Europe’s policymakers have long considered small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) the engines of job-creation in their economies. A thriving base of SMEs is therefore also considered a key factor in helping Western European economies recover from the recession of 2008-09. SMEs’ growth prospects, in turn, are often strongly influenced by how well they are able to develop and keep export markets.
This series of articles, written by The Economist Intelligence Unit and sponsored by UPS, considers how Europe-based SMEs, particularly those based in Germany and the UK, manage various aspects of exporting.