Over the past few decades small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have been recognised to account for a considerable share of economic activity. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs are fundamental to innovation, economic growth and job creation, and play a critical role in social cohesion. Nowadays governments and international institutions place small firms and entrepreneurship as essential elements in any plan or policy to promote economic growth and development. SMEs have a key role in ensuring economic growth in a sustainable and inclusive manner. SMEs are often the source of innovative ICT-enabled solutions that make a long​-lasting impact in the developing countries’ economies and are an important source of new jobs especially for youth. SMEs make up more than 95% of all businesses worldwide, and represent a path out of poverty for many developing countries. SMEs are often considered the steam engine of the economy, spurring economic growth, innovation and creating employment opportunities. However, in a highly globalized world, SMEs and entrepreneurs often find it hard to complete with larger companies. SMEs represent an exceptional vehicle for entrepreneurial activities: most of the start-up activity comes from SMEs; they are an important source of innovation, new products and services; and are a key element for regional development and social cohesion. Within this framework, research from both the Economics and Management disciplines has focused on investigating the effect of the entrepreneur’s characteristics on firm performance. This includes start-up activity, firm survival, size, and growth. EDD research is seeking to contribute towards scaling up innovation and building an enabling environment for SMEs. Therefore, the Division is actively working on developing initiatives that help create synergies in ICT entrepreneurship. EDD seeks to provide data and analysis to develop policies that foster SMEs and entrepreneurship and facilitate sustainable growth, competitiveness and the creation of skilled jobs. The Division researchers work on projects creating business friendly environments, improving access to finance, new markets and internationalization is necessary. The Centre projects include work with public institutions and large private organisations who believe in enabling SMEs and entrepreneurs.