About the Second Conference -
The European Entrepreneurship in the Globalising
Economy -
Challenges and Opportunities
9 - 12 September
2008, Varna, Bulgaria
The main idea of the conference was to identify and
discuss the challenges in front of the entrepreneurship in Europe (mostly in the
EU) and to search for possible directions to meet them. In this sense the
conference appeared to follow the logical development of the themes of the first
conference, held in Sunny Beach, Burgas in September 2006. Along with this the
papers of the Second conference considered in greater detail the increasing role
of the globalization, regionalization and other influencing factors.
Normally, the leading accent of the Conference was the
start-up, management and development of new businesses. Not only as quantitative
measures for the solution of unemployment problems, but principally as quality
and sustainability of the business. Particular attention was paid to the
competitive growth of SMEs, which especially in the countries with developed
market economy (East Europe), is constantly underestimated. Here what was most
important were the discussions and recommendations the participants made to the
growing SMEs in various geographic, economic, social and cultural contexts.
Considerable attention was put on such important aspects
of the entrepreneurial activities as innovations, marketing, networks and their
interaction. The presenters emphasized the use of knowledge and innovations as
well as the specific characteristics of the marketing in SMEs against the
background of their limited resources. The clusters and entrepreneurial networks
were considered effective tools for the continuing support and competitive
performance of SMEs.
Undoubtedly the regional dimensions of the entrepreneurial
activity and SMEs are not only leading problems for the researchers, but also
for the policy makers (including on EU level). Therefore, the authors of papers
from different countries analyzed the ‘global-regional-national-local’ relation
making drawing important conclusions for the specific role and behaviour of SMEs
and their support. An important accent here was put on the effects over SMEs as
a result from the accession of some Eastern European countries to the EU.
Papers presented considered also other aspects of the
entrepreneurial activity that are of interest to the researchers, practitioners
and policy makers. In the first place, starting with female entrepreneurship,
through entrepreneurship behaviour for universities and last, but not least, the
changes in the content of entrepreneurial activity in diverse contexts.
The common opinion is that the Conference was successful
and an evidence for this are the scientific and practical results achieved as
well as the prestigious publications of the presented papers. Another thing of
great importance was also the further development of the institutional and
personal networks between the participants. The friendly and informal atmosphere
created in the first conference dominated the second conference too, enriched
with the presence of new participants.
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