and executives from several member companies. The views expressed do not necessarily represent the views of every WBCSD member
consultants and business advisors in the private sector. Thirdly, high costs, not just for acquiring and
themselves, but also their business advisers, whether they be private sector consultants, or employees of chambers of commerce and industry or investors and
employees of financial institutions who are more likely to be listened to by the entrepreneur and managers/owners of SMES.
In addition, promotion activities on IP have generally proved to be more effective when included in other activities seeking to
of compulsory expert arbitration as a solution to the excessive costs of patent litigation (ETAN, 1999.
researchers, SMES and business consultants to have a good understanding of the IP system in order to
experts and take into account the advice of all stakeholders †considering the existing standards when appropriate
achievements to hundreds of IT and traffic experts in and around Amsterdam at the end of March 2010.
>set up an Expert Group on Urban ITS as a collaboration platform to promote ITS initiatives in the area of
The Expert Group on Urban ITS was established and met for the first time on 8 december 2010, consisting of 25 members
>>Expert Group on Urban ITS in the European>>Expert Group on Urban ITS in the European>>Expert Group on Urban ITS in the European
maintenance workers Some 37%of serious accidents involving such persons occur in conditions of darkness or fog.
automated systems routinely manage the flight controls, with the pilot acting as aâ supervisor /controller able to intervene
-ments of visitors, employees, participants and VIPS, within the framework of general event logistics. Applications will
ï§Medium and large enterprises (more than 50 employees) accounted for almost three -quarters of BERD in 2011
ï§Small firms with less than 50 employees accounted for 69 per cent of all R&d active
Figure 8 shows BERD by size of firm, with medium/large firms with 50+employees holding the
less than 50 employees) increased from 24 per cent in 2003 to 27 per cent in 2011.
Figure 10 shows that over 19,000 employees or 14,000 on a full time equivalent (FTE) basis
increase) since 2009 and by 7, 034 employees over the decade Figure 11: Total researchers (headcount and FTES), 2003-2011
less than 50 employees) increased by 41 per cent since 2003, from 757 firms to 1, 109 firms in
Medium/large R&d performing firms (more than 50 employees) increased by 48 per cent since 2003 to 499 firms in 2011
Regional Labour markets Bulletin 2012 EGFSN January 2013 A Review and Audit of Licenses Across Key Sectors of The irish Economy
workers ages 55-65 are employed, while only 55 percent of European workers are. 22 Moreover, a greater share of the EU population is above age 65.23 In 2013,18. 2 percent of
the population of the EU-27 nations was 65 years and older, compared to 13.8 percent in
that after-tax worker incomes continue to rise. However, if Europe†s current low productivity growth rate persists,
surplus for workers who would see no income growth. 24 BOX 1: PRODUCTIVITY, INNOVATION AND COMPETITIVENESS
is typically an hour of labor, a single worker, or a combination of workers and
physical capital. Using hours of work or the amount of workers as the denominator yields labor productivity (the measure used in this report unless
otherwise specified), while using the combination of workers, physical capital and other inputs as the denominator yields total factor productivity (TFP;
TFP is also called multi-factor productivity, or MFP, when using only workers and physical capital
Productivity is the main determinant of national income per person, because over the long term a nation can consume only what it produces
in non-traded sectors where productivity gains go directly to European workers and consumers. Moreover, productivity gains in traded sectors help EU
by adding more workers. While demographic shifts are important for the absolute size of the economy, they do not affect productivity or income per capita
workers employed by large firms than all European countries. Figure 15) In particular Italy, Greece, and other Mediterranean countries stand out as having an unusually high
particularly because labor market regulation can limit the number of employees a firm chooses to have. 134 France,
with 50 or more employees, and this provides an incentive for firms to stay under the 50
-worker threshold. 135 Land use regulations, as also described above, can also constrain both firm size, by preventing the entry of more efficient franchise-style firms, and establishment
productive, pay higher wages, injure their workers less, are more innovative, and export more. 174 This is not to say that small firms do not add value.
Switzerland, and the UK have the smallest proportion of workers in small firms and have
firms have under 20 workers. 177 Larger firms are usually more productive, in part because
OECD Statextracts (Short-term Labour market Statistics: Activity Rates, aged 55-65, all persons accessed February 13, 2014), http://stats. oecd. org
across European Regional Labour markets, †Regional Studies 47, no. 10 (2013: 1686†1700 115. Tillmann Schwã rer, â€oeoffshoring, Domestic Outsourcing and Productivity:
20 percent of its jobs with average value-added per worker with jobs having a value-added of over 50
decisions when experts may not be at hand. Available evidence suggests outcomes do not suffer. For instance, nurses†performance in
Therefore, we have looked also at the number of employees per sector (NACE code categories) and
Independent Expert Group on R&d and Innovation Asheim, B.,Boschma, R, . and Cooke, P. 2007).
experts and uninteresting to other readers $0 $100 $200 $300 $400 $500 $600 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
-rated by most experts (see Section 5. 3. 4 78 Note, incidentally, that contrary what many of us have assumed,
Our special thanks go to the seven experts who were interviewed for the elaboration of the recommendations for policy actions:
in depth expert interviews) and evaluations (thematic analyses, internal discussion, DG EAC Thematic Working group on ICT and Education
Seven semi-structured interviews with European experts and practitioners were conducted to further develop the initial set of policy recommendations for mainstreaming ICT-ELI with sustained
experts; teachers; trainers; technology providers and developers; researchers. The method of sampling used was a purposive, non-probability sampling,
people beyond the classroom walls-such as peers, experts and parents-giving the sense of being a
with education experts and practitioners and a number of case reports of ongoing ICT-ELI in Europe
Breakdowns according to the background of experts Table 19: Content and curricula policy recommendations according to the background
of ehealth experts and the support of numerous colleagues at the World health organization headquarters, regional, and country offices.
Sincere thanks are due to over 800 ehealth experts in 114 countries worldwide who assisted with the design, implementation,
most countries due to overall lack of clarity by policy-makers, health professionals, and consultants; the fact that there are no standardized and accepted definitions across the sector furthers the confusion.
mechanisms to develop the capacity of health workers; and options to ensure the continuity and sustainability of the effort
efficiently and accurately guide low-skilled health care workers through the diagnosis and treatment of patients following national protocols.
improved quality of care and a high level of acceptance by clinical workers EMR systems are available from both closed proprietary systems developed
Over 50 experts worldwide were involved in the process. Collaborative efforts extended to other WHO programmes as well as international organizations,
Their responsibilities included finding experts in all of the areas addressed by the survey, and organizing and hosting a full-day meeting where the survey
now consists of over 800 ehealth experts Limitations Member States were limited to one response per country;
effort was made to select the best national experts to complete the instrument; however, it is not possible
91.8%micro<10 employees 6. 9%small<50 employees 1. 1%medium<250 employees 0. 2%large>250 employees
6 7 8 9 2. Small Business and the EU The phrase Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMES) 1 is an intrinsic part of our
2011 vocabulary. Everybody knows it or has heard at least of it. But what exactly constitutes an SME?
Are you an SME? And why is this important to know? These questions will be answered in this chapter
If you are an enterprise with no more than 250 employees, an annual turnover below â 50 million or a balance sheet total below â 43 million,
meaning less than 10 employees. This group of busi -nesses is accountable for more than two thirds of the EU€ s workforce
91.8%micro<10 employees 6. 9%small<50 employees 1. 1%medium<250 employees 0. 2%large>250 employees
1. http://ec. europa. eu/enterprise/policies/sme/small-business-act/think-small-first /Source:
Eurostat-European Business: Facts & Figures, 2009 Apart from being the largest group of businesses,
micro-entities are also the most vulnerable kind of enterprise, notably in terms of size and resources. An obliga
a company of 200 employees, still constituting an SME, but can be detrimental to a micro business which often lacks staff
changes of the labour market. Therefore, unemployment will be decreased and production will be increased 3. Benefits from the EU
employees or to launch new products Public Procurement Public Procurement is the purchase of goods, work or services by a government or a public agency
The European commission issues calls for project proposals, experts and competitive calls on the FP7 website
In particular, its aim is to contribute to the growth of the job market. The European commission in cooperation with the Member States agree on Operational Programmes.
-prises and workers through lifelong learning as well as innovation within organisations. It concerns all regions that are included not in the Convergence objective
All SMES with less than 250 employees in all 27 EU countries are eligible. The regions under both the
In this context, SME employees can develop their skills to match the continuous challenges stemming from evolving working environments
EURES http://ec. europa. eu/eures/home. jsp? lang=en This is a portal comprising of more than 850 advisers providing information, advice and services such as
job matching of job seekers and employers European Business and Innovation Centre Network (EBN http://www. ebn. be
This is a nongovernmental, pan-European network of more than 200 Business and Innovation Centres and similar organisations.
It is an umbrella organization providing assistance and expert advice to its members European E-business Support Network Portal (ebsn
Table 3. 1%Breakdown of Enterprises & Employees in the Midwest Region 21 Table 3. 2 Midwest Employment by Sector Q1 2012, based on FÃ S
Regional Labour market Bulletin 2012 & CSO Figures 21 Table 3. 3 Number of Phd Graduates †Midwest Region 2008-2010 23
>250 employees) account for less than 1%of the total active enterprises; however, they account for 20%of total employees
in enterprises. Large enterprises and foreign direct investment FDI) are both a significant economic contributor and employer
in the Midwest Region 21 Research & Innovation Strategy for the Midwest Region of Ireland 2014-2018
+%Breakdown of Enterprises & Employees 0 %20 %40 %60 %80 %100 %Enterprises Employees Table 3. 1%Breakdown of Enterprises & Employees in the Midwest Region
Source: CSO Business Demography 2011 & MWRA Analysis CSO figures from Q1 2012 indicate that industry was the largest employer in the Midwest Region
employing 16%of the total workforce, with a further 14%employed in the wholesale and retail
sector. The public sector (PAD, health and education combined) employed approximately 36,000 persons, accounting for almost 25%of the total workforce.
%Table 3. 2 Midwest Employment by Sector Q1 2012, based on FÃ S Regional Labour market Bulletin
employee training and up-skilling space and information for businesses on the state supports and
and their executives can have a signifi cant impact on locational choice. The smart specialisation
The following consultants to ITU provided substantive inputs: Pantelis Koutroumpis Chapter 4) and Sriganesh Lokanathan (Chapter 5). Andrã Wills, Fernando Callorda and Shazna Zuhyle
and statistical experts to discuss ICT measurement. Today, the Partnership is recognized internationally as the authoritative
discussion in ITU, in consultation with experts Indicator definitions and the IDI methodology are discussed in the ITU Expert Group on
Telecommunication/ICT Indicators (EGTI) and the ITU Expert Group on ICT Household Indicators EGH)( Box 2. 1
The 2014 edition of the IDI reflects updates to indicator definitions and reference values agreed
statistical methodologies is carried out through its two expert groups: the Expert Group on Telecommunication/ICT Indicators
EGTI) and the Expert Group on ICT Household Indicators (EGH Created in 2009 and 2012, respectively, these two expert groups
revise and review ITU€ s supply-side and demand-side statistics and discuss methodological issues and new indicators.
groups, which are open to all ITU members and to experts in the field of ICT statistics and data collection, work through online
Interested experts are invited to join the EGTI and/or the EGH discussion forum to share experiences, contribute to the
on the one hand, and transient labourers on the other. While virtually all Qataris and westerners have an Internet connection at home
much lower among transient labourers (24 per cent). ) Therefore, â€oeincreasing the penetration of newer devices such as smartphones and tablets
employees and property income) from abroad. 38 It is the total domestic and foreign output by residents of a country and
more than 300 volunteer village malaria health workers were trained to test for malaria and directly observe the treatment
as well as the household access data, excludes transient labourers, which account for a significant proportion of residents in Qatar.
worker and expatriate populations. Data from household surveys show that the actual number of people using a mobile-cellular phone is
i e. including expatriate/transient workers. Data from United arab emirates are estimated by ITU based on base data excluding the transient worker population
12 Reported in activated external capacity 13 http://www. ofca. gov. hk/en/industry focus/telecommunications/facility based/infrastructures/submarine cables/index
3 This definition reflects the revisions agreed upon by the ITU Expert Group on ICT Household Indicators (EGH) at its meeting
for the IPB was agreed upon by the ITU Expert Group on Telecommunication/ICT Indicators EGTI) 1 and endorsed by the eighth World
was agreed upon by the ITU Expert Group on Telecommunication/ICT Indicators (EGTI) 9 in 2012, and revised in 2013 by EGTI in view of the
1 The Expert Group on Telecommunication/ICT Indicators (EGTI) was created in May 2009 with the mandate to revise the list
EGTI is open to all ITU members and experts in the field of ICT statistics and data collection.
11 These rules were presented to the Expert Group on Telecommunication/ICT Indicators (EGTI) in September 2012.
1) Labour force Survey 2013.2) Cambodia Inter-censal Population Survey. 3) Refers to PC, laptop or a tablet. 4) Data
1) Labour force Survey 2013.2) Corresponds to all type of internet connections. 3) Data correspond to dwellings (not
1) Individuals aged 15 years and over. 2) Population age 16-74.3) Labour force Survey 2013.4) Individuals aged 6 and over
networks only. 4) As of 2012 it includes also FTTH. 5) Expert assessment, based on the data provided by 89.1%of operators
global executive study and research project In collaboration with Research Report 2013 Copyright  2013. Massachusetts institute of technology.
managing consultant at Capgemini Consulting and visiting scientist at MIT€ s Center for Digital Business
2/Executive summary 3/Introduction •Brewing up Change at starbucks •About the research
workers legacy technology innovation fatigue Politics sidebar: intel Gets urgent 10/Executing the Change •making a Case for digital
garnered responses from 1, 559 executives and managers in a wide range of industries. Their responses clearly
93%of employees feel that it is the right thing for the organization. But, a mere 36%of CEOS have shared such a vision
Previous research with executives by the MIT Center for Digital Business and Capgemini Consulting showed that many companies struggle to gain transformational effects from new digital technologies, but
that frontline corporate employees believe they face a strategic imperative to successfully adopt emerging new technologies.
executives at 450 large compa -nies, MIT Sloan Management Review and Capgemini Consulting conducted a broad
Executives need to lead the process and make sure they†re managing and coordinating across the company.
Employees know that technology matters: a full 78%of respondents said achieving digi -tal transformation will become critical to their
Digirati companies have executives that share a strong vision for what new technologies bring in -vest in and manage digital technologies quickly
Almost half of employees think digital transfor -mation is upon us, and a third say it looms
our workers Improve internal communication Expand our reach to new customers and markets Launch new
workers are with the pace of digital transformation at their organizations. A third of C-level executives
and board members think the pace of change is about right, and another 10%think it is fast, or even
But employee skepticism can also impede pace †even when leadership is on board to promote digital
†fully 93%of employees agreed that digital trans -formation was the right thing right now for their
two-thirds of executives fail to articulate a vision for digital transformation? At least part of the reason
executives must decide what to transform first: Cus -tomer relationships? Internal operations? The business model? Any individual step requires mul
executives to reframe what they think about their business Wellpoint†s Lori Beer recalled that when she ran
Attitudes of older workers Responses to the sur -vey suggest a deep-rooted perception that older people will have trouble reframing.
executives and board members CEO /President /Managing Director Managers Staff Very fast Fast About right Slow Very slow
Older executives and managers need to understand that their age can undermine faith in their ability and interest in leading digital
executive responded to the survey by saying â€oeour service offering is digital collaboration solutions, so
executives gathered for a strategy discussion led by stevenson and the head of human re -sources.
25 executives in the company buy in to the strategy. You have to admit that your compet
having clear structures makes it risky for workers to push for digital transformation Executing The Change
%Incentives One obvious way for executives to clear a path for digital transformation is to give employees incentives.
Bonuses, raise structures, promotions and performance reviews are some of the tools that compa -nies could use,
Better incentives might help ease employee concerns about digital transformation. One sur -vey respondent noted that â€oeat the operational level
employee morale. †metric systems more than half of companies fail to set key performance indicators to gauge digital transformation â€
-ecutives and employees need clear rewards for making digital transformation a priority â€oethere are two wrong ways to approach (digital
The only wrong move for executives, then, would be not making any move MIT Sloan Management Review
-ful executives can capitalize on the opportunities generated by rapid organizational, technological and societal change
significantly lower than in other countries with a total number of employees of 128.000 in the field of ITC
The goal for 2020 is to reach 250.000 employees for Romania. While in recent years the ICT sector has
by a combination of employer and employee contributions to the National Health insurance Fund (NHIF and of direct allocations from the state budget
public libraries are an invaluable resource to job seekers ï Internet access In public Libraries Supports Agriculture, Romania†s Primary Job Sector
e-Employment services can be extended to all ï Public libraries Connect Older Adults to New Skills and Communities
In 2011,128, 000 employees were active in the ITC field, which stands for approximately 3%of the overall
Average number of employees (thousands individuals) 128,0 131,2 Turnover of enterprises (mil. lei) 40113,3 37254,2
42674 employees were conducting their activities in the R&d sector, roughly the same number registered
Employees in ICT In 2012,131. 200 of employees were active in the field of TIC, around 3%of the overall workforce.
The increased investments in broadband connections and infrastructure, as well as the investments in innovation of TIC products and services type e-commerce will have as direct implication the increase of
%ï The main segments of Internet users opposite to their occupational status are those of skilled/unskilled workers (20%),pupils/students (19%)and engineers, physicians, architects
professors and economists (15%.%The proportions are almost identical in case of users using fixed connections, whereas the Internet users using mobile connections come significantly as well from
The mobility of the manpower towards other states, due to the attractive compensation systems and to the superior
employees Source: The Labour Inspection Purchasing a vehicle Registration of the vehicle 1. Obtaining a certificate of
Losing the job 1. The employment agencies are informed by the employers which intend to have certain
reorganizations 30 days before the notice of dismissal 2. Submitting a notice of dismissal by
the employer to the employees that are to be dismissed 3. The employment agencies support the newly unemployed in searching of
a job and placement on the available local positions Medium In 2012 ï 25.834 Romanians
fault of the employee, he/she shall High In 2012 ï 3, 686 people suffered an
employee's compensation procedures are initiated 2011, the number of accidents has dropped by 8 %Source: The Ministry
Romanian Association of Consultants on Accessing European Funds Romanian Association for the Software and Electronics
Senior Expert (Advisor) Digital Social Innovation 4 Growing a Digital Social Innovation Ecosystem for Europe
accountability and transparency by supporting journalists and other experts to access information and report key stories
-titioners, researchers, experts, and poliy makers from different European coun -tries, as it was very important for the DSI
employees etc What they were trying to achieve with their service, including any evidence they have
-ment policy experts Engaging citizens and nonprofits to find new ideas These labs focus on opening up government to voices and ideas from outside the sys
key stakeholders, such as domain experts and possible purchasers of the service to establish what social challenges need to be addressed and how
statistical sources for measuring input (such as firm level micro data, R&d statistics, labour force survey), which could evolve
Gohar Sargsyan Adviser and founding member, OISPG; Consultant Logica Daniel Kaplan Founder and CEO, The next-Generation Internet Foundation
Simona Levi Founder, Forum for the Access to Culture and Knowledge Markkula Markku Committee of the Regions, Rapporteur Europe 2020
We would also like to thank the experts from around Europe who attended our DSI policy workshop in Brussels on
numerous experts in the Europe and internationally, some of them are researchers or commentators, others are
development and IT experts, met fortnightly for planning and monitoring, and communication with the team and project reference group was enhanced with the creation of a bimonthly bulletin.
experts, and location of best practice exemplars in HE •Preliminary planning of workshops •Preparation and
problem rather than draw on outside experts to advise on †correct†procedures Each teacher used one or more mobile devices in depth,
Senior management ownership of IT risk leads to proactive decisions being made regarding the replacement or retention of
consultation services and employee and management training to enhance ICT and managerial skills Policies have shifted over time as firms
most small firms, including micro-enterprises with fewer than ten employees, now have at least one
customer databases with a history of client-specific correspondence help managers and employees to respond more effectively to customers.
employees†professional experience, for example tips for winning a contract, from which others in the firm can learn (Box 1
3. In this document, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMES) are firms with fewer than 250 employees unless
Micro firms are usually those with fewer than ten employees 4. In this document, unless otherwise indicated, the terms â€oeelectronic commerceâ€
employees and among employees in part because the personnel†s daily routine tends to be extremely busy
professional experience, such as know-how for winning a contract, can be stored electronically and thus available to be shared within the company.
A Japanese company with 40 employees, which previously recorded sales representatives†field experience in written reports, has developed a marketing database,
Another firm with 40 employees, has established a company-wide intranet with an on-line BBS (bulletin
board system) which all employees can access and in which customers†claims and inquiries are
and employees for responding to customer inquiries, but also make business processes and knowledge accumulation more efficient.
Canadian manufacturing establishments (plants) with ten or more employees (excluding food processing establishments) drawn from Statistics Canada†s Business Register, shows that those with high productivity
countries, Internet penetration rates for medium-sized firms (50-249 employees) are the same and
sometimes higher than for larger firms (more than 250 employees), with penetration rates of over 80
Small firms (10-49 employees) have a slightly lower penetration rate between 60%and 90%(Figure 1). Even in micro-enterprises, the penetration rate is nearly 60%in most
500 employees, suggests that firm performance, as measured by profit or sales, is associated not with computer
Note 2. For Canada, 50-299 employees instead of 50-249 and 300 or more instead of 250 or more.
100 or more employees. For The netherlands, 50-199 employees instead of 50-249. For Switzerland, 5-49 employees
instead of 10-49 and 5 or more employees instead of 10 or more. For Mexico, Businesses with 21 or more employees, 21
-100 employees instead of 10-49,101-250 instead of 50-249,151-1000 instead of 250 or more Note 3. Internet and other computer-mediated networks
Source: OECD, ICT database and Eurostat, Community Survey on ICT usage in enterprises 2002, May 2003
Data available from surveys in some countries indicate that SMES use the Internet (and e-mail
for better external communications and as a means of obtaining business information. In Japan, the most
fewer than 250 employees in Lanarkshire (Scotland) shows a similar pattern of Internet use. Around 60
Percentage of responses of 1 700 SMES with 300 or fewer employees using the Internet as of August 2001
Percentage of businesses with ten or more employees 0 20 40 60 80 100 De
2. All businesses with 50 and more employees 3. Use, orders received and placed refer to Internet and other computer-mediated networks
70%of firms with 250 or more employees reported on-line purchases, as compared to about 30%of small
firms (10-49 employees) and 50%of medium-sized firms (50-249 employees. In other OECD countries
1. All businesses with 50 or more employees 2. Orders received or placed over the Internet and other computer-mediated networks
2001, selling over the Internet by micro-enterprises with 5-9 employees declined from 16%to 13%and by
firms with 10-49 employees from 21%to 18, %while the number of firms with 50-249 employees selling
on line rose from 17%to 20%.%In Norway, only 12%of micro-enterprises with 5-9 employees engaged in
on-line sales in 2001, down from 21%in 1999, while 28%of firms with 50-249 employees and one-third
of firms with 250 or more employees had on-line sales in 2001, and shares for larger firms are increasing
OECD, 2002c Most Internet e-commerce transactions are domestic rather than cross-border transactions Figure 6). The Eurostat†s E-commerce Pilot Survey indicates that European companies mainly sell over
Businesses with more than 250 employees 0 5 10 15 20 25 >1%>2%>5%>10%>25%>50
Businesses with 10-49 employees 0 5 10 15 20 25 >1%>2%>5%>10%>25%>50
A recent survey of SMES with fewer than 250 employees in 19 European countries shows that around 40%do not use the Internet for selling
Micro f irms w ith 0-9 employees Small f irms w ith 10-49 employees
Medium firms w ith 50-249 employees Note: Percentage of 1 427 firms with fewer than 250 employees not using the Internet in 19 countries (15 EU member
states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland Source: European commission (2002a In sectors such as construction and among some small retailers, the view that Internet
e-commerce is unsuitable for their business is relatively strong. A study of 20 small construction
contractors in Australia with 2-45 employees suggests that small firms in this industry have been not only
firm with 90 employees and an emphasis on personal contact with clients decided not to adopt the Internet
A study of small ICT companies with 3-80 employees suggests that the Internet was adopted by
Ni-roku is a Japanese magnet manufacturer with 12 employees, which was established in 1940 In September 1997, an employee created the company†s Web site (www. 26magnet. co. jp.
By 2000, annual e-commerce sales of magnet products via the site had reached already more than USD 700 000, and the site
In 1996 a company employee bought a personal computer at his own expense to use the Internet
The professional advice of IT and e-business consultants can help them, but SMES may not easily have access to them because of relatively high cost
1-9 employees or the self-employed, may adopt a simple Web site without any e-commerce function if the
SMES with 10-249 employees in Austria, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal and the United
Percentage of businesses with ten or more employees using the Internet 0 10 20 30
study of 12 Canadian high-technology SMES, most with fewer than 90 employees, showed that these firms
Percentage of businesses using a computer with ten or more employees 0 5 10 15
SMES are those with 25-250 employees, large are those with more than 250 employees. The survey sample sizes are:
Singapore 105 establishments classified as SME and 97 as large firms Brazil, 98 SMES and 102 large firms;
firms with 10-49 employees indicated national differences in consumer protection as the most important
firms (small defined as less than 250 employees. Small firms were less positive about confidence factors
Percentage of responses of firms with fewer than 250 employees using the Internet in 19 countries (15 EU
an average of six employees per agency. On the other hand, the number of potential customers, some of
) Another textile producer with 300 employees does not use the Web for buying and selling because
West country Violins, with three employees in East Devon (United kingdom), is run by a husband and wife, Brian and Felicity Ward-Smith, who purchase, restore
employees. Prize and award programmes may give high visibility and publicity to the best users but may
next steps, offers access to experts and encourages implementation of e-business strategies The SME E-business Information Toolkit provides step-by-step guidance.
Private consultants analyse participants†companies and develop an action plan for them. Each company is allowed 2-5 consultation days
consultant fees Ireland PRISM initiative Using the positive experiences of local SMES as a catalyst for further e-business adoption, the
National branches and 250 consultants help SMES and entrepreneurs prepare and implement their ICT action plan.
Kingdom, e-business advisers have provided small firms with free advice and assistance on the effective use of ICT in 70 centres across 12 regions designated for the UK Online for Business programme.
Finland, the easkel programme covers 85%of direct consultant fees for SMES participating in management training that allows two to five expert consulting days to develop an e-business action plan
Training Competence factors including internal ICT knowledge and e-business management capabilities are crucial for successful adoption,
recognition of the importance for small business managers and employees of ICT applications and required
Forem†s Web site provides a meeting place for businesses (e g. job vacancy advertising), a list of training programmes and aids for training
Spain A programme is designed for micro-enterprises (fewer than 20 employees) in small towns with a special emphasis on training in the use of the Internet, e-mail and new management
and employees to tailor their learning according to their immediate needs. Service users can contact the trained staff in local Learndirect centre for
of Retired Executives (SCORE), consisting of retired business people, offers training as well as free business consultation
•Training programmes for SME managers and employees focusing on both technical and managerial skills need to be provided in cooperation with business and sector organisations
managers and employees are focused increasingly on both technical (ICT) and managerial â€oee-businessâ€) skills designed to improve abilities to benefit from e-business strategies
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