Transeo European SME transfer summit 5th edition was held between 17-18.5.2018 at the Chambre de Commerce, Luxembourg.
The two day event gathered experts from across Europe and beyond to discuss and learn about growth/scale up, family business succession, management buy-ins and buy-outs, acquisitions, entrepreneurship, matchmaking platforms, financing and valuation. The event was organized by Transeo European association for SME transfer as well as co-organized by Ministry of the Economy Luxembourg, Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce, House of Entrepreneurship, SNCI, Sow Access and Wallonie Region.
Interreg Europe STOB regions project was invited as a guest speaker during the workshop on "Business transfer ecosystems- key ingredients to develop action plans to support small business transfers". Sandy Morgen, Project coordinator from lead partner IHK-Projektgesellschaft mbH, presented the STOB regions project in detail, describing the project's good practice collection and the method of sharing knowledge through interregional learning of which the project implements during phase I. Equally the outcomes of the project during phase II; to improve regional policies for the end-to-end process of business transfer through the implementation and monitoring of regional action plans. 
Sandy Morgen of STOB Regions presenting at European SME Transfer Summit
In addition to the plenary sessions which included high level decision and policy makers from across Europe, keynote speeches from Bob House, President of BizBuySell, and Timothy Bovard, CEO of search fund accelerator (SFA) both from the US, provided good practices examples from North America as food for thought to be applied in a European context.
Another highlight of the event was the official unveiling of the Transeo marketplace, the first European marketplace for cross-border SME transfers. The platform which is now live, allows Transeo members to submit both buy and sell side profiles. The objective is to encourage more cross-border transfers of SMEs in Europe and beyond. Roundtables for networking at the European cafe were arranged to discuss and network on the topic of dealbreakers in small business transfers.
Roundtables for dealbreakers in small business transfers
STOB regions made strong contacts through the event and look to develop our cooperation in the near future.
More information regarding the event can be found here.
