About the Webinar

This webinar, organized by Aspen Institute Romania under the aegis of the Aspen New Economy & Society Program aims to address the ways forward out of the current economic downturn at company and individual level, covering benchmarking examples of business strategies and thriving economic sectors, as the way in which the financial sector can help companies and individuals navigate safely out of the crisis.

In particular, the webinar will focus on solutions for increasing SMEs’ access to finance. Building resilient cross-border financial solutions aimed at promoting EU trade for SMEs would foster SME trade networks that create jobs, act as economic shock absorbers for the employment market and mitigate the impact of climate change while providing lifeline support to an eclectic, diverse, inclusive ecosystem of EU SMEs that can efficiently trade among themselves. Supply chain security should be emphasized, with digital supply chains solutions on blockchain already being implemented. Thus, the event will look at fostering SME trade networks under the framework of resilience, sustainability, inclusive financing solutions, regional development and mitigating climate change.

About Aspen New Economy & Society Program

The Aspen New Economy & Society Program is a non-partisan platform for debate. Under the umbrella of the Program, a community was created comprising multiple stakeholders from the public, private, and non-governmental sectors, aiming to identify key constraints and untapped opportunities facing the existing economic, investment, and development model of Romania and to formulate key public policy recommendations.

Webinar Format

Moderated discussion with leading public and private sector representatives, followed by a Q&A session, livestreamed on Aspen Institute Romania’s social media. The webinar will seek to bring together public decision-makers, international financial institutions, export credit risk agencies, representatives of the Aspen Institute international network as well as multilateral or bi-lateral chambers of commerce, private liquidity providers and investors as well as SMEs associations.

Confirmed Speakers

  • Oana Harabagiu – Advisor to the Secretary of State, Ministry of Finance
  • Lara Tassan Zanin – Head of the EIB Group Office in Romania
  • Federico Arcelli – Member of the Executive Committee, Aspen Institute Italia
  • Valentin Boldeiu – Head of Structured Finance, UniCredit Bank Romania
  • Adrian Răducan– Business Development Coordinator, Structural Funds, Raiffeisen Bank Romania
  • Bogdan Pătru – Head of Public Policy, Romania and Croatia, Mastercard
  • Bogdan Patriniche – Founder & CEO at Invoice Cash IFN SA
  • Ana Bobircă – Vice President, Asociația Oamenilor de Afaceri din România (AOAR)
  • Cornel Ban – Associate Professor, Department of Organization, Copenhagen Business School

Moderator: Clara Volintiru – Director, Aspen New Economy & Society Program

Registration link