SME Banking and Commercial Finance Festival

On 1st May, Anastasia Ri attended SME Banking and Commercial Finance Festival which was part of the UK Finance Festival in Belfast, organised by UK Finance in association with TLT LLP. The event brought together influential professionals from financial institutions, senior expert practitioners and business leaders. The key message of the debates was that while the financial services industry has increased their support for SMEs, there is still more work to be done in the future to improve processes and mechanisms in order to provide easier and better access to finance for SMEs. 

Every two years the OECD examine economic trends and policies in individual OECD Member States. As part of a Structural Mission for the 2020 Economic Survey of Ireland, the OECD Secretariat met with Jane Bourke on 13th May.The discussion centered on Jane's research with Stephen Roper on technology adoption in Irish micro-businesses and in Irish manufacturing plants. 

On May 16th, the Seanad (Upper House of the Irish Parliament) launched the Public Consultation Committee Report on Small and Medium Sized Businesses in Ireland. This report outlines an integrated national strategy proposal supporting the fostering, growth and sustainability of indigenous Irish SME’s. Jane Bourke & Stephen Roper provided a written and oral submission on micro-businesses in Ireland to this public consultation committee, and this evidence informs some of the document's policy recommendations.