ECCIR Confirmed as the Network Coordinator for the Enterprise Europe Network Canada
The European Commission has renewed the Canada consortium of the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN Canada) until 2025, confirming that the European-Canadian Centre for Innovation and Research (ECCIR) will continue as the Canadian Network Coordinator.
“The ECCIR team is very proud to have been confirmed again as Canadian coordinators for the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) by the European Commission,” says ECCIR’s President Britta Baron. “The Network offers very useful tools to connect with partners in Europe, identify opportunities for collaboration, and help with answers to the tricky questions that arise from building joint international ventures.”
The Enterprise Europe Network
With over 600 partner organizations in more than 60 countries, the EEN is the world’s largest support network for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with international ambitions.
The European Commission launched the EEN in 2008 with funding from the Single Market Programme (SMP) to help European businesses innovate and grow on an international scale. The Network brings business support experts together to connect enterprises with collaborative partnerships, advice for international growth, and support for business innovation.
“Together, the Network can help small and medium-sized companies between Canada and Europe to innovate, grow, and connect to our best research.”
The Enterprise Europe Network Canada
Established in June 2020, the EEN Canada is an International Network Partner of the EEN. An International Network Partner is a consortium that represents the EEN in a country outside of the European Union. The Canadian consortium of EEN is coordinated by ECCIR and comprises the EU Chamber of Commerce in Canada, the EU Chamber of Commerce in Canada West, NGen, and the Ocean Technology Council of Nova Scotia.
The primary objective of the EEN Canada is to assist European and Canadian companies with internationalization, growth, and sustainable prosperity by facilitating opportunities to meet and collaborate with Canadian and European partners. The EEN Canada offers insight, informational resources, and access to brokerage events to both European and Canadian companies, as well as the opportunity to share proposals and requests through the Partnership Opportunities Database
The Importance of European-Canadian Collaboration
Her Excellency Sabine Sparwasser, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Canada, notes that the renewal of the Canada consortium of the EEN demonstrates the importance of European-Canadian collaboration. “It is great news that the European-Canadian Centre for Innovation and Research will continue to be the coordinator of the Enterprise Europe Network,” says Ambassador Sparwasser. “Together, the Network can help small and medium-sized companies between Canada and Europe to innovate, grow, and connect to our best research.”
“The EEN offers great tools to effectively develop international partnerships for enhanced innovation and business development when they matter most.”
Economic and political dynamics are rapidly changing, meaning that collaborative international partnerships are more important than ever. “Europe is increasingly relevant to Canada’s global outlook,” says Baron. “The EEN offers great tools to effectively develop international partnerships for enhanced innovation and business development when they matter most.”
ECCIR looks forward to continuing to support innovation partnerships between Europe and Canada as the Network Coordinator for EEN Canada.
