Bitterballendebate #3 – Open borders and flexible entrepreneurship

With its many shops and cafes, Heer is a lively neighborhoud with many small and medium-sized businesses, managed and visited by local residents. Many of those enterprises do business across national borders. Think of a kitchen shop that gets parts from Germany or a Belgian handyman who has customers in Heer. Yet we also see more and more shops that are closing. After decades, the key maker of Heer recently closed its doors.

Is there something new to replace it or is it a sign that the local middle class is having a hard time? And how do they survive in the corona crisis? A problem that also affects regions in Europe. What does entrepreneurship ‘after corona time’ look like? What can Brussels do and what is the EU already doing (think of the European Regional Development Fund)? How do the residents of Heer think about this? What do they notice themselves?

We will discuss these and more questions with advocates for small and medium-sized enterprises in the Euregion, administrators and policymakers. Give your opinion and ask all your questions to the guest speakers! Together we conclude the conversation with a drink.

The event is free and open to everyone.

GUEST SPEAKERS: Jop Thissen, Limburg Leads (other guest speakers soon to be announced )

MODERATOR: Angèl Nijskens

This event is part of the Here in Europa project. More information can be found here: https://hierineuropa.eu/