ICEX and the CRE100DO Foundation promote the growth of SMEs with the TRAS100DE Program.

 

The program focuses on the qualitative leap SMEs must take to become ETIs, a segment that encompasses companies with a turnover between €50 million and €500 million. This intermediate step is crucial, as it allows companies to face the challenge of growing strategically and adapting to their needs.

 

The Government Highlights the Link between Size and Competitiveness

The opening session was attended by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Enterprise, Charles Body, who welcomed the participating executives. In his remarks, the minister emphasized the role of all Spanish companies in the country's strong economic performance and highlighted the greater competitiveness of larger companies.

 

“Larger companies are also more productive, offer more stable employment, and contribute to projecting a favorable image of the country abroad, so it is essential to activate all the levers that allow them to scale,” stated Minister Cuerpo. He also reiterated the Government's commitment to facilitating this growth through programs, the opening of new markets, the exchange of successful experiences, and the reduction of bureaucratic burdens.

 

TRAS100DE: Roadmap for Friendly CEOs

Structured in six sessions over six weeks, the program TRAS100DE It takes place at the headquarters of ICEX in MadridIt brings together a select group of growth-minded executives who seek to acquire practical tools and learn from business leaders who have already successfully navigated this path.

 

For the CRE100DO Foundation, ETIs have key transformative potential for the national productive fabric. The program offers a trusted community and direct access to the experiences of middle-market companies that are leaders in key areas such as:

 

Vision and strategy.

International growth.

Talent and governance.

Financing and inorganic growth.

Productivity and digitalization.

Innovation, ecosystems and intangibles.

 

Rafael VaqueroThe general director of the CRE100DO Foundation explained that TRAS100DE "responds to a real need of the Spanish business sector: to support SMEs in their qualitative leap. Growth is not just an objective: it is a shared responsibility for the future of the country."

 

The Challenge of Defining the Middle Market

 

The CRE100DO Foundation has designated Spanish companies with a turnover of between €50 and €500 million and employing between 250 and 3.000 people as Medium-Sized Enterprises (ETI), due to the lack of an official definition in Spain.

 

At the European level, there is a movement for the institutional recognition of this segment, classified as "small mid-caps." Recent proposals from the European Council seek to raise the thresholds for this category to companies with fewer than 1.000 employees and an annual turnover of up to €200 million (or an annual balance sheet total of up to €172 million).