Publication CEPYME500 2017

#INFORMA
JUAN MARÍA SAINZ MUÑOZ
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF INFORMA D&B
“Spanish medium-sized companies
are at the same level as their
European counterparts and in many
aspects they might eventually
surpass them”
How does INFORMA value the CEPYME500 project?
We see the CEPYME500 project as a very successful
initiative, given the fact that it provides visibility
to those SMEs that have shown a very favourable
evolution recorded on several parameters in recent
years.
What has INFORMA contributed to the project?
We have contributed by providing CEPYME with our
company information database and by actually collaborating
in the selection of these companies.
Do you think Spanish companies need to gain size
to be more competitive? How can CEPYME500
help companies achieve this goal?
There is no doubt that the average size of Spanish
companies is lower if compared to companies from
countries such as Germany, France and Italy. And this
fact proves to be a challenge when competing with
large companies, both internationally and locally.
CEPYME's support must be aimed at encouraging
the growth in sales of small businesses so that they
gradually increase their size.
Do you think that the 500 medium-sized companies
that make up CEPYME500 can serve as a growth and
management model for other companies?
I strongly believe that all Spanish SMEs will be able to
follow the examples of the 500 selected companies.
In some cases, it will be the growth policies abroad, in
other cases, the policies adopted to innovate and in
others the management of human resources. There will
be many models to follow and I am sure that there will
be one that suits each given company.
Do you reckon Spanish medium-sized companies are
at the level of their European counterparts?
Spanish medium-sized companies are at the same level
as their European counterparts and in many aspects
they might eventually surpass them. As I previously
mentioned, the main problem is their size. Hence, one
of the objectives of public institutions should be to foster
the growth of medium-sized companies with fiscal,
labour, administrative and financial measures.
It is also crucial to help these companies in their ability
to innovate, since innovation goes hand in hand with
business size. Favouring funding for R&D&I projects
and facilitating R&D&I tax deductions might prove to be
effective measures for achieving this goal.
CEPYME500 | 019