With 27 countries and a Single Market of 500 citizens the EU offers great potential for business to business growth. Furthermore with austerity in many EU countries, having an international profile can be beneficial in providing opportunities for growth beyond the national boundaries. However it is important the local businesses know how to find the right contacts with the right knowledge. At the Enterprise Europe Network we recommend a strategic approach to networking that builds strong industry links with the fewest degrees of separation.
Three degrees of separation
With the increase in online social (and professional) networking, the plethora of regional business clusters across Europe, and pan-European support such as the Enterprise Europe Network businesses are often no more than three degrees of separation away from finding opportunities.
The Three Starting Points
- Meet with the Enterprise Europe Network
The Enterprise Europe Network has over 500 offices globally that connect local businesses in one country to local businesses in other countries. The Network identifies European and global opportunities for business development including accessing and offering technologies, and helping to broker international business agreements. Furthermore, if it believes the firm has the capacity for EU funding, it will also assist you in accessing finance. It is a firm’s first port of call to offer firms strategic advice and determine companies’ next steps.
- Identify your industry associations in the broadest sense
All businesses in Europe are represented by at least one network or trade association. A local baker for instance will have links to networks covering food production, farming, logistics, retail, and remote sensor technology. It is best to look at industry associations in as wide a sense as possible, to understand where future threats and opportunities may emerge. National associations generally have European federations at a higher representative level. This European federation level will have strong links to the EU, bring together industry data from across Europe, and connect market leaders from across Europe.
- Remember the EU’s cluster policy
Although not well known, the cluster policy has been gaining traction since the mid-1990s. The idea is that by clustering industry expertise around a few geographic centres, economies of agglomeration can be attained and local firms can have a portal to international business development. Today 32 countries in Europe have encouraged business clusters to help foster economic growth. Due to their nature of being local industry networks, they offer easy ways into local technology markets and generally play on a pan-European/global level. Use the EU’s Cluster Observatory website as a starting point to uncover these often-overlooked business networks.
For more information about European networks and international business development, please contact stuart.jackson@newcastlesciencecity.com or call 0191 211 3024
Enterprise Europe Network 
Posted on March 1, 2012 by Stuart Jackson