SMEs in Mexico, the key to improve competitiveness

The II Italian-American Forum on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, to be held from March 16th to 18th in Ciudad de Leon, Mexico, will gather renowned public representatives, entrepreneurs, academics, technicians, and operators to debate about how Mexico may improve competitiveness, promote innovation, and implement new financing instruments for SMEs. 

The event, organized by the Instituto Nacional del Emprendedor (INADEM) together with the Instituto Ítalo-Latino Americano (IILA) and supported by CAF, Development Bank of Latin America, will include close to 150 delegates from several countries, and will focus on identifying policies, instruments, and programs that influence the competitive growth of SMEs and their insertion in value chains. In addition, it will define collaboration modalities with centers for technological services and training institutions, and will discuss new approaches and financial instruments to support SMEs. 

The event will report on economic, innovation, and technological development models, supplier development programs, and supply chains, and experiences will be shared regarding the most emblematic productive systems and chains. 

The INADEM is a decentralized administrative body of the Secretariat of Economics, whose objective is to put in place, execute, and coordinate the national policy in support of entrepreneurs and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), promote their innovation, competitiveness, and projection in national and international markets to increase their contribution to economic development and social wellbeing, as well as contribute to the development of policies that promote entrepreneurial culture and productivity in Mexico. Its recent creation in January of 2013 established an inflexion point in the Mexican government's public policy, by focusing on support for the MSMEs and the promotion of innovation and entrepreneurship. 

Thus, CAF supports the institutional development of its member countries through programs, projects, and meetings that promote productive transformation and diversification, encourage entrepreneurship and innovation, as well as the generation of employment and knowledge that replicates successful experiences and impacts on the development of public policies.