Personalized support to remain competitive internationally.
Are you looking to expand your business across Europe and beyond? We can provide you with a team of experts to help you prospect new markets, meet partners and develop innovation projects based on sustainability via the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) Brussels.
The Enterprise Europe Brussels (EEB) network brings together 3,000 experts from over 600 member organisations. It’s the largest SME support network in the world. It puts these in contact with pre-qualified and selected international technological and business partners. hub.brussels works with BECI to manage the Brussels branch of the Enterprise Europe Network.
SMEs have access to thousands of business opportunities and projects in over 50 countries, establishing partnerships and attracting new customers. We support and advise them on:
- The sustainable transition
- Innovation management
- Digitalisation
- International development
- Finding partners
Sustainable transition
The European Union and the Brussels-Capital Region aim to become climate neutral by 2050. Subsidies, growth, economies of scale: there are many advantages to implementing your social/environmental transition now. We’ll tell you all about them below!
Depending on your situation, our advisors can help you analyse your needs, navigate the jungle of funding and support options and use innovation and internationalisation as a lever for more circular and resource-efficient products, services and processes.
We can help you to:
- assess your current sustainability and opportunities for improvement
- identify the sources of EU funding available for sustainable investment
- make contact with the most relevant contacts in the various EU programmes, as well as with relevant business and technological partners
Are you already an eco-innovator? - we put you in touch with the most appropriate expert to provide you with a tailor-made action plan
- we provide advice on access to finance, partnership and technology transfer services, European legislation and standards, and support for European certification schemes.
Innovation management
Innovation enables us to improve a company’s products, processes, business models or organisation. All these factors help increase profitability and competitiveness, because the more innovation there is, the faster profits are generated.
From idea generation to management and customer, supplier and partner relations, our teams can offer you tailor-made support to strengthen your innovation management:
- a full assessment workshop (innovation strategy, company organisation and culture, structure, life cycle, etc.)
- a benchmark of the competition: This initial step will enable you to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your current innovation management.
- an action plan to improve innovation management: you will benefit from the support of our experts to implement this action plan, over a period ranging from six months to one year, depending on requirements
Digitalisation
Digitalisation is the key to international competitiveness: it stimulates innovation, generates economic and environmental efficiency and increases a company’s productivity. That’s why we’re offering you ad hoc support in this area.
Our Enterprise Europe Brussels advisers can help you to:
- Analyse your level of digitalisation – together we can assess the use of digital tools that already support your strategy, customer journey, competition, organisation and culture.
- Take part in training sessions and learn how to adapt your processes using digital technologies and develop new products or services using digital means.
- Facilitate your digital transformation by identifying the most appropriate players through networking events/partnership activities.
- Make the most of our network of experts and our close cooperation with European digital innovation centres
Growing internationally
The Network’s experts can advise you on:
- How to increase your ability to successfully expand abroad
- The most effective approach to scaling up your start-up
- The most appropriate source of funding for your European R&D and competitiveness projects (Horizon 2020/HorizonEurope, COSME/Single Market Programme)
- The best way to finance your growth
- How to manage and exploit your intellectual property internationally
- Consortia to join and partners likely to help your project move forward
The three steps to benefit from the services of Enterprise Europe Network Brussels
1. Get in touch with us:
- we will listen to your needs in relation to your internationalisation strategy
- we will provide you with the information you are looking for and advice related to this strategy or direct you to the hub.brussels service or the most appropriate Brussels ecosystem
2. Agree on an action plan
If the Network is the right service for you, our Enterprise Europe Network advisor will:
- agree with you on an action plan for implementing the international expansion activities to be carried out with the Network
- support you in defining and deploying your action plan, making the most of opportunities, resources, tools and services
3. Implement your action plan
We’re with your company every step of the way. Our job is to ensure that you meet your objectives and that your business becomes as competitive as possible, by creating and delivering the right leads.
What are the requirements to benefit from this service?
Our services are reserved for economic and academic players based in the Brussels-Capital Region who are willing AND able to go international, review their business model and innovate. Based on these criteria, we will select the Brussels SMEs interested in receiving assistance from our team.
Ready to reinvent yourself on the Belgian and European stage?
Finding partners
The Enterprise Europe Network helps you identify the right partner to manufacture or distribute your products, access new markets or represent foreign companies in your country, as well as find the technology you need to innovate in your business.
The network operates an online platform for connecting people with business opportunities all over the world. It contains offers and requests for commercial, technological and research cooperation from companies and universities. The platform is available free of charge.
With the support of your Enterprise Europe Brussels expert, you can publish your company profile with a description of your business and your offer/request for cooperation. You can also sign up to receive alerts about new requests or offers.
Our experts:
- Assess whether you’re ready to develop international partnerships
- Advise you on how best to prepare for the international expansion of your business
- Identify the best way to find a partner who meets your needs.
- Contact the appropriate experts in over 60 countries
- Use the network’s online business opportunities platform
- Organise your participation in international networking events and trade missions.
