The Covid-19 crisis has given renewed urgency to efforts to support the digitalisation of SMEs, which has great potential to transform business models, and in doing so create new product and services, boost productivity and ultimately improve business performance. However, many SMEs lag behind larger firms in the digital transition as a result of important barriers with respect to skills, innovation, infrastructure, regulation and finance.

They are often unaware of the opportunities to increase productivity and competitiveness, cannot clearly identify their digitalisation needs, and lack the financial means to embed digital tools in their operations. SMEs often fail to exploit the opportunities offered by e-commerce and their digital marketing activities lack professionalism and strategic planning. The SME digital gap slows productivity growth and increases inequalities among people, firms and places.

This webinar will discuss the ways how the Eastern Partner countries can support the digital transformation of their small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Participants will exchange on the latest trends in SME digitalisation in the Eastern Partner countries, and how the adoption of new technologies should be matched by improved business processes and organisational set-ups to reap the full benefits of digitalisation.

The project is implemented within the framework of a multi-country project "EU4Business: From Policies to Action – Phase 2" in the Eastern Partnership with financial support from the European Union within the framework of the EU4Business initiative. The project is co-ordinated with the work programme of the Eastern Partnership Business Development Panel under Platform 2 on “Economic integration and convergence with EU policies”. The project is co-financed by Poland. 

Please note that the timing of the agenda below is based on GMT+2 (Paris).
9:50-10:00
Online
Access Buffet lunch Moderator: William Tompson, Head of Eurasia Division, OECD
10:00-10:15 Opening remarks
Andreas Schaal, Director for Global Relations, OECD
Mathieu Bousquet, Head of Unit NEAR C1, Neighbourhood East, European Commission
Konrad Pawlik, Deputy Director of the Department of Economic Cooperation, Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
10:15-10:30 Keynote remarks
Nathan Furr, Innovation and Strategy Professor at INSEAD Business School, France
10.30-11:30 SESSION I:
Digital transformation for stronger, inclusive and more resilient economies
Senior policy makers and experts will discuss the structural shifts caused by the digital transformation and how to help
SMEs reap the benefits of digitalisation.
Setting the scene: Francesco Alfonso, Economist, OECD Eurasia Division Panellists:
Alexander Bornyakov, Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation, Ukraine (tbc)
Mariam Lashkhi, Member of Parliament, Education and Science Committee, Georgia
Hayk Aslanyan, Advisor to the Minister of High-Tech Industry of Armenia
Anne Bioulac, Vice President at Capgemini Invent
Dawid Solak, Board member of the Platform of the Industry of the Future, Poland
David Gierten, Economist, OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation Questions and open discussion with participants
11:30-12:40 SESSION II:
Promoting adoption of digital solutions and a digital culture by SMEs
Panellists will discuss measures to promote adoption of digital technologies by SMEs through increased digital awareness and enhanced digital skills.
Setting the scene: Sandrine Kergroach, Head of Unit, OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities Panellists:
Orkhan Mammadov, Chairman of SME Development Agency, Azerbaijan
Iulia Costin, General Director, ODIMM, Republic of Moldova
Martin Lundborg, Head of Research and Programmes, Mittelstand-Digital initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy
Alina Paraiala, Head of Digitalisation Initiatives Department, Digitalisation Authority of Romania
Edwin Liok, Deputy Director, SMEs Go Digital, Singapore Private sector perspectives
Karen Baghdasaryan, Deputy General Director, Spayka LLC, Armenia
Viktor Podgayskiy, CEO and Co-Founder, Chisty Bereg, Belarus (TBC)
Jesus Lozano, IT entrepreneur and senior expert on SME digitalisation Questions and open discussion with participants
12:40-12:45 Concluding remarks and next steps
Daniel Quadbeck, Head of Eastern Europe and South Caucasus Unit, Eurasia Division, OECD