Publication CEPYME500 2017

#BANKINTER
Do you think Spanish companies need to gain size
to be more competitive? How can CEPYME500
help companies achieve this goal?
The Spanish business network must increase its size
in order to compete in an increasingly globalised
environment.
Our commitment is to help companies become
larger, stronger and more competitive. We believe
that projects like CEPYME500 can help companies be
more aware of the new environment's demands and
of the formulas needed to overcome them.
What are the main problems of Spanish SMEs for
Bankinter?
Since there is still a high percentage of small companies
in our industrial fabric, the main issues are their
size, their degree of innovation and their use of new
technologies.
Recovering competitiveness by means of innovation
turns out to be crucial for the development course of
any company. R&D&I is currently the best indicator
for measuring the potential for the future growth of
a company, given its capacity to provide them with
sustainable competitive advantages in the medium-long
term, which in turn will result in greater
market shares.
And the main strengths?
Their market and business knowledge, the resilience
they have proved to feature over the past years, the
entrepreneurial profile of their managers and the
swiftness to search for new markets.
Spain is a country with excellent companies and entrepreneurs.
No doubt of this is arisen, since we are
the current world leaders in many sectors (automotive,
hotels, construction, machine tools...).
How can we promote the development of SMEs in
Spain?
With legislation that favours entrepreneurship; for
instance, reducing times and formalities for setting up a
business. And, of course, with the support of banks that
understand the financial needs of their clients, just like
Bankinter does.
I sincerely believe that our good situation in terms
of solvency, strength and profitability, as well as our
reputation in the sector as a trustworthy and specialised
organisation in this business area, make us the perfect
partner for any company that decides to initiate whichever
possible project.
What is the key for a company to become a leader in
business growth?
Business knowledge, confidence in the project, good
ideas, continuous innovation, commitment to internationalisation
and, also, the support of a trusted financial
partner with an end-to-end proposal that covers multiple
areas and needs.
Moreover, and as an essential element that I would like
to mention separately, the professional and human quality
of the workforce which, together with their commitment,
will make these companies unbeatable.
Do you reckon Spanish medium-sized companies are
at the level of their European counterparts?
In order to reach the same level, they should strengthen
their commitment to innovation further apart from
increasing their size.
It is clear that economies with larger and more internationalised
companies are more productive and attract
more talent. Similarly, their chances of business survival
are higher as it is their capacity to generate stable employment
during recessions.
Do you think that the 500 medium-sized companies
that make up CEPYME500 can serve as a
growth and management model for other companies?
One of the project's objectives must be that these
companies can serve as an example to many others
for improving or re-adapting their business, and also
to those entrepreneurs who plan to take on a new
project.
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