Last week, the city of Copenhagen hosted the SME Assembly 2025, the European Commission’s flagship event for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), bringing together policymakers, researchers, and civil society actors to discuss the future of entrepreneurship, innovation, and competitiveness in Europe.

María Helena de Felipe, President of AFAEMME and Vice-President of the External Relations Section of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), attended the event and followed closely the Schumpeter “Innovation in Enterprise” Lecture, delivered this year by Professor Dr. Friederike Welter. The lecture called for a broader understanding of entrepreneurship, highlighting the role of “everyday entrepreneurs” and the diversity of Europe’s business landscape.

Held at Industriens Hus, the headquarters of the Confederation of Danish Industry (DI), the Assembly offered a space for reflection on how Europe’s 99% of SMEs — including women entrepreneurs and locally rooted firms — contribute to regional resilience, innovation and sustainable development.

Throughout the Assembly, speakers emphasised the importance of valuing all forms of entrepreneurship, beyond high-growth start-ups and radical innovation, and ensuring enabling conditions for small businesses across Europe to thrive.

The event reaffirmed the central role of SMEs as the backbone of Europe’s economy, underlining their contribution to social cohesion, regional growth and the overall competitiveness of the European Union.

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