MEP mentors young entrepreneurs, start-ups in Strasbourg

Labour MEP Marlene Mizzi participated in Startup Europe Week in Strasbourg, created as a global initiative to celebrate entrepreneurship in Europe by including all European regions in a start-up focused program.

This initiative, hosted by Strasbourg, was one of a series of activities which have been held in Europe focusing on the role of local start-ups:  a win-win strategy for jobs in Europe.

Mizzi had a key role in the Startup Week to mentor a group of local entrepreneurs who set up their businesses in the Strasbourg and Alsace area. Mizzi was invited to share with them her personal experience as an entrepreneur and professional expertise as a Member of the European Parliament and more importantly Member of the Internal Market Committee.

Mizzi said, "There is a tendency to try to follow the Silicon Valley example when it comes to innovative start-up strategies, but in my opinion Europe is different and requires something more when it comes to starting a business. Europe has the potential to become a Start-up paradise.

"Europe and European regions, with their regional and cultural diversity and local policy, play a vital role in shaping European start-ups, helping entrepreneurs to incorporate a company, to provide financial support and access to skills and trainings."

During the mentoring session, Mizzi spoke about the importance of encouraging young people to venture into entrepreneurship and the advantages of financial independence, while highlighting the difficulties which some young entrepreneurs find to start their own businesses.

Accessing affordable finance, red tape and various technical, legal and physical barriers in the Internal Market were mentioned as the problems being faced by young entrepreneurs. Starting up is not easy, but she urged the group of local start-ups not to underestimate their potential and never to give up.

Mizzi concluded, "This was a very interesting and well-attended discussion which allowed us to better understand the problems faced by local start-ups when trying to open up their own business. It is critical to include the European regions in this conversation. And that is exactly what the Startup Europe Week achieved - to build a network within companies and public sector and European institutions.

"As parliamentarians it is our duty to encourage young star-ups and recognise it as one of the factors influencing sustainable employment and economic growth by enacting legislation which is business friendly and socially fair'.'