2 November 2026, 13:30 – 17:00, Kuntatalo Toinen linja 14, 00530 Helsinki, Finland
12:00 - 13:30 I Lunch Buffet
Moderator: HORST HEITZ, Secretary-General of SME Europe
13:30 – 13:50 | OPENING REMARKS
SARI RAUTIO President of the EPP-CoR Group
JÖRGEN WARBORN MEP, President of SME Europe
13:50 – 14:00 | SETTING
JOSE VALANTA, Director of International Affairs, Association of Finnish Cities and Municipalities (Kuntaliitto)
14:00 – 15:15 | ROUND TABLE 1
AI SME Transformation: Building Regional Capacity through European Cooperation
Speakers:
ALBERTO CIRIO President of the Piedmont Region and Chair of the ECON Commission,
KLAUS EK, Sales Director and Partner, R8 Technologies
TUULI KASKINEN Climate Leadership Coalition Group CEO
Questions & answers – interaction with the audience
15:15 – 15:30 | COFFEE AND COMFORT BREAK
15:30 – 16:45 | ROUND TABLE 2
AI Innovation for SMEs: Turning Local Strength into Global Opportunity
Speakers:
PEHR GRANFALK EPPCoR ECON Political Coordinator, Rapporteur on European Competitiveness Fund
JAKUB BINKOWSKI VICE PRESIDENT ZPP, Poland
MARIA MIALA, YEPP Vice-President and Helsinki Deputy City Councillor
Questions & answers – interaction with the audience
16:45 – 17:00 | CLOSING REMARKS
MERVI KATAINEN Chairperson of the Espoo City Board