From left to right: Iván Ortiz Soriano (European Affairs at Banco Santander), Daniela Flor Leal (Business Development Manager at ESUH2 MJOLNIR), Santiago Callis (Development Manager of ESUH2 MJOLNIR), Miguel Ángel Jiménez (CFO of INCARLOPSA), Alicia Sanchís Arellano (Director of European Affairs at Banco Santander), Pilar Ruiz Huélamo (Director of the Delegation of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce to the EU), Cristina Boto (Project Advisor at the European Innovation Council), Ignacio Camacho (CFO of PTP España), Daniel Ugarte (Project Advisor at EISMEA), Juan Botín (Director of the Network of European Chambers of Commerce and Corporate Affairs of Banco Santander), y Víctor Gaspar (Commercial Director of MULTIVERSE COMPUTING).
Brussels, 19 and 20 March.- Banco Santander and the Delegation of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce to the European Union (EU) have co-organised a mission to position Spanish SMEs at the centre of the European debate. This event demonstrates the commitment of both organisations to strengthening the European economy through support for SMEs, considered the backbone of the European Union's economy.
The main objective was to connect a delegation of Spanish SMEs from the agricultural, digital, port and energy sectors to connect them with the European institutions, improving their understanding and participation in EU policies in favour of SMEs. The companies that were part of this delegation were INCARLOPSA, PTP Ibérica, MULTIVERSE COMPUTING, and ESUH2 MJOLNIR S.L.
Throughout the two days, participants had the opportunity to discuss with different personalities from the European sphere about the European single market, internationalization, and financing opportunities and challenges for SMEs in the European context.
The program included a series of meetings and events, starting with a welcome dinner that was attended by the Spanish Ambassador to Belgium, Alberto Antón, and María Ortiz, Chief Counselor of the Economic and Commercial Office of the Spanish Embassy.
In another of the meetings, they were able to interact with European officials from the Spanish unit of the Recovery and Resilience Working Group of the General Secretariat of the European Commission.
This group is responsible for the coordination and implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility. They also had the opportunity to hear a presentation by Cristina Boto from the European Innovation Council (EIC) and Daniel Ugarte from the SME Executive Agency (EISMEA) on the funding opportunities offered by the EIC Accelerator and the SME Pillar of the Single Market Programme. They then attended a lunch with MEP Isabel Benjumea, a member of the European Parliament's SME Intergroup.
In addition, the different companies had the opportunity to meet bilaterally with MEPs Juan Ignacio Zoido, Inmaculada Rodríguez-Piñero and Ibán García del Blanco's team. The business delegation was made up of Miguel Ángel Jiménez, CFO of INCARLOPSA, Ignacio Camacho, CFO of PTP Spain, Víctor Gaspar, Commercial Director of Multiverse Computing, and Daniela Flor Leal and Santiago Callis, business development managers of ESUH2 MJOLNIR S.L. For their part, Banco Santander and the Delegation of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce to the EU were represented by Alicia Sanchís Arellano, Director of European Affairs, and Pilar Ruiz Huélamo, Director of the Chamber's Delegation.
This meeting has not only allowed Spanish SMEs to be closer to the European institutions, but also to better understand the Union's policy in their favour. The event highlights the importance of a continuous dialogue between SMEs and European entities.