Leyla Arsan, the CEO of TAGES, participated to the TV Programme called “KOBİ Destek Rehberi Programı (SME Support Guide Programme)” which is moderated by Oguz Demir and Ipek Kaplan on Bloomberg HT TV, on the 7th September, 2011.
SME Support Guide Programme is performed as intended to the SMEs in Turkey to inform them about the possibilities such as increasing the exports, the employment opportunities for more labor, reaching high technologies, the clues tobenefit from EU funds, the opportunities of credit-leasing-factoring and etc. In this respect, the professionals in these areas are invited as an interviewer to provide more detailed information in the moderation of Ipek Kaplan. Leyla Arsan, the CEO of TAGES attended as an interviewer to the programme broadcasted on the 7th September, 2011. Arsan provided information about the process of EU membership and the effects of the process on Turkish SMEs.; she replied the moderators’ questions about the EU funds and projects.
Leyla Arsan also mentioned that the supports of EU adaptation process created valuable opportunities for Turkey and especially for Turkish SMEs and added that we had to be more active in terms of projects and cooperation and derive benefit from EU funds as a country. SMEs constitute ninety-nine percent of private sector in Turkey. At this point, especially medium size SMEs have substantial responsibility in terms of R&D and innovation.
She also indicated that since the innovation was a long term concept, Turkey had changed its point of view on the issue.. Investing capital to innovation needs to be seriously considered in the business world. The EU funds gain importance for the Turkish economy at this point for SMEs to raise the competitiveness. Therefore investment can be logical and strategic. However, most of the Turkish companies and SMEs invest on research and development projects by means of EU funds. Since 2002 4,5 million Euro has been brought into the Turkish economy by TAGES.
You can access the broadcasting from the links below: