Small And Medium Sized Enterprises In The European Union Development Challenges In 2014 2020 Perspective

For many years, small and medium-sized enterprises have occupied an important place in the strategy of socio-economic development of the European Union. This is due to the fact that these entities have many important functions related to, among others, creating a significant share of the national income and jobs, introducing innovations and causing many other effects that positively influence the level of competitiveness of the European economy. In order to ensure favorable conditions for the development of the SME sector in the European Union at the central level, as well as at the level of individual countries and regions, numerous assistance programs are developed in the form of specific support instruments available for the smallest entities. Currently, the European Union is entering the new 2014-2020 programming period, which is associated with the implementation of the principles of the Europe 2020 Strategy. This perspective will be associated with the possibility of the participation of entrepreneurs in a number of projects and the use of many support instruments, both financial, as well as non-financial. As in the previous years, however, certain actions will have to be taken and the acquisition of specific skills useful in efforts to absorb the EU assistance will be required. At the same time, exploiting the potential of the environment in the 2014-2020 perspective will be associated with changes in the conditions for the functioning and development of many European small and medium-sized enterprises. The monograph is devoted to the above-presented matters. Its aim is the presentation, analysis and evaluation of selected issues which, according to the authors, will be important for development processes of small and medium-sized enterprises in the 2014-2020 perspective. The book consists of fourteen chapters, which are divided thematically into three separate parts. The first part concentrates on the external conditions for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises in the latest strategic perspective of the European Union. The second part of the monograph emphasizes the challenges and changes in management systems which will largely determine the functioning of the SME sector in the coming years. The third, and last, part of the monograph focuses on selected determinants of building the competitiveness of businesses in the SME sector. The monograph is addressed primarily to managers and owners of small and medium-sized enterprises, along with undergraduate and graduate students, as well as post-graduate business students. At the same time, we hope that this book will be also appreciated in the scientific community, enriching the debate on the future challenges in managing the development of small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as inspiring discussion and further research in this field.