ECB workshop on “Access to finance of SMEs: what can we learn from survey data?”, Frankfurt am Main

Venue and dates

ECB premises in Frankfurt am Main,

5 - 6 December 2011

Submission deadline for abstracts: 31 August 2011

Purpose

DG-Economics and DG-Statistics of the European Central Bank are organising a workshop on the production and use of business survey data to assess, in particular, financial constraints or investigate the presence of financing gaps for the corporate sector.

The workshop is intended to bring together academics and institutional experts to discuss both statistical and economic issues related to the production and the use of survey data in evaluating access to finance of the corporate sector, notably in the euro area. The purpose of the workshop is thus twofold. First, to foster discussion and share experiences specific to the collection of business survey data. Second, to highlight research from the use of these business surveys, notably in identifying imperfections and potential failures in the financial market places where firms operate and that might constrain their growth and economic development. The workshop will feature presentations and discussions on methods, examples and techniques using business survey data such as the ECB-European Commission survey on access to finance of SMEs or other national business survey data.

Research papers

The organisers welcome submissions of theoretical and empirical contributions from statisticians and economists covering one or more of the following themes and using relevant data sources:

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  Methodology of business surveys, with specific interest on access to finance topics and/or small firms
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  Examples of national or cross-national business survey methodologies on the access to finance of enterprises
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  Measuring firms’ access to finance/financing gap using survey data
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  Small and medium-sized enterprises financing
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  Determinants of financing obstacles
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  Assessment of the role of access to finance in creating firms, fostering their success, affecting innovation using survey data

Submissions should consist of an abstract of no more than 500 words, describing clearly the topic that will be addressed, the material that will be drawn upon and the key messages of the paper. Abstracts should be sent by e-mail as PDF files to SMEworkshop2011@ecb.europa.eu no later than 31 August and indicate the corresponding author and his/her email address. Authors will be informed whether or not their submission has been accepted by 20 September. Authors of accepted papers will be required to send the full version of their paper by 30 October, and to submit a handout (which could consist of some slides or key tables with notes) for circulation prior to the workshop.

Submission deadline for abstracts: 31 August 2011

Submission deadline for full papers: 30 October 2011

Organisational issues

The workshop is planned to be organised as a two-day event from 11:00 on 5 December until 16:00 on 6 December 2011. A dinner is planned for the evening of the first day.

The travel expenses of presenting authors will be reimbursed. Participants from central banks and other official institutions are generally expected to cover their own expenses.

Further information may be obtained from Diego Rodríguez Palenzuela, Head of Division, Capital Markets and Financial Structure Division, European Central Bank (Tel +49 69 1344 6480) or Ioannis Ganoulis, Head of Division, Statistics Development and Coordination Division (Tel. +49 69 1344 7211).