Supporting Exports in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

The book “Supporting Exports in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises” provides a significant insight into the internationalization of economic operations of small and medium-sized enterprises, focusing in particular on exports, which can benefit from support instruments and schemes co-financed with public resources. Considerations center around the role of the SMEs in the economy, their internationalization and economic premises of an export promoting policy. An attempt is made to assess the system of State aid in Poland in the light of the EU regulations. The final part provides an overview of institutions and instruments which, to a lesser or greater extent, contribute to the internationalization of small and medium-sized enterprises.In summing up the considerations of the study devoted to the support to export activities of small and medium-sized enterprises we may formulate the following conclusions: 1. Small and medium-sized enterprises play an important role in the economy and contribute to the GDP, improved competitiveness and higher employment. 2. SMEs represent a rather high growth dynamics although limited with many economic, administrative and legal factors. 3. Enterprises may grow as a result of expansion consisting in winning new markets, also abroad, i.e. by intensification of cooperation with abroad, e.g., by the exchange of goods and services, which may enhance the growth of a business and improve its competitive position. 4. Export is the most frequent form of SMEs’ internationalisation. 5. Increased engagement of businesses in internationalisation calls for a range of activities that would support the involvement of the sector with foreign markets. 6. There are numerous empirical studies, which demonstrate that many states support export activities. At the same time we should stress positive correlation between export-promoting policy and economic growth. 7. State aid rules and provisions offer preferential treatment to small and medium-sized enterprises compared to large companies and ensure their access to numerous assistance schemes and higher intensity of aid. 8. Relatively friendly regulations and easy access to EU resources have resulted in almost 60% of total State aid in Poland being addressed to small and medium-sized enterprises. 9. Surveys demonstrate that various support instruments addressed to small and medium-sized enterprises may enhance their growth and foster their competitive position in international markets. 10. Enterprises in Poland may benefit from many types of support to their export activities. They include investment, information and promotional measures, which target mainly small and medium-sized enterprises.The publication was financed from the grant for research or development works and associated activities, which is designed to contribute to the development of young researchers and from own resources of the Department of International Trade of the University of Łódź