable digital environment for Greek SMEs. The purpose of this forum is to present opinions, exchange ideas and expertise and encourage e-Business knowledge accumulation. The working groups and their members detect the problems concerning technology penetration in the electronic economy in Greece. They also suggest to the State measures and actions, which will lead to the success of E- business in Greece. The work of the E-business forum has already won the trust of the business community of Greece as a flexible mechanism for contact between State and the private sector. The working groups that have already been created are: - Electronic Business and the Citizen-Consumer - Business-to-Business Electronic Networking - The necessary infrastructure for the electronic enterprise and the electronic markets - Education-Training: the needs of the Information Society and the electronic enterprise - Innovation in the Digital Age: Start Ups - Information and telecommunication Systems Security - E-marketplaces: prospects, the Government attitude - The policy's regional approach for passing on the digital economy - Development of Greek digital content: Suggested actions for its acceleration - Mobile electronic commerce: Perspectives in Greece - Information Society: sociology and technology - Tele-working - Smart Cards - Open Source Software - E-business regulatory framework - Creation of a Code of Conduct for Internet sales of products sensitive for consumer

health - Creation of a Code of Conduct for the Internet industry - E-business in Eastern Europe In order to report on the progress of Internet use and e-Business tool penetration in Greece, the forum has prepared 3 annual surveys:

1. A survey on the penetration of computers, Internet and mobile telephony in the Greek population (6 000 people, covering a 4 year-period)

2. A survey on the penetration of Internet use and e-Business tools in Greek SMEs (1 800 SMEs, covering a 3- year period)

3. A survey on the use of e-Business and e-Commerce tools for IT managers of the largest Greek companies (500 IT managers, covering a 3-year period)

Objectives • To promote and extend the dialogue about the worldwide electronic economy. • To watch and report on the progress of electronic entrepreneurship in Greece.


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Title Training Support of the "Go-Online" Programme Responsible organisation The Greek Research and Technology Network. – GRNET S.A.

Name Xenophon Tsilibaris Address 56 Mesogion Ave., Athens E-mail [email protected]

Contact details

Website http://www.goonline.gr

Description GoOnline is an action line of the Operational Programmes, Information Society and Competitiveness funded by the 3rd Community Support Framework, for the period 2000-2005. The main objective of GoOnline is to encourage the deployment of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) by SMEs and make them aware of the benefits and prospects that have arisen in the new technological era. There are two types of support offered to participating SMEs: financial and educational. The implementing authorities in Greece are the Hellenic Organisation of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Handicraft SA (EOMMEX SA) and the Greek Research and Technology Network SA (GRNET SA). The project has been organised in 17 lots that have been assigned to 17 Consortia accordingly. These consortia cover and operate in all Regions of Greece and are comprised of academic and technological institutions, industry and Chambers of commerce, private companies etc. Training Support includes: - a central call centre (801 11 46638) and 16 regional ones - 3 x 7 hourly visits by a trained e-Business consultant - provision of informative and multimedia educational material - online support through a web-based portal: http://www.goonline.gr

Objectives • To help 50 000 Greek SMEs adopt e-Business solutions, and at the same time inform them about the benefits accruing from the use of new technologies and the Internet as a corporate tool.

• To train and support the Greek SMEs in developing ICT skills.


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Hungary Title Electronic commerce as a means for developing SMEs Responsible organisation Ministry of Economic Affairs and Transport

Name Ildikó Kecskés Leskó Address Ministry of Economic Affairs and Transport, Honvéd u. 13-15. 1055 E-mail [email protected]

Contact details

Website http://www.kkvportal.hu

Description The Phare programme entitled ‘Electronic commerce as a means for developing SMEs’ was built from the following elements: 1) National PR events that popularised the importance of including SMEs in e-Business; in the course of this drive several million people in the target group were reached; 2) One-, two- and three-day training courses whose purpose was partly to prepare future instructors and partly to prepare SMEs; more than 800 SMEs were able to take advantage of these courses, which, according the rules on the project, were free; 3) Advisory services dealing with e-Business and, within it, e-Commerce; 4) The development and operation of the kkv portál. The project, whose implementation was co-financed by Phare and the Hungarian Government, came to an end on 31 August 2005; since then, further utilisation of the results has been financed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Transport. According to plans, the portal will be partially self-supporting as of 2006 and later fully self-supporting.

Objectives The project, which was implemented in cooperation between the European Commission and the Hungarian Government, served the purpose of promoting more extensive use of the various tools for communication of information by SMEs in Hungary; informing them of the possibilities offered by e-Commerce and e-Business; providing help for developing the necessary skills; obtaining the necessary basic theoretical and practical knowledge for using the Internet, e-Commerce and ICT tools as extensively as possible.


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Ireland Title National eBusiness Strategy Responsible organisation Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Name Sinéad Gilligan

Address Room 515 eBusiness unit Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment 23 Kildare Street Dublin 2


Contact details

Website http://www.entemp.ie

Description The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment launched the national eBusiness strategy on 30 December 2004. The strategy contains a series of recommendations to help overcome obstacles to more effective usage of ICTs by SMEs and to stimulate optimum ICT usage by SMEs. A working group has been established to oversee implementation of the recommendations of the strategy with various subgroups working on individual recommendations.

Objectives - To reinforce the use of e-procurement and e-invoicing among SMEs The strategy recommended that dialogue be progressed with the Department of Finance and major public sector buyers to leverage the opportunities and mitigate the threats posed by public sector eProcurement for SMEs. A report "Public Sector e-Procurement: Opportunities and Threats for SMEs" has been prepared by Forfas (Irish National Policy Advisory Board). The report makes recommendations on maximising access for SMEs to e-procurement.

- To improve the availability of e-Business solutions for SMEs and micro

enterprises. The national eBusiness strategy recommended that an ICT consultant accreditation scheme be established. The Department requested that the government agency Enterprise Ireland establish an assurance scheme for ICT consultants.

- To support a sectoral policy approach to promote the uptake of ICT by

SMEs. The eBusiness Strategy recommended that the state development agencies should promote ICT and eBusiness development supports as part of an overall approach to enterprise development, rather than addressing eBusiness as a more remote and distinct activity.

Title Information & Communication Technologies e-Cluster Programme Responsible organisation Shannon Free Airport Development Company

Name Brendan McCormack Address The Granary, Michael Street, Limerick E-mail [email protected]

Contact details

Website http://www.shannondev.ie

Description T e-Cluster programme brings together a cross-sectoral group of up to 15 manufacturing SMEs for a series of 8 workshops on ICT-related issues. The individual SMEs also have the support of an ICT consultant for 17 days over a 12-month period. Participating companies pay an entry fee and a portion of internal and external training and consultancy costs are grant-supported. This combination of Training, Networking and Consultancy provides an effective vehicle for making a real impact on the use of ICT by participating companies.


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The e-Cluster programme targets Owners and Senior Managers and actively encourages their participation at all stages. This ensures that there is buy-in from senior management for all proposed ICT activities. Each participating company creates a detailed ICT Improvement Plan. This plan is tied-in to the overall business plan of the company and includes a budget for the planned ICT activities. Where relevant, companies also create an Internet Marketing Plan and/or a detailed ICT Training Plan.

Objectives The e-Cluster program assists companies in creating and implementing an ICT improvement plan which meets the needs of customers and suppliers and improves the bottom line. Targeted at the SME client base in the Shannon Region of Ireland, the objectives of the e-Cluster programme include: - Accelerating the use of e-Business as a competitive advantage - Developing a Skill Base in IT & e-Business functions - Creating appreciation among senior management for potential impact of

ICT on the-Business - Integrating e-Business strategy into company Business plans - Improving business networking among SMEs in the Shannon Region


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Italy Title E-business in Sicily (E-Sicily ) Responsible organisation Centro Regionale di Competenza sulla Società dell' Informazione e l' E-

government in Sicilia (CRC Sicilia) Name Andrea Benigno Address Via Notarbartolo 17, Sicily E-mail [email protected]

Contact details

Website http://www.crcitalia.it/sicilia

Description SMEs form the majority of companies in Italy (in Sicily 98% of companies are classified as SMEs). Normally, SMEs do not have the same know-how of new eSolutions as larger companies. In this regard, the policy initiative of the CRC Sicilia:

1) Benchmarks e-Business in Sicily in a 3-stage progress: - Definition of Indicators - Measurement and analysis - Regional policy development

2) Brings together the different regional players in the field, both from the

private and public sector, with a view to exchanging experience and agreeing on common goals and policy objectives in the field of e-Business (in particularly e-Business based on open source software).

3) Creates synergies between the different initiatives and support actions at

regional level, as far as possible. 4) Informs SMEs about the potential of e-Business in terms of:

- Cost effectiveness - Easiness to use - Security

Objectives - To develop a relevant roadmap for future of e-government and e-Business in Sicily

- To promote e-Business Title Multimedia and e-Business tutorship for SMEs Responsible organisation PROMOFIRENZE - Special Agency of the Chamber of Commerce of Florence

Name Carmen Russo Address Via Por Santa Maria, Palazzo Borsa Merci, Florence E-mail [email protected]

Contact details

Website http://www.promofirenze.com

Description The main activities to provide e-Business tutorship are: - Assistance to Small and Medium-sized Enterprises; - Organisation of conferences on e-Business issues and workshops between

operators; - Realisation of projects to support SMEs in order to enter into on line-

Business; Assistance to sustain SMEs in order to communicate in an efficient way, both in the case of a start up enterprise and of a consolidated one that intends to


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expand abroad. These activities are thought out and established in order to help the Small and Medium Enterprises in using all the new opportunities offered by e-Business and multimedia communication. Its aim is to increase the enterprises’ competitive ability and innovative strategies. This initiative helps the SMEs to do the predisposition of a multimedia project, to develop its business plan and on line communication.

Objectives Multimedia and e-Business tutorship helps small and medium-sized Florentine enterprises exploit the opportunities offered by the Internet in order to increase exchanges, take part in international Trade Fairs, be on view among their clients and generate some profits with regard to costs and benefits.


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Lithuania

Title E-service competence centre Responsible organisation Public institution Technopolis

Name Justinas Taruska Address Laisves al. 96, 44010, Kaunas E-mail [email protected]

Contact details

Website http://www.technopolis.lt

Description The aim of the project is to create the public infrastructure which will promote development of e-services in SMEs as well as in the public sector. The main target of the Project is creation of an e-services providing/receiving system – a competence centre. Public infrastructure will be offered to existing and new providers of e-services. The competence centre is planned to store and disseminate information at a practical level (good examples) of e-services as well as economic, financial, legal and technological aspects of providing e-services. In future the centre will also start assisting enterprises and institutions in providing e-services (identification of providers and customers, creation of unique service providing infrastructure acceptable to different providers). Aiming to promote e-services, the e-service providers and customers network has been created, a website designed and launched, and an information and cooperation exchange system has been implemented. Recommendations on issues related to the standardised e-services providing/receiving system and its technological implementation aspects will be prepared for SMEs which will be willing to develop e-Business. The system was tested during a pilot project at Kaunas Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Crafts where a smart card-based identification and payment system was implemented.

Objectives To create the conditions for small and medium-sized enterprises, especially for start-ups, to engage in e-Business and provide innovative services based on information technologies. To promote e-services between SMEs.


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Poland Title "Euro-Label Polska" Responsible organisation Institute of Logistics and Storage

Name Institute of Logistics and Storage Address ul. E. Estkowskiego 6 61-755 Pozna E-mail [email protected]

Contact details

Website http://www.ilim.poznan.pl

Description A System for certifying Internet portals which are appropriate to the country of the consumer, in accordance with Euro-Label criteria and legal instruments.

Objectives Certification of Polish Internet portals in accordance with Euro-Label criteria.


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Portugal Title PME Digital Initiative Responsible organisation AdI – Agência de Inovação, SA

Name Paulo Cunha

Address Campus do INETI, Ed. O, 1º Estrada do Paço do Lumiar 1649-038 Lisboa – Portugal

E-mail [email protected]; [email protected]

Contact details

Website http://www.adi.pt Description PME Digital is a pilot project, included in a Public/Private partnership that, by

means of a specific incentive scheme and the establishment of Information and Assistance Networks (RIATs), which aims at providing SMEs with the necessary tools for better participation in the digital economy.

Objectives The main objective of the Initiative is to give a personalised response to the main SMEs participation constraints, often due to the lack of information on the difficulties found in the establishment of an Action Plan and Strategy, the shortage of technological/technical skills and the insufficient financial capacity to invest in hardware, software and consultancy and in joining new marketplaces and other e-platforms. The main overall objectives of RIATs are: - To assure information, technical/technological assistance and training

services, with the participation of enterprise associations, technological schools and other Science and Technology institutions in the context of an enterprise strategy and coherent mission that enables the dissemination of positive externalities near SMEs (multiplier effect leverage);

- To contribute to SME information and awareness about each RIAT’s specific targets;

- To assure the quality and reliability of the potential investment projects submitted to the Incentive Scheme by SMEs;

- To foster technical assistance and training, in order to enable an integrated response, whenever the enterprise wants to submit an application to the Incentive Scheme and for that purpose wants to use the RIAT services.


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Slovakia Title Digital and e-Commerce for small and medium enterprises in SlovakiaResponsible organisation Faculty of Management, Comenius University

Name Dusan Soltes Address Odbojarov 10, Bratislava E-mail [email protected]

Contact details

Website http://www.fm.uniba.sk

Description The policy initiative mentioned above seeks to bring the latest ICTs to the attention of and be utilised by SMEs in the Slovak Republic, as a new member of the EU and thus also of the EU Internal Market. Among other things, these new business opportunities of the enlarged internal market also offer enormous business opportunities for SMEs but only where they are able to properly utilise all opportunities offered by the latest ICTs, e-Business, e-Commerce, etc. For example, proper utilisation of websites could help SMEs to become an active part of the current enlarged common market of the EU-25 with enormous opportunities in the area of practical utilisation of e-marketing, e-advertisement and e-shopping, that is to say e-Commerce in general. This active role in global and/or regional markets could also help SMEs to become a part of worldwide-Business and commercial chains, groups, etc. This new place in global and regional markets could also help to attract attention from foreign investors. Also, an integral part of this initiative is to provide regular training and advisory services for them in various aspects of digitalisation practical utilisation of ICTs in SMEs.

Objectives The main objectives of the initiative are to support and develop the process of information provision in the area of Slovakian SMEs especially as far as utilisation of modern ICTs is concerned. Through the proper utilisation of ICTs and Internet technologies, SMEs could also efficiently promote their services, goods, etc. at a fraction of the cost that otherwise they have to invest in the necessary network of local shops, advertising, marketing policies, etc. It is also one of the best ways forattracting the attention of potential foreign partners, investors for the future potential business cooperation, joint ventures, etc.


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Spain

Title Industry workshops Responsible organisation

Área Sist. avanzados de Telecomunicación, DG Desarrollo de la Soc. Informac., Mº Indus., Turismo y Comercio

Name Javier Monge Address MITyC, Capitán Haya, 41 E-mail [email protected]

Contact details

Website http://www2.mityc.es/Artepyme/

Description - The purpose of this project was: - To select 45 sectors at NACE 3-4 digit level that share the following features:

Numerous SMEs Weak adoption of e-Business Nationwide distribution of companies Low sectoral productivity

- To identify the relevant actors within the industry in relation with the uptake of e-Business by SMEs

- To organise2-day industry workshops trying to gather together industry associations, SMEs, solution providers, technical support institutions within the industry, regional government representatives and relevant policy-makers from the national Ministry of Industry

- To issue a final report of the event which will be published widely

Objectives - To identify problems within a certain industry for e-Business uptake - To establish an industry forum for the exchange of experiences when adopting e-

Business - To establish a neutral point where companies and developers can discuss the real

problems of e-Business - To generate cooperation between national and regional initiatives - To generate collective solution projects for SMEs within the industry with the aid of

public funding - To generate periodic reviews of the state of e-Business uptake within the industry

Title 2Bdigital: using e-marketplaces to internationalise SMEs Responsible organisation

COPCA - Catalonian Trade Promotion Consortium

Name Xavier Rivera Address Passeig de Gràcia 94, Barcelona E-mail [email protected]

Contact details

Website http://www.copca.com/ct/internet:ExportCont/internet:mark_digital:2Bdigital

Description The programme has been developed in accordance with the following basic criteria: - Adaptation to the problems and the aims of the enterprise. - A participative process involving the enterprise’s management team, combining the

individual and the work group sessions that are established. - The incorporation of expert advice on digital marketing and international trade

strategies. - Compatible with day-to-day activities. - Action-oriented. The following general phases are established and can be adapted to the needs of the


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enterprise and in accordance with the size of the teams participating therein, the structure, organisation, activities and specific objectives to be achieved. The aforementioned phases are: PHASE 1: To define the enterprise’s strategy and current business mode. Selection of markets and the programme’s target group. PHASE 2: To define the impact of Internet within the enterprise. The aim is to analyse the enterprise’s technological situation and, in particular its Internet presence and its familiarisation with new technologies. To redefine the web as regards its structure, content, etc., so as to adapt it to the criteria of phase 1. The enterprise will be introduced to digital markets defining its dynamics, organisation and management. Simultaneously, and free of charge for three months, an internationalisation alerts service will be set up in the company. PHASE 3: Positioning diagnosis in the principal search engines. The aim of this stage is to ascertain the current positioning of the enterprise’s website on the net and provide it with the necessary recommendations so as to gain better positioning through the criteria/key words determined by international search engines. At the same time, positioning diagnosis will be performed with regard to the enterprise’s direct competition. PHASE 4: Plan of action: to determine online international marketing strategies In accordance with the needs detected and the enterprise’s internationalisation plan, digital markets, sectoral portals, online directories, search engines, virtual communities, etc. will be analysed in order to establish an online promotion campaign with the clear objective of achieving increased web traffic and a greater number of international trade contacts. A plan of action will be submitted to the enterprise.

Objectives To foster the international promotion and commercialisation of Catalan companies via the Internet: e-marketplaces, search engines, sectoral portals, virtual communities, online directories, with the specific aim of: - Increasing the number of international trade contacts via the Internet. - Boosting the international image of enterprises via their websites and through being

present in the most important international e-markets of their sector. - Strengthening their internationalisation strategies in the target markets. - Controlling the profitability of investment in the Internet.

Title E-Business Checking Programme Responsible organisation

Sevilla Global, S.A. (Local Development Agency of Seville- Spain)

Name Beatriz Real Address Isaac Newton, Pabellón de Italia, s/n., Seville E-mail [email protected]

Contact details

Website http://www.sevillaglobal.es

Description The support given by the Local Development Agencies is double-edged: Seven consulting enterprises have been accredited as co-workers in the E-Business Checking Programme, which are experienced in analysis and establishment of e-Business models, negotiating with them a set price for the fulfilment of each diagnosis. On the other hand, the enterprises included in the Programme will receive financial aid of 65% of the diagnosis costs of the consulting enterprises co-workers in the Programme. The benefits for the SMEs included in the E-Business Checking Programme will be the following: - Detection of the steps in the previous phase to the setting up of specific e-Business


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solutions and definition of a plan in the long-, medium- and short-term, will contribute to indicating the correct way for SMEs to avoid adoption of wrong and expensive initiatives.

- A special study of the SME will make easier the design of individual solutions and identify concrete opportunities.

- Use of tested e-Business checking methodologies will guarantee positive results and the reliability of the proposals.

- A priori determination of the contract conditions for the checking work will eliminate the negotiation costs of the consulting enterprises for the SMEs included in the Programme.

Objectives Through the E-Business Checking Programme, Local Development Agencies of the metropolitan area of Seville want to support SMEs in their first steps towards the New Economy, offering a programme of e-Business profound checking to visualise where it is and to solve together what, how, when and how much, before implementing concrete solutions.

Title Technology Assessment to Enterprises Responsible organisation

Madrid Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Name Eva Casado Address C/ Ribera del Loira 56-58, Madrid E-mail [email protected]

Contact details

Website http://www.camaramadrid.es

Description 1. The SME is asked to fill out a questionnaire (via the web, phone or fax), which enables the Chamber to make a diagnosis, which includes:

- Assessment of technological needs. The chamber offers generic information on the minimum characteristics that the equipment should have.

- Orientation on business strategy on the Internet. - Suggestions on courses from the Chamber adapted to their real needs. - Assessment on how to finance investment (adapted to the characteristics of the company.

The chamber will previously analyse if that company is a possible beneficiary of grant aid).

2. Once the SME sees the diagnosis, it selects the equipment it is interested in. 3. This generic demand arrives at the suppliers that have previously registered with the

platform (these suppliers have to compromise to accomplish certain requirements such us: installation of the equipment, training in use of the equipment, data protection, follow the rules of the platform, after sale service). Registration and acceptance of the contract should be done with a digital certificate.

4. Suppliers offer their products indicating their characteristics, price, and improvements based on demand.

5. The SME receives all the offers, listed by price and selects the one it is interested in. 6. The supplier receives the confirmation and installs the product at the SME. Through all this process, the company can have assessment of a technical expert on the characteristics of the products, the use of the platform, and check the state of demand. This service is accessible through telephone/fax and the web (extranet though previous registration).

Objectives - Assessment of technological needs and orientation on business strategy on the Internet. - Product proposals adapted to needs previously detected, with its characteristics and price

(computers, printers, internet connection, virtual shop) - Suggestions on courses from the Chamber adapted to their real needs. - Assessment on how to finance the investment (adapted to the characteristics of the

company. The chamber will previously analyse if that company is a possible beneficiary of grant aid).


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Sweden Title Meeting point Wermland Responsible organisation The Wermland Chamber of Commerce

Name Ulrika Obstfelder Peterson Address Södra Kyrkogatan 6 652 24 Karlstad E-mail [email protected]

Contact details

Website http://www.wermland.cci.se

Description The project Meeting point Wermland offers a range of services designed by the Wermland Chamber of Commerce to permit the cost-effective exchange of electronic messages. It is a joint e-Commerce project for municipalities, purchasers and suppliers. It furnishes all participants with suitable tools, training and project support. The Meeting point Wermland project was started in May 2001. It started out as a training initiative to enhance IT expertise in the region, particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises. When conducting a series of seminars and training sessions for a total of 1 300 small and medium-sized enterprises, larger enterprises and local authorities, contacts with businesses and local authorities revealed an unmistakable need for an easy-to-use, functional and cost-effective e-Commerce solution. Many of the local authorities and large-Businesses realised that e-Commerce would result in important benefits but most of them were highly sceptical because previous solutions were both complex and expensive. They were in no position to pick up the solutions that would work for all their suppliers, particularly the small businesses. On the other hand, small businesses had no interest in financing training and solutions due to the large-Businesses needs. The Portal Handelsplats Wermland came about as a result of the experience gained as it has primarily involved the municipalities of Sunne and Torsby but also the municipalities of Arvika, Kristinehamn and Vansbro. It offers a range of services designed by the Wermland Chamber of Commerce to facilitate the cost-effective exchange of electronic messages, including invoicing, ordering, certification and procurement. It is a joint e commerce project for local authorities and SMEs and it furnishes all participants with suitable tools, training and project support, In other words it provides both the sender and the receivers with training and support. During the project, local suppliers were invited to attend workshops. The idea was to explain how small companies that do not have much experience of e-commerce could use different e-business services. They have been shown step-by-step how to fill out an online form and how to send an electronic invoice to their purchasers using a simple Internet connection or a virtual printer. They have also been told how to use other types of solutions suitable for their businesses. After the workshop, each business has been visited and received help in starting up and given answers to any question they might have had. All of the participating SMEs are now using different e-business solutions in their communication with their purchasers. The Meeting point Wermland and the Portal have turned out to be highly successful and one reason for the success is probably that the approach has been to start on a small scale and wait for the ripple or cascade effect to develop. In that way the Wermland Chamber of Commerce established a solid foundation from which it was possible to move on to a practical level. Step by step, results and the positive effect could be demonstrated. Once it was demonstrated, more businesses became attracted and involved.


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Today 5 municipalities are involved in the project and more than 50 suppliers send electronic invoices to one or more of the municipalities involved. This means that the project has met its objectives which were that 3 municipalities should be involved in the project at the end of the project period and that 40 suppliers would send electronic invoices to one or more of the municipalities involved in the project at the end of the project period. Furthermore relations have been developed with approximately 100 suppliers that in one way or another are involved in the project. Several municipalities have contacted the project and are interested in getting involved. Meeting point Wermland offers help with: - knowledge about existing easy-to-use, functional and cost effective e-

Commerce solutions by presenting existing e-Business solutions. - project support when implementing electronic invoicing, both for sender and

receiver. - contacts between the municipality/business and suppliers when

implementing electronic invoicing. - technical solutions for electronic invoices.

Objectives The objectives with Meeting point Wermland are to: - increase IT skills among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) who

would otherwise not have this type of skill easily available. - get e-Business strategies higher up on the SMEs’ agendas and open their eyes

to applications within e-business. - make SMEs understand the advantages of e-Business and help them identify

their e-Business opportunities - provide SMEs with knowledge about different forms of collaboration in the

area of e-Business. - provide SMEs with knowledge about existing easy-to-use, functional and cost

effective e-Commerce solutions by presenting existing e-Business solutions. - assist SMEs in implementing their transformation towards e-Business. - provide specific advice tailored to the needs of given SME in order to ensure

the most efficient use of the means and technologies available. - be the link between the local authority/the company and their suppliers - give SMEs the opportunity of remaining as suppliers to companies who

would otherwise be forced to choose non-local suppliers who meet their requirements as a result of the new regulations permitting procuring units to demand that bids be submitted electronically.

- include Best Practice SMEs who already use e-Business in their activities both as sender and receivers as a participant in the proposed project.

- monitor technical solutions for e-Business via different suppliers - take on the role of catalyst - provide a regional resource for businesses and municipalities to generate

electronic invoices in a format that the recipient’s system can process. Title SVEA – ebusiness for Swedish SMEs Responsible organisation GEA – Swedish Alliance for electronic Business

Name Mikael Von Otter Address GEA, PO Box 5501, Stockholm E-mail [email protected]

Contact details

Website http://www.gea.nu


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Description The project for this policy is run with sponsors from business and public support. It has established a network of 150 coaches all around Sweden. They, with some support from the main project, arrange seminars and conferences for SMEs, as well as offer consultancy guidance (which is charged for; give-aways are seldom appreciated up to a level). Staff with media background keep track of interesting examples that are published in a structured manner. Last year, more than 118 000 SMEs received e-letters about these examples as well as information about regional activities. The project also measures two things: the number of SME companies with company-run e-mail (so [email protected] not is included); and an e-Business index, where the level of acceptance for e-Business is measured.

Objectives Project objective were to: - Create a nationwide network of "SME coaches and SME informers". - Establish a database of good examples. - Create an easy-to-use web-based school for SMEs - Produce and distribute newsletters on a regional basis to more than 100 000

SMEs; all of this with the ultimate objective of having 80 % of SMEs realising the potential of e-Business.


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United Kingdom Title De-mystifying e-Business for SMEs Responsible organisation Department of Trade & Industry, Small Business Service

Name John Davey Address Businesslink 16th floor Portland House Stag Place London, SW1E 5RSE-mail [email protected]

Contact details

Website http://www.businesslink.gov.uk

Description The UK government's website for small businesses, businesslink.gov.uk has improved the guidance for users on the most important principles of e-Business and how to gear up to exploit the new opportunities brought by e-Business. Guidance covers planning, implementation, risk management, fulfilment of goods and services purchased online, alignment with e-marketing, connecting back-office systems, online auctions and exchanges and common pitfalls. Several case studies back up the guidance with more to follow. An interactive tool will be launched in January 2006 that will ask users about their IT and e-Commerce systems to highlight what risks face their own businesses, what could happen if they ignored them and how they can mitigate those risks. Other tools are planned to allow SMEs to assess the value they are realising from their IT and e-Commerce set-up.

Objectives The IT & e-Commerce section of businesslink.gov.uk aims to demystify the whole area of e-Business and to encourage take-up by SMEs.

Title Broadband SME Programme Responsible organisation Invest Northern Ireland

Name Kevin Johnston Address 1 Bedford Square Bedford Street Belfast BT2 6EH E-mail [email protected]

Contact details

Website http://www.investni.com/ebusiness

Description The Invest NI Broadband SME programme offers financial and advisory support to encourage SME uptake of broadband across Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland businesses were offered up to 40% funding towards the implementation and first year running cost of a broadband connection (to a max £5,000). The broadband product could be any technology (ADSL, Cable, Satellite, etc) from any supplier. The programme was delivered using a team of broadband advisers each with several years of experience in the telecoms industry. The programme was delivered with the knowledge and backing of local broadband providers and other interested organisations.

Objectives The programme was developed to increase broadband take up by SME type businesses across Northern Ireland and to encourage businesses to invest in ICT. Broadband is considered the key enabler for most e-Business activities. Implementation of e-Business activities by businesses helps to improve the competitiveness and sustainability of those businesses. By encouraging investment in ICT, productivity can improve and sophistication of the business increases.


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Title Electronic Payments Tool & Trade Online Project Responsible organisation RSTO Ltd

Name John-Paul Anderson Address 13 Hamilton Place, Edinburgh, Scotland E-mail [email protected]

Contact details

Website http://www.electronic-payments.co.uk http://www.readysteadyonline.net

Description Electronic Payments Tool (EPT) is a benchmark portal that diagnoses specific SME online payment scenarios against the actual costs of the solutions available in the UK. The portal was developed from 6 months of research into the payment structures and costs of over 20 UK e-payment solutions. The SME enters their transaction volumes and transactions sizes to generate an industry approved cost comparison of each solution available to them. The portal was fully funded by the Department of Trade and Industry and Scottish Enterprise and its objective is to increase the adoption of e-payment solutions by SMEs. EPT is presented as a two tier web portal. The first tier is comprised of rich eLearning material that promotes: - The benefits of e-payments; - The Fundamentals; - E-Payment Methods - Costs & Considerations - Product Information - Glossary The content is designed to move the SME up the e-Business adoption ladder; in particular, the step between Publish and Interact in the CPIT model is targeted to motivate businesses to engage with customers over the internet and adopt interact features like online payments. The second tier of the portal is a diagnostic tool. The tool is built from a database of solution 'datasheets' that accurately model the cost structures of the various e-payment solutions available in the UK. Each datasheet was developed in partnership with the solution provider and is updated under contract when modifications are made to the e-payment offering. By entering SME trading data the SME can generate a graph comparing the costs of the solutions that is segmented by the type of solution. Further calculations can then be undertaken to filter results by currency, shopping cart compatibility and platform dependency. The EPT is one of the most successful online e-Business diagnostic tools in the UK and has assisted over 100,000 SME since its inception. Trade Online Project is a catalyst for small businesses to overcome their resistance to online trading by encouraging take-up of entry level e-Commerce solutions and payment gateways through learning, hands-on experience and expert advice. SMEs experience specific failure with the selection of e-payment and e-Commerce solutions and this policy initiative overcomes these barriers to achieve online trading outcomes for volumes of SMEs in the deployment area. This initiative has Scottish Enterprise Accreditation and is aligned to Smart Successful Scotland - in particular Connecting Scotland (published initially by the SE Network, June 2000 and updated in November 2001). Trade Online Project impartially presents entry level e-Commerce solutions to participating SMEs and helps them choose and implement the appropriate solutions over the duration of the course. The Trade Online Project is delivered in a workshop format by a team of one Lead Consultant


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and three E-Business Instructors. The workshops are based on a combination of group presentations, e-learning tutorials, web based comparison applications and one-on-one meetings. All participant activity is benchmarked against a proprietary online workflow system for Total Quality Management and output management. The course is delivered as a medium volume initiative operating across a wide catchments’ area. The course accommodates a maximum of 30 SMEs over each four-week delivery period. Each SME attains specific E-Business Trading Criteria over the duration of the course. On completing the workshops the participant SME will specifically have in place: - a branded website with sales and marketing content to attract customers and

a trading solution to promote and sell their products and services; - the ability and knowledge to update new products / services to their online

trading solution; - the ability to take payment and booking transactions over the Internet The participating SME pays a fee to go on the course and attends a half-day workshop once or twice a week and is also given materials, guidance and support to achieve stated goals in between workshops. When the course is completed the company goes LIVE with their e-Commerce enabled website. The site has content, features to engage customers, product catalogues and online payment processing. The company has the knowledge, experience and confidence to make a success of their on-line operations. The Trade Online Project enfranchises SMEs at the entry-level of e-Commerce and increases e-Business take-up, investment and revenues in your region. The Trade Online Project has achieved National Enterprise Agency and Executive Level Policy accreditation and operates as a definable Private Public Partnership utilising commercial sector infrastructure and government grant mechanisms to address market failure, stimulate economic activity and deliver measurable e-trading outcomes in the SME community. The programme has assisted over 400 SMEs to trade online in Scotland.

Title eBusiness Specialist Advisor Responsible organisation One North East

Name Stephen Carey

Address Stella House, Goldcrest Way, Newburn Riverside, Newcastle upon Tyne


Contact details

Website http://www.onenortheast.co.uk

Description The aim of the catalyst project is to get SMEs in the North East using Broadband and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to benefit their businesses, make them more productive and able to compete more effectively in securing public sector business and private sector trade both nationally and in export markets. The project premise is not technology for technology’s sake, but rather using technology as an enabler to enhance company productivity, sustainability and reaping the many business benefits that broadband, ICT and e-Commerce technologies can bring to regional companies. It will also support the vision to become a leading region in Europe with a strong


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knowledge-based economy with a reputation for creativity, innovation and cultural excellence. A necessary pre-condition for success will be the competitive use of ICT by local companies and the regions SMEs. The core principle of the project is total inclusion. It is aimed directly at supporting the North-East’s SME community and will therefore be open to all eligible businesses in the region to join. The project will also partner with private sector ICT companies whose role will be to deliver a variety of service-related incentive offers to participating businesses. Regional SMEs will exercise their own choice over the solutions they need to fulfil their strategies. Equally, there will be no exclusivity of private sector supplier and all potential suppliers with relevant solutions will be encouraged to contribute to the programme provided they can add the desired value to the project. It is anticipated that a number of regional SMEs specialising in broadband, ICT and e-Commerce will be appointed as private sector partners to the project. All public sector partners who can add to the skills base and service offering will be invited to join the project. Studies in the region have highlighted a latent intention by SMEs to move to methods of trading electronically. So, the project aims to encourage SMEs to benefit from the incentives with the longer-term objective of encouraging them to continue to use the services provided. The wider cascading impact of the project will be to assist increasing numbers of regional companies to improve their individual performance and identify new electronic routes to markets in the public and private sectors.

Objectives - Creating wealth by raising the productivity of all businesses. The project will improve the performance of a significant number of current and aspirant local authority suppliers as a contribution to this objective.

- The focus for the project is the encouragement of local suppliers to trade electronically with local authorities and to facilitate improved communication processes between authorities and suppliers.

- The project will encourage the use of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) to increase business growth and therefore increased employment opportunities).

- Establishing a new entrepreneurial culture. The project uses ICT to improve business processes and management and workforce aptitudes to support innovation and positive change.

- Working with their local supplier base to improve their competitive performance

- Extending local company access to electronic methods of trading as well enabling access to new markets

- To act as a gateway for SMEs to access other business support facilities by working closely with partner agencies in the region and marketing their services through the project.


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Title Opportunity Wales Responsible organisation Opportunity Wales

Name Christine Lloyd Address Innovation House, Dr William Price Business Park, Trefforest E-mail [email protected]

Contact details

Website http://opportunitywales.co.uk

Description Opportunity Wales provides a personalised, staged series of e-Commerce advisory services for SMEs within a service area of Wales defined under European Union Objective One. The services are provided through a series of stages: An e-Commerce Review is carried out by an independent and trained adviser. Through discussions with managers they will analyse the existing business and identify where e-Commerce applications could bring additional benefits. This element of the service is free of charge. The minimum objective is that management has a better understanding of e-Commerce and its potential role in helping to run their businesses more effectively. Each e-Commerce review is unique to the needs and aspirations of the individual business being supported. Client aid is offered to assist with purchases identified within the e-Commerce Review. The level of aid is a maximum of £420.00 ( 656). To qualify for this maximum the business would need to spend £1,200.00 ( 1875) (before VAT). The grant equates to 35% of spend before VAT. After the e-Commerce review, businesses can then opt for Implementation Support. This is where the adviser assists the business during the implementation of an e-Commerce project identified as appropriate to them during the first stage review. This is a critical stage where business personnel will become skilled and experienced in using the e-Commerce applications being introduced. Adviser time is priced at £75 ( 117) (plus VAT) per day. The initiative is developed on a series of rigorous quality thresholds and guidelines. Adviser training, methodologies, and the internal process of segregating client skill levels is developed and delivered in partnership with the e-Commerce Innovation Centre in the University of Wales Cardiff. Advisers are provided to Opportunity Wales on a contractual basis, through a matrix of public and private contracting bodies. The Opportunity Wales initiative has been set up through a not-for-profit company, Better Business Wales (Holdings) Ltd. Half of its funding is provided through the European Union's Objective One programme. The other half is match-funded through a combination of 11 public, private, academic and voluntary partners.

Objectives The objectives of the Opportunity Wales project are for: - 35,000 SMEs to benefit from support by Web unique visitors, direct

mailings, e-Commerce booklets, and magazines - 120 accredited advisers to be deployed within the project's service area - 5,267 SMEs to benefit from adviser support - 1 community web portal to be established - £84m increase in turnover achieved by supported businesses - 2,043 jobs created - 4,700 jobs retained - £34m gross cost savings achieved by SMEs embracing e-Commerce


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eBSN workshops and their main results

1st eBSN workshop “Setting quantitative targets for e-Business policies”

organised by DG Enterprise and the Greek Presidency Athens, 16 – 17 January 2003

Setting targets for e-Business policies is part of the wider Lisbon Strategy to make the European Union the most competitive knowledge-based society in the world by 2010. In this context, the objective of this workshop was to launch a debate on:

• the current situation in Europe, with regards to the efficient use of ICTs and e-Business by SMEs; • the specific challenges for SMEs; • the future priorities for public policy actions in this field; • potential quantitative targets for specific e-Business policies for SMEs.

More than 120 selected representatives from the public administrations of the Member States, the European Commission, the European Parliament, business associations and the academic community attended the one-and-a-half day workshop organised by the Greek Presidency, in close collaboration with DG Enterprise, in Athens, on 16-17 January 2003. The workshop was the first event organised by the Greek presidency. It was opened by the Minister for Development, Mr Tsochatzopoulos, and was attended by the Secretary General for Industry, Mr Mitsis. The Greek presidency went to great efforts to organise this event in a perfect manner and to give sufficient public recognition to it, as demonstrated by many press articles and the presence of the media. Feedback from Member State representatives and other participants was very positive and the discussion extremely stimulating.

A broad consensus was achieved, among all Member State representatives, on the need to set concrete measurable targets for future e-Business policies, so that assessment of the activities, their output and impact would be feasible in the near future. Moreover, the need for changing policies in a changing e-Business environment, continuously overhauling on-going policies and re-focusing targets was underlined by many participants. New policy priorities set by some Member States reflect the shift of attention from general promotion of the use of ICTs and e-Business tools to tailor-made coaching of enterprises to totally transform into e-Businesses, i.e. to facilitating business re-engineering.

Diffusion of e-Business to European enterprises and barriers for SMEs: The knowledge base with regards to the current situation and real needs of SMES in accessing ICTs and e-Business has improved remarkably over the last years, due to concrete initiatives taken by Eurostat, DG Enterprise and the National Statistics Offices in this field. Although first endeavours in measuring the uptake of ICT and e-Business by European enterprises have focused mainly on e-Commerce transactions, these initiatives have been recently re-focused. This has been done in order to capture more qualitative factors, such as sophistication of the use of ICTs, and the overall transformation of enterprises towards e-Business and the sectoral impact of e-Business. In parallel, along these lines, some Member States are working on developing appropriate e-Business indicators that would be able to measure not simply the diffusion of ICTs among their enterprises, but more important, the sophistication of such usage. The current statistical picture demonstrates that SMEs are still lagging behind larger enterprises with regards to the uptake of ICTs and e-Business. In particular, findings suggest that SMEs are facing considerable difficulties in fully integrating e-Business into their normal business, i.e. in re-organising their businesses. On the other hand, not all SMEs are in the same situation. There are important differences among SMEs depending on their countries, regions, sectors and sizes. Particular emphasis was placed on the difficulties of SMEs in acquiring the required ICT and e-Business skills, the high initial investment, the lack of commercial interest by SMEs for certain forms of e-Business and the lack of appropriate e-Business solutions adapted to the needs of SMEs.

Good e-Business policies and future challenges: It was shown that there are numerous examples of good public-funded initiatives in support of e-Business for SMEs. This is creating strong incentives to share experiences and to learn from each other. Therefore establishment of a European e-Business support network for SMEs was recommended, federating existing European, national and regional players responsible for public policies in


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support of e-Business, with a view to strengthening and co-ordinating actions in support of SMEs in the field of e-Business. Member State representatives presented their own key programmes and priorities for future actions in this area. The discussion stressed that e-Business policies addressed to SMEs should take into account their diversity, as well as the changing nature of e-Business. Therefore, e-Business policies should be designed to be flexible and adaptable to the changing e-Business environment, during their entire lifetime. Characteristic feature of new policy initiatives has been the shift of emphasis from promoting Internet connections and Web presence of SMEs towards complete e-Business transformation.

Quantitative targets for public policies in support of e-Business for SMEs: In the context of the Lisbon Strategy, an open process of voluntary policy co-ordination among the Member States has been established with the view to setting quantitative targets at national level and monitoring the achievements. As part of this process, a proposal for a policy framework and potential quantitative targets for e-Business policies for SMEs has been discussed. There was a broad consensus among the Member State representatives on the need to set clear quantitative targets for e-Business policies, provided that Member States could select those targets that comply with their own policy priorities. Representatives from the business community stressed the importance of the participation of all Member States in this process, as well as the need for ambitious targets to be set at national and regional level and to be monitored on a regular basis, if Europe is to meet the Lisbon targets. It was made clear that the success of this initiative will depend on the willingness and strong commitment of the Member States to set their own targets in the context of the suggested policy framework and to closely monitor achievements.


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2nd eBSN workshop

“Good targets for e-Business policies”

organised by DG Enterprise

Brussels 26-27 May 2003

As a follow-up of the Go Digital initiative, on 27 March 2003 the Commission adopted the Communication “Adapting e-Business policies in a chancing environment”. This Communication is an important step to accelerating progress towards the Lisbon target of making Europe the world's most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy. It is alerting Member States to the need to shift gear from e-Commerce to e-Business, i.e. to a holistic approach which includes not only buying and selling over the Internet but most important, the efficient integration and productive use of ICTs in internal and external business processes. Moreover, this Communication calls upon Member States and regions to review their e-Business strategies in support of SMEs and to adopt, on a voluntary basis, policy targets to accelerate the shift from e-Commerce to e-Business. In particular, public policies should be re-oriented at national and regional level towards measures, which have a direct or indirect impact on productivity. Namely, policies should assist enterprises in better managing the organisational changes required to reap the full benefits of ICTs and e-Business, and should set clear objectives and quantitative targets for assessing policies’ progress and impact. The Competitiveness Council of 13 May welcomed this Communication and invited the Member States and acceding countries to:

further complete the Enterprise Policy Scoreboard, at general policy level; base specific e-Business initiatives in favour of SMEs on clear quantitative and/or qualitative targets; actively engage in eBSN – European e-Business Support Network for SMEs.

In this context, the objective of the EU workshop on “Good targets for e-Business policies” was to: • Bring together eBSN members to further discuss future policy priorities:

• Present practical examples of quantitative and/or qualitative targets in different e-Business policy areas, such as awareness, training, e-Business solutions, interoperability and networking;

• Allow for an intensive dialogue among eBSN members and the exchange of practical experience.

About 80 selected representatives from the public administrations of the Member States, and acceding countries, the European Commission, business associations and the academic community attended the one-and-a-half day workshop organised by DG Enterprise, in Brussels, on 26-27 May 2003. Member State and acceding country representatives presented their national policy priorities and concrete targets for e-Business policies. Moreover, the panellists presented practical examples of SMART targets for specific e-Business policies for SMEs, mainly in the area of awareness, e-skills, e-Business solutions, networking and participation in e-marketplaces.

The lack of metrics and impact assessment: The enormous lack of statistics and metrics on the diffusion and use of ICT by enterprises, as well as the quality of available data have been underlined as major challenges that need to be further addressed. Sufficient and reliable data would offer great value to decision-makers in formulating favourable policies for their enterprises. In this context, it remains critical to analyse the relationship between the intensity of use of ICTs, enterprise competitiveness and overall productivity. However, participants also stressed the difficulty in measuring the impact of ICT investments (including equipment, solutions, and structural changes) due to long-term impact, mainly based on empirical evidence.

National targets for e-Business policies and future challenges: Member State and acceding country representatives presented their own key programmes, priorities and targets for actions in this area. The discussion stressed that the development of SMEs is critical for overall economic development in Europe. The e-Business policies addressed to SMEs should take into account their diversity (based on size, sector of activity, geographic location, etc.), the particular characteristics of SMEs (e.g. techno-phobia, lack of managerial understanding, lack of e-skills, etc.), as well as the changing nature of e-Business. Therefore, e-Business policies should be designed to be flexible and adaptable to the changing e-Business environment, during their entire lifetime. A characteristic feature of new policy initiatives has been the shift of emphasis from promoting Internet connections and Web presence of SMEs towards policies to enhance the e-Business implementation and


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intensity of use by SMEs. The analysis of a Finnish regional policy, in South Karelia, attracted great interest. According to this analysis, the major future e-Business application will be the e-invoice, which is expected to save administrative costs of 2 billion Euro in this region only. Based on this analysis, further ideas for future actions were expressed, such as the development of free-of-charge solutions for SMEs to issue and manage e-invoices, based on common European forms. The value of EU legislation on e-invoices was also stressed. In this context, it was also suggested that public authorities should set quantitative targets regarding the use of e-invoices and should analyse the "cost of non-implementation" for SMEs, as well as the social side-effects.

Quantitative targets for specific public policies in support of e-Business for SMEs: The workshop discussions confirmed that the need for more awareness and knowledge transfer to SMEs is still valid. Member State and acceding country representatives presented examples of SMART targets for specific e-Business policies for SMEs at national and regional level. Interesting conclusions were presented, such as:

- the value of the multiplier effect for SMEs (i.e. once a critical mass of SMEs adopt e-Business processes, the others will naturally follow);

- the need to streamline the numerous information and consultancy sources for SMEs;

- the merits of face-to-face contact and best practices;

Moreover, the workshop addressed the lack of affordable e-Business solutions, adapted to the needs of SMEs. In this context, the presentations and discussions stressed:

- the importance of self-assessment tools allowing SMEs to benchmark their e-Business maturity, with comparison to their sector;

- the challenge to target specific clusters of SMEs;

- the need to consolidate the existing, and sometimes competing, standards for e-Business technologies;

- the need to enhance trans-national interoperability of standards for e-Business solutions, through the promotion of interoperability test-beds.

In addressing the question of mis-participation of SMEs in e-marketplaces, the workshop emphasised:

- the importance of neutral information and consultancy services to SMEs, so they can judge which e-marketplaces would be most relevant to them;

- the need for public authorities to further support and promote e-procurement techniques, and to facilitate access to SMEs through awareness and knowledge transfer actions;

- the value of neutral information about legal issues of e-Business, at pan-European level.


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3rd eBSN workshop “National, regional and sectoral e-Business policies in favour of SMEs”

organised by DG Enterprise and the French Ministry of Development Paris 27-28 October 2003

This workshop was aimed at policy-makers in the field of e-Business for SMEs. Its general objectives were:

To take stock of recent developments in setting targets for e-Business policies at national level ;

To discuss and exchange best practise in the field of regional and sector specific e-Business policy initiatives ;

To facilitate personal contacts between representatives from regional, national and sectoral e-Business initiatives, with the view to exchange best practice and to learn from experience.

Objectives and targets for national e-Business policies: Emerging national objectives and targets for public policies in support of e-Business for SMEs were presented and the involvement of regions, sectors and SMEs in the setting of reasonable national targets was discussed in detail. Practical ways to implement these targets were presented and methods for monitoring and assessing the impact these targets were identified.


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Shaping efficient regional e-Business policies for SMEs: Practical experience of successful regional strategies to promote e-Business for SMEs was shared among the participants by presenting the characteristics, key players involved and the national targets and sectoral constraints reflected in regional policies. Interesting topics were addressed such as: - How to use synergies between regional actions and to promote best practice - How to involve SMEs into the process. The sectoral dimension of e-Business policies for SMEs: The workshop discussions led to better understanding of the sectoral constraints impacting on e-Business policies in favour of SMEs. In this context, the presentations and discussions stressed: - The sectors which need specific assistance; - The strategic objectives and targets for sectoral policies; - The instruments used to promote e-Business for specific sectors; - The most appropriate channels to use to approach sectors; - Methods to share best practices of sectoral initiatives.


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4th eBSN workshop How to extend eBSN activities to Acceding countries

organised by DG Enterprise and the Ministry of Economy and Transport of Hungary Budapest, 25 February 2004

The 4th eBSN Workshop was addressed to policy-makers and SME support organisations, notably those from Acceding Countries, with practical experience in e-Business. The goal was to better understand where e-Business currently stands in terms of policy priority in Acceding Countries and to discuss ways of sharing experience and good practices in an enlarged Europe in the field of e-Business policies for SMEs. The main objectives were:

To take stock of the situation of e-Business diffusion in Acceding Countries; To present and discuss e-Business policies and their priorities for Acceding Countries; To identify local players (network, catalysts) and potential players; To discuss the way to extend eBSN activities to Acceding Countries

About 80 representatives from the public administrations of the Member States, and Acceding Countries, the European Commission, business associations and the academic community attended the workshop co-organised by the Ministry of Economy and Transport of Hungary and DG Enterprise, in Budapest, on 25 February 2004. The statistical picture of e-Business diffusion in Acceding Countries: e-Business diffusion in Acceding Countries compared to Member States was presented by using statistical data from the e-Business Survey 2003 of e-Business W@tch. The statistics showed that in the enlarged European Union of 25, e-Business activity is largely determined by business activity and the size of the company. Indeed, sectors differ widely in their use of e-Business. Sectors producing technology themselves or providing related services have a higher propensity towards e-Business activities than low-tech sectors. Furthermore, economies of scale also apply to the use of e-Business and larger companies are in a better position to exploit the potential of more sophisticated applications and to automate and connect electronically different business processes. Regional differences in e-Business use are much less pronounced than those between size-bands and sectors. The double regional digital divide in EU-25 (North-South and West-East), which can be observed in households, is not fully mirrored by the world of business. The most advanced countries are clearly ahead of the laggards, but in between the gaps are small. The results support eBSN strategy for regional transfer of good policy practices. The difference of e-Business diffusion between companies from different regions does clearly not constitute a barrier for transferring successful policies. Furthermore, there is clear need for SME and sector specific support actions. In this respect, policies and support initiatives should be defined by understanding the sector-specific e-Business requirements of companies and the economic implications of e-Business on the whole value chain. E-business a priority for information society policies in Acceding Countries: Representatives from Hungary, Poland, Estonia and Slovakia presented their information society plans together with priorities and targets for actions in the area of e-Business. The discussion stressed that several information society policies in Acceding Countries do not specifically cover e-Business activities. The information society plans are mainly targeted at infrastructure, training and promoting Internet connections and not complete e-Business transformation of companies. In several cases the practical implementation of defined e-Business policies is still missing and legislation remains a barrier. Last but not least, it was recognised that the success of e-Business policies is heavily dependent on the readiness of each country/region in terms of infrastructure, utilities, and processes and also on the surrounding social-economic environment. Sharing best practices on e-Business policies in Europe: Great interest was given to the analysis of successful cooperation, under the eBSN umbrella, in the e-Business field between a current Member State (Finland) and a future one (Slovenia). E-invoice, a very practical and interesting e-Business application of a Finnish regional policy in South Karelia was successfully transferred to Slovenia proving that transferability of best practices in e-Business is feasible. Based on this example, discussions stressed the necessity of regional and cross-border cooperation. This can be fostered by initiatives like the “twinning” campaign launched by DG Enterprise in April 2004 with a view to encouraging the definition of joint actions in favour of SMEs, between eBSN members. This can also be achieved by paying greater attention to already existing projects and results when designing new e-Business policy initiatives. Thus, special efforts should be spent in identifying best practices and adjusting


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them to the specific needs of each region/country. It is therefore of critical importance that policy networks such as eBSN are enlarged and grow in order to cover as widely as possible regional and national e-Business policy initiatives. The promotion of eBSN activities should be strengthened; chambers of Commerce and Euro Info Centres could play a key role in this domain, although e-Business may not always be their top priority.


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5th eBSN workshop How to train and coach SMEs

organised by DG Enterprise, the Consortium for the Commercial Promotion of Catalonia and the Generalitat of Catalonia,

Barcelona, 13 May 2004

The 5th eBSN Workshop was addressed to policy-makers and SME support organisations with practical experience in training and coaching SMEs in the e-Business field. The main objectives were:

To discuss the articulation between e-Business and innovation policies; To identify good policy practices aiming at accompanying SMEs adopting e-Business; To present ways of measuring the impact of e-Business policies.

More than 400 representatives from the public administrations of the Member States, and Acceding Countries, the European Commission, business associations, the academic community and SMEs attended the workshop. A large consensus emerged during the workshop, calling for a holistic policy approach exploiting synergies between e-Business initiatives and those fostering managerial innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. Furthermore, several practical examples of initiatives helping SMEs to efficiently use e-Business techniques were presented and raised the question of the necessity of having accredited e-advisors and self-assessment tools. Last but not least, the workshop once again stressed the importance of defining adequate statistical indicators for measuring e-Business policy impacts. E-business and managerial innovation: a winning combination: The efficient use of e-Business is now widely recognised as a catalyst for competitiveness if it is accompanied by the necessary business processes adaptation. In this context, managerial innovation and entrepreneurial spirit are as important as technological breakthroughs. The involvement of SMEs in e-Business is indeed hampered by the lack of finance, organisational innovation, skills and customer confidence. On the other hand, the main obstacles to innovation are both internal (management) and external (environment). The necessity of implementing competitiveness support policies, which will identify and articulate consistent competitiveness tools to support the strategy and optimise enterprises’ management, was outlined. There is a clear need for coordination between different policies and this can be achieved through integrated support programmes. Special attention should be given to start-up SMEs. They should be supported through dedicated e-Business policies in order to increase their “survival rate”. Helping SMEs to build their e-Business strategy: Representatives from Ireland, Finland and Italy presented practical approaches aiming at accompanying SMEs engaged in e-Business activities. Most SMEs are weak on ICT strategy and vendor selection. As a result, many SMEs would not benefit from the extra investment in IT.


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SMEs should seek the advice of external consultants to define the ICTs that meet their business needs. However, the specific skills of consultants in this regard are sometimes lacking. SMEs should have confidence in their e-advisors, which leads to the question of an accreditation scheme of e-advisors. The presentations and discussions stressed the importance of self-assessment tools allowing SMEs to benchmark their e-Business maturity, with comparison to their sector. Measuring e-Business policy impacts: The lack of official statistics and metrics on the adoption and use of ICTs by enterprises, as well as the quality of available data have been underlined as major challenges that need to be further addressed. In this context, it remains critical to analyse the relationship between the intensity of use of ICTs, enterprise competitiveness and overall productivity. However, participants also stressed the difficulty in measuring the impact of ICT investments due to the fact that it has an impact over a long period. Sufficient and reliable indicators would offer great value to decision-makers in measuring policy initiatives keeping in mind that, statistical indicators must continuously be reviewed in order to reflect policy making needs.


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6th eBSN workshop Improving the availability of e-Business solutions for SMEs

organised by DG Enterprise, and the Ministero delle Attivita Produttive, Istituto per la Promozione Industriale

Rome, 19 November 2004 SMEs have different needs with respect to ICT applications as compared to large companies. Although ICT suppliers focus their attention more and more on SMEs, there is still a lack of affordable ICT solutions for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. The 6th eBSN Workshop was primarily addressed to policy-makers and business associations accompanying SMEs going digital. In this context, the goal of the workshop was to present some good practices in improving the availability of suitable e-Business solutions for SMEs both from a European but also an international perspective. The main objectives were: - To assist SMEs in selecting IT solutions; - To promote e-Business interoperable solutions. More than 100 representatives from the public administrations of the Member States, and Acceding Countries, the European Commission, business associations, the academic community and SMEs attended the workshop. A large consensus emerged during the workshop, with regards to the importance of integration, interoperability and standardisation activities to support the convergence of SMEs to e-Business. Furthermore, several practical examples of initiatives of interoperable and integrated e-Business solutions for SMEs in cross-sector or sector-specific processes were presented. More specifically: Policy initiatives from North-America and Asia: E-business activities in Europe can benefit from exchanging information with success stories around the globe. In that respect, initiatives presented from Canada and South-Korea can be referred to as best cases towards improving the availability of e-Business solutions for SMEs. e-Business is considered a key enabler of productivity growth, increasing profit and decreasing costs for enterprises. In this respect, it is necessary to adopt and exploit technology, information and knowledge to create sustainable competitive advantage while further investments are required to fully capitalise on the benefits of ICTs. However, the implementation of e-Business in SMEs, dictates both organisational changes and technological innovations. At first businesses confront a new situation that requires remodelling of processes, modernisation of service delivery channels, interoperability and high competition. With concern to the technical perspective, new models could be applied to e-Business. The ASP model seems to provide a solution in cutting down development and maintenance costs for e-Business solutions, through introducing intermediaries, namely ASP providers. The ASP model is considered technologically advanced and evolving as the introduction of Web Services has affected ASP development. From the strategic point of view, awareness on e-Business should be promoted. In that direction, main activities from the implementation perspective include conferences, online tools, pilot applications, seminars and dissemination material. Moreover, it is important to capture political attention on e-Business, to determine and understand requirements for innovation and reorganisation, to develop e-skills and e-talent and finally to establish partnerships. Overall, the importance of innovation in SMEs and the need for establishment of links to the IT sector was underlined. Assisting SMEs in selecting IT solutions: Implementing an e-Business solution typically requires the selection and set-up of the appropriate IT infrastructure (network, hardware, software) and the right advice to align the technical solution with the business objective pursued. Consultancy services are also needed to properly adapt the related business processes and to define a training plan for company users. SMEs usually need guidance in finding the right partners to implement this approach. This is a domain where business support organisations can bring value. The objective of this session was to present good policy practices in this field and to get an IT industry perspective on this question. Representatives from Italy, Germany, Spain and the UK presented good policy practices that are mainly operated through the Internet aiming to associate SME requirements for e-Business to IT suppliers. The overall approach for partner-matching consists of the identification of company (SME) needs and investigation of potential suppliers into a list of IT products and services providers. Key issues are the accurate determination of needs as well as population of the list of IT providers with adequate and accredited entries that could be benchmarked. Apart from the technical perspective, marketing and consulting through events and seminars could also assist SMEs in selecting IT solutions. It is acknowledged that a strong network of partners is the basis for a proper match of SMEs to IT companies. Subsequently, the involvement of stakeholders at political and regional level to guarantee networking stability and standardisation is vital for the acceptance of such a matching-network by SMEs.


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Promoting e-Business interoperable solutions: Interoperability has been highlighted as a priority issue by the eEurope 2005 mid-term review. Therefore it is considered necessary for eBSN to examine ways to define and promote interoperable solutions in the e-Business field. Particular attention must be paid to standardisation and the role of open source software. The implementation of interoperability implicates work on technical, semantic, organisational and regulatory issues. However in order to establish a satisfactory solution to interoperability, consensus should be reached. This consensus is supported by standards; therefore the need for standardisation is evident. Standards are concerned not only for the technology perspective but also with describing information and business processes. CEN, OASIS, Dublin Core and other sector-specific standards (e.g. EDITEX for textile industries) or standardisation bodies for SMEs are involved in the standardisation process. Moreover at the EC level, the eBusiness Interoperability Forum (eBIF) considers interoperability solutions relating to e-Business and strategic recommendations concerning required standardisation activities. Interoperability for SMEs could be further enforced through cross-border cooperation and political dialogue through wide networks for enterprises.


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7th eBSN workshop “eProcurement - eInvoicing: European experiences and trends “

organised by DG Enterprise, and the University of Maribor, in the context of the Bled eConference Bled, 6-8 June 2005

The workshop aimed at providing an insight into the eProcurement / eInvoicing topic selected by the eBSN Steering Group. Its objectives were: - To make clear the business case for the adoption of national and cross-border eProcurement / eInvoicing

practices by businesses, in particular SMEs - To take stock of the recent developments in this field (research, legislation, standardisation, etc.) - To review relevant benefits and legal and technical barriers - To identify currently on-going initiatives within eBSN - To explore the possibilities for launching new cooperation initiatives - To recommend complementary actions at European level if appropriate This workshop presented current public policies aiming at promoting the diffusion of eInvoicing between SMEs, namely in Finland, Denmark, Austria, Sweden at national and regional level. The presentations made clear recent interesting developments with regards to the diffusion of eInvoicing in various regions in Europe. There are now concrete indications of the real cost savings expected by the diffusion of eInvoices. The frontrunner in this domain is Finland, where eInvoicing is currently the key e-Business application and it is expected to save administrative costs of 2 billion Euro, under the assumption that there will be a 25% penetration of eInvoices in B2B transactions (currently the figure is 8% but increasing rapidly). Denmark took a more rigid approach, by imposing the use of eInvoices for all invoices that are addressed to governmental bodies, since the 1 February 2005. The legal environment in the various countries are critical in encouraging (like in Finland, where electronic storing of accounting documentation is allowed and eSignatures are not obligatory on eInvoices) or impeding the broad diffusion of eInvoices (like in Austria, where there is uncertainty about the legal framework). It was recognised that the public sector has an important role to play and high level policy commitment is key for the promotion of eInvoices. Finally, the innovative role of Finnish banks in extending their existing on-line banking services (98% in Finland) to offer eInvoice services, was presented as the key success factor for the wide uptake of the eInvoices applications by SMEs. Ensuring interoperability between various eInvoice intermediators and formats as well as common international standards remains an issue to be addressed.


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8th eBSN workshop “Networking e-Business Policy-makers for SMEs (eBSN): achievements and new

policy challenges” organised by DG Enterprise and the EEDA, in the frame of the Cambridge e-Business Conference

Cambridge 5-6 December 2005 This workshop session aimed at taking stock of the main policy developments and achievements of eBSN so far, as well as validating the options on future policy priorities. Soumitra Dutta, Dean of Executive Education at INSEAD moderated the panel discussion, initiated by five panellists, one representing the European SMEs community, and four eBSN members presenting achievements in the various thematic focus areas of eBSN, namely with regards to policy initiatives dealing with eProcurement–eInvoicing, sectoral policy approaches and improving the availability of eBusiness solutions for SMEs. More than 70 participants attended the eBSN panel, mostly policy-makers and experts responsible for the deployment and implementation of public-supported initiatives directed at reinforcing the uptake and efficient usage of e-Business solutions by SMEs, as well as notable academics, representatives of the ICT industry and the business community. This workshop reviewed progress in building European cooperation in this field among policy-makers via eBSN and discussed the most valuable ways of continuing the momentum developed so far. It examined some of the latest public policy initiatives, and offered insights into the needs of SMEs. The crucial issues relate to accelerating effective adoption of e-Business by SMEs, leveraging broader networks of organisations that can stimulate the process, and boosting commitment among the principal players. Much has been done to accelerate adoption – through direct funding, information, managing support networks, and training service providers, but more needs to be done, he stressed. Attention needs to be paid to the particular hurdles that SMEs face in adopting e-Business: not only in terms of the obvious problems of broadband access, and of management time and technology acquisition efforts required to become operational, but also in terms of the challenges that SMEs then face once they migrate their operations into an e-Business world. While the shift can bring benefits, it can also make them more vulnerable: by moving to e-Business, they become more exposed to their customers and the external world, and any weaknesses in their operating processes can be easily revealed. In consequence, increasingly support is needed at the level of business strategy. Indeed, new policy priorities set by many EU Member States, regions, and business support organisations reflect the shift of attention from general promotion of the use of infrastructure and e-Business solutions to actually coaching businesses in fully integrating e-Business into their overall business strategies. Recognised as an efficient policy networking mechanism, eBSN offers wide opportunities for participants to learn from each other among relevant e-Business initiatives. However, its success will depend on remaining focused and on concentrating efforts on clear priorities. Valuable work has been done in a bid to broaden networks, but actions are still insufficiently coordinated. The merits of creating SME support networks that embrace government, business and institutions are obvious, but in practice such networks are still at an early stage. Options might usefully include focus on cross-border and cross-sector partnerships –as demonstrated by experiences with Slovenian adoption of e-invoicing methodologies developed in Finland, and then spread locally in the Western Balkans. Other options examined included encouraging sector-specific policies for SMEs as well as the involvement of sectoral associations, so as to take account of the differences from sector to sector in implementation of e-Business practices. Sectoral focuses also have the advantage that there is often an openness to innovation in respect of challenges facing a specific sector – a less daunting task than adopting more generic solutions. The reality is that many eBSN members are already very busy, and often with competing demands on their time, as they are usually contributing to eBSN work on top of their national priorities. The twin challenge is therefore to make promoting e-Business uptake more deliverable to SMEs, and to generate a sense of recognition and satisfaction that reinforces the commitment of policy-makers.


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Greater visibility of eBSN achievements, through local or sectoral communication channels, focused to celebrate successes, would be an option with an obvious appeal to local or sectoral actors. There is room for more collaborative learning methods, and, above all, joint development of compelling presentations of incentives for SMEs, which demonstrate what they stand to gain by adopting e-Business practices.


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eBSN Portal Statistics The eBSN Portal became operational during 2004. The following sections contain interesting statistics with regards to the usage of the portal from the beginning of its operation until the end of 2005.

General Statistics The General Statistics table includes statistics for hits, page views, visitor sessions, and visitors for the eBSN Portal during the time frame 1/6/2004 – 31/12/2005.

0

300

600

900

1.200

1.500

1.800

2.100

2.400

2.700

3.000

3.300

3.600

3.900

06/0106/29

07/2708/24

09/2110/19

11/1612/14

01/1102/08

03/0804/05

05/0305/31

06/2807/26

08/2309/20

10/1811/15

12/1301/10

02/0703/07

04/0405/02

05/3006/27

Visi

tor S

essi

ons

Visitor SessionsVisitor Sessions

Jun 06/01/2004 - Dec 12/31/2005 (2 Year Scale)

Statistics - Report Range: 01/06/2004 - 31/12/2005

Hits Entire Site (Successful) 1,684,695

Average Per Day 2,909

Home Page 30,353

Page Views Page Views (Impressions) 528,845

Average Per Day 913

Document Views 86,397

Visitor Sessions Visitor Sessions 51,657

Average Per Day 89

Average Visitor Session Length 00:19:42

International Visitor Sessions 23.09%

Visitor Sessions of Unknown Origin 20.83%

Visitor Sessions from United States 56.07%

Visitors Unique Visitors 12,809

Visitors Who Visited Once 8,715

Visitors Who Visited More Than Once 4,094


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Visitors by Number of Visits This section shows the distribution of visitors based on how many times each visitor visited the portal.

1 visit

2 visits

3 visits

4 visits

5 visits

6 visits

7 visits

8 visits

9 visits

10 or more visits

0

1.000

2.000

3.000

4.000

5.000

6.000

7.000

8.000

9.000

1.2.

3.4.

5.6.

7.8.

9.10.

Num

ber o

f Vis

itors

Visitors by Number of Visits During Report PeriodVisitors by Number of Visits During Report Period

Number of Visits

Visitors by Number of Visits During Report Period

Number of Visits Number of Visitors % of Total Unique Visitors

1 visit 8715 68.03%

2 visits 2058 16.06%

3 visits 525 4.09%

4 visits 413 3.22%

5 visits 182 1.42%

6 visits 137 1.06%

7 visits 84 0.65%

8 visits 81 0.63%

9 visits 52 0.4%

10 or more visits 562 4.38%


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Top Geographic Regions This section identifies the top locations of the visitors to the portal by geographic region.

North America

Region Un-Specifie

Western Europe

Eastern Europe

Northern Europe

Asia

Middle East

Region Not Known

Australia

South America

Sub-Saharan Africa

Caribbean Islands

Pacific Islands

North Africa

Central America

02.0004.0006.0008.000

10.00012.00014.00016.00018.00020.00022.00024.00026.00028.00030.000

1.2.

3.4.

5.6.

7.8.

9.10.

11.12.

13.14.

15.

Visi

tor S

essi

ons

Top Geographic RegionsTop Geographic Regions

Geographic Regions

Top Geographic Regions

Geographic Regions Visitor Sessions

1 North America 29,187

2 Region Un-Specified 10,762

3 Western Europe 8,632

4 Eastern Europe 1,240

5 Northern Europe 858

6 Asia 338

7 Middle East 270

8 Region Not Known 99

9 Australia 99

10 South America 77

11 Sub-Saharan Africa 34

12 Caribbean Islands 29

13 Pacific Islands 21

14 North Africa 10

15 Central America 1

Total 51,657


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Most Active Countries This section identifies the top locations of the visitors to the site by country.

1. United States

2. Greece

3. Italy

4. Netherlands

5. UK

6. Belgium

7. France

8. Germany

9. Denmark

02.0004.0006.0008.000

10.00012.00014.00016.00018.00020.00022.00024.00026.00028.00030.000

1.2.

3.4.

5.6.

7.8.

9.

Visi

tor S

essi

ons

Most Active CountriesMost Active Countries

Countries

Most Active Countries

Countries Visitor Sessions

1 United States 28,965

2 Greece 2,176

3 Italy 1,429

4 Netherlands 934

5 UK 918

6 Belgium 899

7 France 729

8 Germany 525

9 Denmark 314

10 Spain 311

11 Hungary 300

12 Austria 272

13 Finland 260

14 Sweden 198

15 Turkey 193

16 Canada 191

17 Poland 180

18 Portugal 164

19 Romania 144

20 Lithuania 124

Total 39,226


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Summary of Activity for Report Period This section outlines general portal activity, comparing the level of activity on weekdays and weekends. The Average Number of Visitors and Hits on Weekdays are the averages for each individual week day. The Average Number of Visitors and Hits for Weekends groups Saturday and Sunday together.

Summary of Activity for Report Period

Average Number of Visitor Sessions per day on Weekdays 99

Average Number of Hits per day on Weekdays 3,552

Average Number of Visitor Sessions for the entire Weekend 128

Average Number of Hits for the entire Weekend 2,575

Most Active Day of the Week Mon

Least Active Day of the Week Sat

Most Active Day Ever March 07, 2005

Number of Hits on Most Active Day 15,658

Least Active Day Ever October 17, 2004

Number of Hits on Least Active Day 12

Most Active Hour of the Day 16:00-16:59

Least Active Hour of the Day 05:00-05:59


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What future for eBSN? eBSN is widely recognised within the EU as an efficient policy coordination mechanism in the area of e-Business for SMEs and should pursue its work, remaining well-focused on the established priorities while further deepening its activities in those areas. In parallel, the responses to the on-line survey brought up some very interesting reflections and suggestions about the future orientation of the network. These concern both new ideas for thematic interests to be addressed by the Network and suggestions to improve the operation, visibility and promotion of eBSN.

New thematic areas to be explored by eBSN

eBSN members expressed their interest in some new themes, mostly in terms of being informed on progress in these areas at EU level, rather than being involved in real policy exchanges or joint initiatives. Those themes are:

• Fostering standardisation and interoperability in e-Business:

Follow-up: Standardisation for the e-Business arena is a large and complex issue. For example, CEN/ISSS has established a working group on e-Business interoperability and standards for e-Business. This initiative is supported by DG Enterprise and participation is open to all interested parties. However, there are other important standardisation-related activities. It is suggested that a thematic workshop be organised in 2006 on this issue, where representatives of the various e-Business-related EU standardisation initiatives would inform eBSN members on the state of play. eBSN members who wish to be further involved, will be invited to join the relevant standardisation working groups.

• Tackling the legal aspects of e-Business:

Follow-up: DG Enterprise has launched a number of studies and consultations with legal experts on a number of legal issues, mostly with regards to cross-border trade facilitation, B2B e-marketplaces, and others. In parallel, other Commission Services, such as the Information Society, the Internal Market and the Health and Consumers Directorates General are also dealing with the legal aspects of e-Business, from different perspectives. It is suggested that a thematic workshop be organised to present the current EU activities and status on this theme in-depth. eBSN members who have particular interest in these issues, will be invited to join the relevant working structures.

• Promoting use by SMEs of e-Government solutions related to e-Business:

Follow-up: The relevant Commission services are tackling e-Government issues: the IDABC e-Government Observatory is a reference information source on eGovernment issues and developments across Europe. It aims at providing the community of eGovernment decision-makers and professionals with a set of useful information products and with valuable insight into eGovernment strategies, initiatives and projects in Europe and beyond, focusing on developments of pan-European relevance or interest, including e-Government services for businesses (http://europa.eu.int/idabc/egovo)

Moreover, eBSN members can exchange experiences on promoting the use of e-Government solutions that enable enterprises including SMEs to make use of the available e-Government practices such as: − Social contributions for employees, − Corporation Tax: declaration, notification, − VAT: declaration, notification, − Registration of a new company − Submission of data to statistical offices − Customs declaration − Environment-related permits − Public procurement


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It is, therefore, suggested that a thematic workshop be organised to present the current EU activities with regards to business-related e-Government practices. Again, eBSN members who have particular interest in these issues will be invited to join the relevant working structures, at national level.

• Technology foresight:

Follow-up: The Information Society Directorate General covers a broad spectrum of technology foresight issues, including e-Business aspects. Thematic workshops could be organised where relevant EU-scale projects of potential interest to eBSN members will be presented, such as the “Digital ecosystems for SMEs”, Trans-European networks, etc.

Improving the operation of eBSN While eBSN is considered to be an efficient policy-networking instrument for exchanging information and building policy synergies to promote the uptake of e-Business for SMEs, it is felt that there is still a great potential in further improving the efficiency of eBSN, and, as a result, the efficiency of all national, regional and local eBSN policy initiatives. The responses to the on-line questionnaire helped in identifying some weaknesses that need to be addressed, as well as in suggesting ideas for expanding eBSN outreach.

Improving the current operations of eBSN

• stronger commitment by the participating countries: The underlying reality is that eBSN members are already very busy, and often with competing demands on their time, as they are usually contributing to eBSN projects on top of their national priorities. The challenge is therefore to strengthen network culture and to generate a sense of recognition and satisfaction that reinforces the commitment of policy-makers.

Follow-up: Better, EU-wide visibility should be given to celebrate the success stories of eBSN, via electronic means, local or sectoral websites but also the press. Not only would such initiatives broadly spread results, but, most importantly could be an efficient mechanism to boost the commitment to and engagement of Member States and participants in the networking process.

• Participation of high level government officials: It is felt that the operations of the Network would benefit from the participation of high level government officials. Although at working level, the persons that are best placed to substantially contribute to its work, are those who are in charge of implementation and running of the various programmes and actions, recognition of eBSN work by high level government officials would certainly boost interest and would surely add value to the activities of the Network.

Follow-up: It is suggested that the work of eBSN be presented to the EPG (Enterprise Policy Group – at the level of Directors General of Ministries) and EPMC (Enterprise Policy Management Committee).

• Better promotion and dissemination of results (through brochures, newsletters, international benchmarking indicators, etc.) It is felt that eBSN would benefit from further dissemination of its work and achievements. There has been an important amount of work done and a pool of valuable knowledge and information gathered that needs to be made widely known

Follow-up: The overall eBSN results and achievements, as well as individual success stories, should be widely disseminated, via electronic means, local or sectoral websites and the press, based on a clear communication and dissemination plan for eBSN activities.

Extending eBSN outreach: • Bringing eBSN closer to sectoral industry associations: So far, eBSN is open to public funded policy

initiatives promoting e-Business for SMEs, as well as to public-private partnerships. Sectoral industry associations are fully eligible to participate as long as they are involved in the implementation of a public policy (at national, regional or local level) to support e-Business in this particular sector. The issue becomes one of awareness of and sensitisation to the merits of joining the eBSN community.


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Follow-up: Targeted awareness actions, e.g. e-mail alerts to a list of European Sectoral Industry associations, and specific sectoral events should be sufficient to raise interest and active participation in eBSN.

• Extending participation to IT industry representatives: It is legitimately thought that policy and decision-makers and SME support organisation cannot act in isolation, without a sound understanding not only of the real needs of SMEs, but also of what e-Business solutions and services are available in the market. ICT suppliers increasingly focus their attention on SMEs, by offering adapted solutions and services, either on a private commercial basis, or in partnership with regional and local governments. What is still missing, though, is awareness of the available solutions, their characteristics and what specific SME business processes and needs do they address and how.

Follow-up: eBSN is open to participation by IT industry representative bodies (e.g. associations like ESA, EICTA, OSI, etc.). Targeted thematic workshops on the availability of e-Business solutions for SMEs, where IT suppliers would be invited to present their initiatives, should be organised with a view to raising awareness on available e-Business solutions for SMEs. In this context, the Enterprise and Industry Directorate General will commission a benchmarking study on commercially available e-Business solutions and services for SMEs, in the second half of 2006.

• Extending participation to non-EU countries: Many eBSN members feel the Network would benefit from opening participation to non-EU countries, in particular countries with advanced IT culture, such as the US, Canada, Japan, India, China, Singapore, etc.

Follow-up: So far, the Enterprise Directorate General has invited representatives from Canada and Korea to participate in eBSN workshops and present their national policy initiatives. Other initiatives of this type could be foreseen in the future. Moreover, in this context, the Enterprise Directorate General will launch a call for grants, in 2006, with a view to supporting the identification and exploitation of synergies between e-Business initiatives in EU and non-EU countries.

• Improving synergies with the EICs (EuroInfoCenters):

Follow-up: The EICs are eligible for participation in eBSN, and many of them are eBSN members. Moreover, a representative of the EICs is nominated to participate in the eBSN Steering Group. However, this relationship can certainly be re-enforced, by a joint meeting between EICs with a special interest in e-Business and eBSN.


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Annex 1: Questionnaire on the main achievements and the future of eBSN The on-line questionnaire on eBSN achievements and the future of the network was prepared, approved by the eBSN Steering Group and published at the beginning of July 2005 on the eBSN portal where it is still accessible. The aim was to collect detailed information on the concrete benefits eBSN members experienced through their participation in the network and to learn more about the synergies and cross-fertilisation among policy initiatives and to assess the functionality of eBSN and the main expectations for future improvements. The questionnaire comprises the following questions:

1. Please specify the country/region you live in.

2. Do you think that your eBSN participation has strengthened your country/region in the field of e-Business policies?

3. What national/regional eBSN initiatives do you feel that are most appealing for your country/region profile?

4. Did the knowledge gained from other national and/or regional experiences and best practices inspire the generation of new initiatives and actions in your county/region? f so, please mention the main experiences and how they affected new initiatives and/or actions.

5. Based on the contacts and exchanges through eBSN, did you explore the opportunity for more targeted bilateral or multilateral synergies for joint policy actions? If so, can you describe them?

6. What other bilateral or multilateral synergies supported or established by eBSN are you aware of (such as the Finland-Slovenia Living Lab project)? Which countries participate in it? Are there any published results?

7. In which e-Business policy areas do you believe that eBSN has been most effective and which require more work?

8. How do you find the eBSN workshops so far? Do you think that they help in the way of bringing initiatives together and stimulating them into making synergies?

9. Would you encourage the continuation of eBSN as a network of e-Business policy-makers?

10. What is your opinion about the overall operation of eBSN so far?

11. What are the strengths of eBSN?

12. What are its weaknesses? What could be done better?

13. What are your suggestions about future eBSN actions? What new actions should be envisaged?

14. Please feel free to write down any additional comments/suggestions you may have regarding eBSN (criticism, suggestions, etc).

European Commision

Enterprise and Industry Directorate-General

BE-1040 Brussels, Belgium

Fax: (32-2)2967019 http://www.e-bsn.org/

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