Last Tuesday the 30^th of January, the final conference of the project START ‘Enhancing Internationalization Skills for SMEs in the Retail Sector’ took place in the ECS European Communication School and was organized by the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg.

This initiative, co-financed by the European Commission and coordinated by the Chamber, focused on highlighting the crucial role of skills in driving the internationalization of European SMEs in the retail sector. The goal was to promote entrepreneurship and contribute to creating a more favorable environment for small and medium-sized enterprises.

The event featured the participation of experts such as Vincent Panneels, Retail Influencer and professor at the ECS European Communication School; Aurélie Laios, Project Manager for the Retail Sector at Hub Brussels; Nicolas Dehon, Retail Development Consultant at Hub Brussels; Katia Giovanetti, Account Manager for New Exporters at Hub Brussels; and Chiel Stercks, Retail Expert at UNIZO. A roundtable discussion addressing the best practices of internationalization in the retail sector was conducted, where entrepreneurs took center stage.

To conclude the conference, a networking cocktail was organized, providing an invaluable opportunity to establish connections and strengthen the network of contacts.

Soon, interviews with the speakers conducted within the framework of the project will be published on the START website. These interviews will address the essential competencies for the internationalization of SMEs in the retail sector and share their experiences as experts hence providing additional resources from their practical insights.

If you want to learn more about the START project, you can access the e-learning platform here.