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Policy Forum
2009 ICSB World Conference Pre-Conference Policy Forum |
| “International Issues in Entrepreneurship and SME Policy” |
Date: Sunday, June 21, 2009
Place: COEX InterContinental, Seoul, South Korea
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Summary:
The 2009 International Council for Small Business (ICSB) Pre-Conference Policy Forum provided a unique environment for today’s leading educators, researchers, business development officials and practitioners to discuss the topic of entrepreneurship policy at a time of crisis. Delegates participated from over 16 countries. Ms. Lois Stevenson (International Development Research Centre IDRC, Egypt) began the proceeding, speaking of the need for governments to promote entrepreneurship through proactive policies. Governments must recognize the variety of ways in which their policies can impact on entrepreneurship, which includes policy areas such as education, regulation, science and technology. It is estimated that SMEs contribute around 65-70% of GDP in many countries, emphasizing the importance of creating a dynamic start-up market for entry and exit as well as developing policies to create a climate and culture of entrepreneurship.
The first panel session titled ‘SME and Entrepreneurship Policy in Turbulent Times’ included speakers from the USA, Australia, Egypt and Korea. Each panelist described the effects of the financial crisis on the SME sector, together with the responses of their governments and the adequacy of the response from an SME perspective. It appears that most policy responses of government tend to focus heavily on short-term bail-out solutions, failing to address the need to prepare for the recovery period. Professor Hoon was right to stress that the key question is what happens as the crisis recedes, when experience from previous recessions suggest the role of innovation is likely to be paramount.
The second panel session focused on Policy Implications of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) project, showing the important contribution of entrepreneurship to economic development over a wide range of countries. GEM focuses on the attitudes, activities and aspirations of populations around the world in relation to entrepreneurship. Panelists presented evidence from Slovenia, the Netherlands, Brazil, Argentina and the United Kingdom to show how GEM is currently being used by policy makers. GEM is an important part of the evidence base for policy making in these countries, proving a useful way of benchmarking a country’s performance in terms of entrepreneurship internationally. Argentina is a good example showing how GEM data has contributed to the increasing visibility of entrepreneurship in the country, charting an increasing entrepreneurial attitude in the population over 10 years. In Korea, GEM results emphasize a need to promote awareness of entrepreneurship amongst the population and in particular, to focus on innovation and the creative sectors. The example of GEM demonstrates the important contribution that robust research can make to the evidence base for policy making.
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Program
09:45-10:15 |
Registration with tea/coffee |
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10:15 |
Welcome and Opening Remarks
- Lois Stevenson, International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Middle East/North Africa Regional Office, Egypt, Co-Chair
- Professor Heon Deok Yoon, Head of the Institute of Entrepreneurial Management, Korea, Co-Chair
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10:30-11:15 |
Keynote Presentation
- Lois Stevenson: 'The Many Views of SMEs and Entrepreneurship - The Road Ahead for Policy and Research'
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11:15-12:45 |
Panel Session: SME and Entrepreneurship Policy in Turbulent Times
- William Dennis, NFIB, USA
- Michael Schaper, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Australia
- Lois Stevenson, IDRC, Middle East/North Africa
- Professor Heon Deok Yoon, Head of the Institute of Entrepreneurial Management, Korea
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12:45-13:45 |
Lunch |
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13:45-15:30 |
Panel Session: Policy Implications of the Global Entrepreneurship Research Monitor
Moderator: Donna Kelley, Babson College, USA
Presenters:
- Kristie Seawright, Ph.D., Executive Director, Global Entrepreneurship Research Association
- Jangwoo Lee, Ph.D.,Professor, Kyungpook National University, Korea
- Noriyuki Takahashi, PhD, Professor, Musashi University, Japan
Discussant: Professor David Smallbone, Kingston University, UK |
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15:30-16:00 |
Conclusions and Closing Remarks
- Professor David Smallbone, Kingston University, UK
Forum Co-Chairs
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2008 POLICY FORUM REPORT |
"Trends in Entrepreneurship and SME Policies: Creating an Entrepreneurial Economy" |
53rd Annual ICSB World Conference Pre-Conference Policy Forum
Date: June 20, 2008
Place: World Trade and Convention Center, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Download PDF here |
2008 POLICY FORUM OVERVIEW |
The June 20, 2008 Policy Forum was the fourth in a series offered as a preconference
event to the
Annual World Conference of the International Council for Small Business (ICSB). The first ICSB Policy
Forum was held in conjunction with the 50 th anniversary conference in Washington, DC in 2005, followed
by forums in Melbourne, Australia in 2006 and Turku, Finland in 2007.
The objective of the 2008 Policy Forum was to bring together policymakers, SME/entrepreneurship
researchers and SME associations from around the world to dialogue on policy issues and questions
related to stimulating a more conducive environment for entrepreneurship and SME development to
contribute to economic growth. The program included panel presentations on SME/entrepreneurship
policy platforms and the latest policy trends from Denmark, Ireland, China, and OECD and transition
countries; on how research and advocacy efforts can be used to effectively influence policy development;
and on how to assess, what some may consider to be, opposing policy choices – whether to focus policy
and program initiatives on new firms, existing firms, high growth
firms, or innovative enterprises; whether
having targeted policies and programs for women entrepreneurs is a good policy decision; and the
appropriate role for government in stimulating SME development. These are topics of concern to
governments and service providers from both developed and developing countries around the world. (See
Annex 1 for copy of the Forum Program).
Speakers included government policymakers, policy oriented
researchers and business association
representatives from Europe, the US, New Zealand, and Canada. Delegates had the opportunity to
engage with these experts in invigorating discussions on key issues affecting the development of an
“entrepreneurial economy”. (See Annex 2 for information on speakers and moderators).
Almost 50 participants from 13 countries 1 attended, representing policymakers, researchers,
entrepreneurship and enterprise centers, economic development agencies and business associations
(see Participant List in Annex 3). The participant evaluation of the Forum is attached in Annex 4.
| Keynote Address: " The Main Challenges in Entrepreneurship Policy" |
Dr. Anders Hoffman
Director Entrepreneurship Policy, Danish Ministry of Economic and Business Affairs
Founder of the International Consortium on Entrepreneurship (ICE), Denmark
Download PPT
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Panel Session #1: “International Experiences with SME/Entrepreneurship Policy:
Issues and Trends”
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- "From SME Policy to Entrepreneurship Policy: the case of the Republic of Ireland”
Ms. Rosemary Sexton, Regional Director, Enterprise Ireland
- “The SME Policy challenges in China and Transition Economies”
Dr. David Smallbone, Professor Small Business and Entrepreneurship and Associate Director of the Small Business Research Centre (SBRC), Kingston University, UK
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| Panel Session #2: Views on Perennial Policy Choice Dilemmas” |
- “SME Policy or Entrepreneurship Policy?”
Rosemary Sexton, Regional Director, Enterprise Ireland
- “Policy to foster startups or highgrowth enterprises?”
Dr. Anders Hoffman, Director of Entrepreneurship Policy, Danish Ministry of Economic and Business Affairs
- “When is policy for Innovative entrepreneurship a good policy choice?”
Dr. Zoltan Acs, Director, Center for Entrepreneurship and Public Policy, School of Public Policy, George Mason University, USA
- “Policy to foster women’s enterprise or not?”
Ms. Julie Weeks, President and CEO, Womenable, Michigan, USA
- “SME policy options: Business environment policy or interventionist policy?”
Denny Dennis, Senior Research Fellow, NFIB Research Foundation, Washington DC
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| Panel Session #3: “Influencing the Policy Process” |
- “Does research influence policy”
Dr. Claire Massey, Professor, Enterprise Development and Director, New Zealand Centre for SME Research, Massey University, Wellington, NZ
- “Managing the policy research nexus”
Dr. Ian Drummond, Senior Researcher in Enterprise and Small Business, Enterprise Directorate, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, UK
- “The effective policyinfluence role of SME Associations”
Benne Van Popta, Deputy Secretary General, Royal Dutch Association of SMEs (MKB Nederland), the Netherlands
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