Title
The (potential) impact of Brexit on UK SMEs: regional evidence and public policy implications
Date Issued
04 May 2019
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Brown R.
Wilson J.O.S.
University of Essex, Colchester
Publisher(s)
Routledge
Abstract
This paper examines the potential impact of Brexit on UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Using a major longitudinal survey of UK SMEs, the analysis suggests that Brexit-related concerns are escalating. Larger, export- and import-oriented SMEs are most concerned, as are those located in major urban and peripheral locations. Among SMEs with growth-related plans, many firms are scaling back on capital investment, innovation and (especially) exports. An appraisal of existing policy frameworks suggests that the devolved administrations seem better equipped to enact interventions in order to alleviate any negative effects arising from Brexit.
Start page
761
End page
770
Volume
53
Issue
5
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Economía, Negocios
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85063576915
Source
Regional Studies
ISSN of the container
00343404
Sponsor(s)
The EU is a prodigious funder of SMEs via its extensive cohesion policies. The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is the largest EU financial tool supporting SMEs. The ERDF commits 20% of its overall total funding (equating to some €57 million) to supporting SMEs (Szcze-panski, 2017). These funding streams include various digital infrastructure programmes and financial instruments, which have been found to benefit innovative SMEs disproportionately (Brown & Lee, 2018). These interventions are typified by the current policy prioritization under the auspices of ‘smart specialisation’, which has placed ‘entrepreneurship and SMEs centre-stage’ in EU policy-making (McCann & Ortega-Argilés, 2016, p. 537).
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus