The event is held in English

SMEs increasingly operate in a business environment shaped by EU legislation, regulatory standards, funding priorities, and value-chain requirements. However, many SMEs still perceive public affairs as a “cost” that competes with business development and market expansion budgets.

This joint event, co-organised by Beci, Enterprise Europe Brussels, and Lykke Advice, starts from a different premise: engaging with EU institutions and stakeholders in Brussels can directly support business development and market access across Europe.

The event will bring together Brussels-based SMEs and key players to explore how interaction with European institutions and stakeholders can become a strategic tool. It will show how this engagement can:

1. support EU-level advocacy and visibility and
2. unlock concrete business and market opportunities across Europe.

How interacting with European organizations and institutions supports SME growth

The discussion will explore how interactions with EU policymakers and national representations in Brussels, such as Members of the European Parliament, Permanent Representations, and regional delegations, can help SMEs to:

• increase their visibility beyond their home market,
• connect with national and regional ecosystems in other Member States,
• identify partners, customers, and public or private opportunities,
• align business strategies with EU priorities and policy trends.

Programme:

10:00 – 10:30 | Registration and welcome coffee

10:30 – 10:40 | Introductory and welcome remarks. Jean-Philippe Mergen, Director of Internationalisation - Enterprise Europe Brussels, Beci

10:40 – 10:50 | Public affairs in Brussels: from EU advocacy to market access. Mette Lykke Nielsen, CEO, Lykke Advice

10:50 – 11:00 | Case study - Lucas Damsgaard, Co-founder, Spaak Technologies

11:00 – 11:50 | Panel discussion

• Maria Palacios Diez, Director, Aragón Region Office in Brussels
• Oliver Femont, Director, Aggeres (Belgian flood defence company)
• Mette Lykke Nielsen, CEO, Lykke Advice

11:50 – 12:00 | Q&A session and closing remarks

Followed by a light sandwich lunch

Moderator: Marianne Coulavin, Public Affairs Manager - Lykke Advice

Participation

• Free of charge thanks to Enterprise Europe Brussels
• Registration is mandatory
  
  

The event is brought to you by Lykke Advice, Beci, and Enterprise Europe Brussels