Small IT outfits form Euro gang

Pan-European association for small ICT firms plans to focus on policy issues such as software patents, ICT standardisation and e-skills

Small IT firms are set to have representation in Brussels thanks to a new industry association. The Pan European ICT and eBusiness Network for Small to Medium Businesses (PIN-SME) is designed to represent the needs of smaller technology businesses in the EU.

UEAPME, the European craft and SME employers’ organisation announced PIN-SME last week at a conference in Brussels. PIN-SME’s founding members are national SME federations and ICT clusters from eight EU countries, including UK member UKita.

PIN-SME aims to catapult ICT SMEs onto the business and political scene, which has traditionally been dominated by large enterprises. It plans to focus on policy issues such as software patents, ICT standardisation, e-invoicing, e-health and e-skills.

Hans-Werner Müller, UEAPME secretary general, said: “We believe that European SMEs must speak with one voice on the development of European ICT policies - a voice that is becoming stronger today with the creation of PIN-SME.”

Muller added: “UEAPME fully supports this new initiative, which is rooted in the past battles fought by small businesses on software patents, which reinforce monopolisation in the software sector, damage interoperability and act as a barrier to innovation by SMEs.”

Johann Steszgal, president of PIN-SME and part of founding Austrian member UBIT, said: “First of all, the attractiveness of the ICT profession in Europe must be increased. Small businesses in the ICT sector lack qualified personnel, therefore it is crucial to increase ICT-related training opportunities and foster professionals’ mobility.

“Secondly, new technologies such as e-invoicing and e-health provide opportunities for ICT SMEs that are not fully exploited at the moment. As far as the current debate on e-skills is concerned, PIN-SME will promote ICT SMEs as the most appropriate vehicle to spread the use of ICT tools in all small businesses.”