MEDIA ADVISORY
This conference is open to the media. To register more information, contact:
Benjamin Eugster, OECD; benjamin.eugster@oecd.org
Barbara Pruitt, Kauffman Foundation 816-932-1288; bpruitt@kauffman.org
Kauffman Foundation to host OECD Working Group's first official meeting in the United States
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (April 30, 2008) — An economic development organization representing 30 nations including the United States is holding an international workshop in Kansas City on innovation and the global impact of high-growth small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Working Party on Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and Entrepreneurship, at the invitation of the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Kauffman Foundation, will hold a workshop on innovation, intellectual assets and value creation in high-growth SMEs on May 8 at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City. Twenty experts from around the world will present their recommendations for how policymakers can encourage entrepreneurship and the fast growth of innovative small firms.
"High-impact SMEs often use new ideas and concepts in their process of growth and can change the face of civilization rather rapidly," said Kauffman Foundation President and CEO Carl J. Schramm. "This workshop will bring about a better understanding of what strategies new and small businesses use to achieve successful growth and the policies that governments can follow to help them develop."
The workshop will be opened by David Bohigian, assistant secretary for Market Access and Compliance, U.S. Department of Commerce, and Pier Carlo Padoan, OECD deputy secretary-general. The four main sessions include:
- The Importance of High-Impact Business Formation in all Economies
Analyzes high-impact businesses as job creators and other economic drivers, and how they spur innovation. Chaired by Craig Hakkio, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.
- From Invention to the Marketplace
Identifies how universities, research institutions, start-ups and existing small businesses can take intellectual property to the marketplace in the fast growth process. The session will also discuss how national, regional and institutional policies can support this innovation. Chaired by Susanne Huttner, director of the OECD's Science, Technology and Industry Directorate.
- From Invention to the Marketplace: Acquiring knowledge and intellectual assets
Provides an understanding of the interaction between large firms and small businesses in the fast growth process and how to develop an environment to encourage the development of intellectual assets. Chaired by Helmut Kräme-Eis, head of Risk Management, European Investment Fund (EIF).
- Internal Workings and Management of High-Growth SMEs (HGSMEs)
Identifies how leadership, planning and customer focus can positively impact innovation and high growth. Chaired by Tony Greenwell, general manager, Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Australia.
"The OECD is undertaking a new, multi-year effort to understand what countries can do to encourage innovation in their economies," Padoan said. "It will be important to fully assess how universities and other education institutions, as catalysts for innovation, can help SMEs to take the results of their research to the market place." For more information, visit www.kauffman.org/wpsmee.
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About the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Headquartered in Paris, the OECD is a unique forum where the governments of 30 democracies work together to address the economic, social and environmental challenges of globalisation. The OECD also shares expertise and policy experiences with more than 100 other countries and economies, from Brazil, China, India, Russia and South Africa to the least developed countries around the world. The OECD provides economic and social data, forecasts economic developments and tracks trends in technology, trade, the environment and other areas.
To find out more about the OECD, go to www.oecd.org.
Through its Working Party on SMEs and Entrepreneurship (WPSMEE), the OECD works to enhance the performance of small businesses by promoting best practice policies and international co-operation in this area among member and non-member economies. The Working Party is entrusted with examining the nature and scale of issues and policies pertaining to SMEs and entrepreneurship at the national and international levels.
Please go to www.oecd.org/cfe/sme
About the International Trade Administration at the U.S. Department of Commerce
The International Trade Administration (ITA) of the Department of Commerce is creating prosperity by strengthening the competitiveness of U.S. industry, promoting trade and investment, and ensuring fair trade and compliance with trade laws and agreements. www.Trade.gov provides access to ITA's information and services regarding U.S. international trade policy. For businesses wanting to expand their export markets, visit the U.S. Government Export Portal, www.export.gov. For entrepreneurs seeking more information on international entrepreneurship visit www.entrepreneurship.gov or www.entrepreneurship.org.
