Italy joins SME Resilience Alliance: more opportunities for Ukrainian businesses

On 5 March, a preparatory event On the Road to URC 2025 – Business Dimension, is taking place in Milan. The event was organised by the governments of Italy and Ukraine in cooperation with Agenzia ICE and the Regional Council of Lombardy. During the business forum, Italy officially joined the SME Resilience Alliance to strengthen support for Ukrainian entrepreneurs.

“Small and medium-sized businesses make a huge contribution to the resilience of the Ukrainian economy. I am grateful to Italy for its decision to join the SME Resilience Alliance. It is the 37th country to support this initiative. Together with the Alliance partners, our goal is to provide businesses with more opportunities for training, consulting, grants, and access to tools for entering new markets. We are already working with our partners on the specific mechanics of how businesses can take advantage of the opportunities offered by this initiative. I am convinced that such cooperation will open up new opportunities for our countries,” said Yuliia Svyrydenko, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy.

Italy’s participation in the SME Resilience Alliance will help strengthen international support for Ukrainian businesses and create new business opportunities for both countries. Given the interesting traditions of supporting manufacturers and creative industries, Italy’s experience will be especially valuable for Ukrainian manufacturers and initiatives.

Particular attention was paid to the role of small and medium-sized enterprises in the recovery process, in particular during a special working session on the potential role of SMEs in the recovery process.

Tetiana Berezhna, Deputy Minister of Economy, presented the preliminary results of the Alliance’s work and announced the accession of Italy: “Small and medium-sized businesses are the main employer in Ukraine, providing over 80% of all jobs. Ukrainian entrepreneurs demonstrate a unique flexibility and adaptability, creating new businesses and developing existing ones. Today, more than ever, it is important to support their efforts by providing financial and technical assistance and opportunities to expand their export potential. Alliance members are already implementing more than 120 programmes and projects aimed at supporting entrepreneurship and strengthening human capital. We are grateful to each of our partners for their contribution to Ukraine’s resilience and recovery.”

The SME Resilience Alliance was established during the URC 2024 in Berlin to pool international resources to support the recovery and development of small and medium-sized enterprises. It is co-chaired by the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The Alliance currently has 36 members and assists businesses through investments, advice and capacity building programmes.

Lisbeth Müller-Hofstede, the Deputy Head of the Task Force Ukraine at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), stated that Ukraine’s small and medium-sized enterprises needed to become the driving force behind sustainable recovery and lasting peace in the future. She also mentioned that the SME Resilience Alliance would support achieving this goal.

“Ukraine’s small and medium-sized enterprises must become the engine of sustainable recovery and lasting peace in the future. The SME Resilience Alliance will help us achieve this goal,” said Liesbeth Müller-Hofstede, Deputy Head of Task Force Ukraine, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

More than 550 Italian, Ukrainian and international companies, as well as representatives of governmental and non-governmental organisations, are taking part in the event “On the Road to URC 2025” in Milan. The event is a key stage in the preparations for the fourth international Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC 2025) in Rome. The event featured panel discussions and working sessions dedicated to strategic areas of development: investment and access to finance, energy sustainability and green transition, the strategic role of small and medium-sized businesses, and others.