Turkey to compete to be Europe's most entrepreneurial region

The European Enterprise Awards, or EEA, has announced 12 projects short-listed for the 2011 contest. This year’s nominees will help people create businesses whether they are young or over 50, urban or rural, local or export oriented, according to a press release.

Many of these companies were selected from among those that have managed to drive social change through entrepreneurship by giving opportunities to disadvantaged groups such as immigrants, the disabled and even unskilled problem youth, the press release reads.

The awards aim to recognize and reward the best entrepreneurial initiatives by public authorities at national, regional and local levels to make Europe more entrepreneurial and business-friendly.

While presenting the recently adopted Small Business Act Review to the Competitiveness Council, European Commission Vice-President Antonio Tajani, responsible for industry and entrepreneurship, said: "These are Europe's best practices in putting the 10 principles of the Small Business Act for Europe into practice. They are concrete examples and ideas for action at all levels of how to make it easier to start, run and grow a small business and how to make European society more entrepreneurial and more inclusive."

Since 2006, the EEA has rewarded excellence in promoting entrepreneurship and small business at national, regional and local levels. The objectives of the European Commission’s annual EEA are to identify and recognize outstanding initiatives that promote enterprise and entrepreneurship; to showcase and share examples of best entrepreneurship policies and practices; to create a greater awareness of the role entrepreneurs play in society; and to encourage and inspire potential entrepreneurs.

The high-level jury, representing business, government and academia, reviewed the 54 selected entries and decided on a shortlist of 12 nominees in the following five categories: promoting the entrepreneurial spirit, improving the business environment, supporting the internationalization of business and responsible and inclusive entrepreneurship.

A total of 399 projects competed in national competitions in 29 European nations for the European Enterprise Awards 2011, exceeding last years’ participation, the press release said. This year’s participating countries – 24 EU member states and Croatia, Iceland, Norway, Serbia and Turkey – selected up to two candidates to represent their nation in the European competition.

Croatia, Serbia and Turkey participated in the competition for the first time this year.

The Turkish candidate, Düzce University, was short-listed under the category of "promoting the entrepreneurial spirit" for its project titled "Local honey bee spurs entrepreneurial buzz."

Düzce University’s Beekeeping Research, Development and Application Centre, or DAGEM, prepared a project on improving honeybee production in the local Yığılca area. Yığılca honeybee is a unique species that produces three times more honey than other bee races. Since this discovery, Düzce University has brought honey production to the local population by adapting 255 hectares of forestland and training disadvantaged groups in beekeeping. Many have now started up their own apiaries and the town now stands to make an annual income of 750,000 euros over and above the 6,000 euros it has been given annually by the government for the honeybee operations.

The winners of this year’s competition will be announced May 24 at the 5th EEA award ceremony co-hosted by the Hungarian Presidency in the prestigious National Gallery in Budapest.

In cooperation with the Hungarian presidency, the event will focus on the exchange of best business promotion practices across Europe. It will also occur in conjunction with the Small Business Act conference "Mobilizing SMEs for the Future of Europe," which seeks to bring small and medium enterprises, or SMEs, to the forefront of EU policy.


/Hurriyet Daily News/