The Digital Single Market goes hand in hand with entrepreneurs and start-ups

Start-ups who survive initial hardships need to focus on the next big step - scaling up. During the Unconvention 2015, organised by the European Young Innovators Forum, Markku Markkula, President of the Committee of the Regions i challenged the title of the policy session 'Scaling-up in Europe: Wishful Thinking or Realistic Goals?' by insisting that policy makers, start-ups and entrepreneurs should not focus on the if, but rather on the how.

Just two days after the EU reached an agreement on ending roaming charges and establishing net neutrality rules throughout the EU, President Markkula stressed to the entrepreneurs and start-up organisations participating: "A digital single market offers Europe a chance to create flourishing digital ecosystems, which can support entrepreneurs, start-ups and SMEs while generating economic growth and jobs on the ground". He also underlined the position of Helma Kuhn-Theis, CoR rapporteur on the Digital Single Market, that digital technologies and internet-based services are profoundly changing the economy and society as a whole.

The European Committee of the Regions can therefore play a crucial role in scaling-up businesses in Europe by working with local and regional politicians to change their mind-set: "We can and will motivate our members to push innovation forward. Much can happen if we work together, share our experiences and use these findings in a circular economy of knowledge" President Markkula vowed.

In the debate that followed, the CoR President echoed former positions that there needs to be a real simplification of the regulatory framework of public procurement, with a wider flexibility in the awarding criteria - including in the definition of new social and environmental requirements - and in the use of the negotiated procedure.

"This is how we can create opportunities large and small businesses to create the right ecosystem for start-ups to scale-up" he concluded.