Part II: Academic roud table
The aim of part II of this session is to contribute to the understanding about the internationalization strategies of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the opportunities they can seize and the challenges they face. Organized in partnership with the EIBA and AIB, the round table offers cross-country perspectives on the internationalization of SMEs. The outcome of the round table will feed into a broader research project on the topic coordinated by UNCTAD. Academics, practitioners and policymakers will provide new insights on how SMEs invest in foreign markets and perform other international activities. Discussions will aim to shed new light on the essential role of SMEs in providing jobs, creating value, advancing innovation and contributing to sustainable development.
The round table will aim to identify major trends and key factors of success in the internationalization strategies of SMEs in both developed and developing countries. The insights and discussions will be based on surveys, case studies and the international experience of selected firms. This round table will also formulate selected policy recommendations for policymakers to improve the monitoring and the facilitation of the internationalization of SMEs.
Issues to be addressed
- In which regions and countries do SMEs invest? What are their objectives and strategies?
- What are the main factors that can lead to successful internationalization?
- What determines the mode of entry in individual host countries (FDI, trade, contractual arrangements, and the like)?
- What is the impact of SME investment on local communities in the host countries?
- Through which channels, and how, do SMEs contribute to the development of host economies?
Speaker(s)
