Bilbao Exhibition Centre will become the centre of European industry and SMEs from 13 to 17 November with the European SME Week 2023. The event, promoted by the European Commission, is part of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2023.

The SPRI Group, a public institution of the Department of Economic Development, Sustainability and Environment, is coordinating the event and will also hold the Basque Open Industry 2023 event. The meeting will provide an exhibition showcase that will serve to show the Basque Country’s public-private industrial and technological ecosystem to Europe.

On one hand, the European SME Week will provide a platform at the highest level to promote entrepreneurship, support SMEs and encourage business cooperation at European level. In this context, the annual SME Assembly will be held at BEC from 13 to 15 November, bringing together, among others, representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises, entrepreneurs and policy experts from across Europe to discuss issues related to business development, innovation, digitalisation, access to finance and other challenges facing European SMEs. In this framework, the 17th European Enterprise Promotion Awards ceremony will take place on 14 November.

Following the closing of the Assembly, the Europe Enterprise Network (EEN) Conference will take place from 15 to 17 November, bringing together EEN partners, representatives of EU institutions and key external stakeholders to discuss the changing needs of small and medium-sized enterprises.