I welcome your network and announce that the European Union is also prepared to support qualification and establishment and expansion of the infrastructure with its funding programmes. I welcome this pioneering program, which they have developed. Please come to Brussels, so that we can discuss its realisation.

I‘d like to highlight the „Baltic Sea Region Quick“ project, which is coordinated by the Hanseatic Parliament. The „Baltic Sea Academy“ was founded under this project. A network of 15 colleges and universities offering dual degree programs to support entrepreneurs and managers and encourage research and innovation for small and medium businesses.

The Hanse-Parlament created an excellent platform for the cooperation of business chambers and companies in the region.

The Baltic Sea region has an enormous growth potential. In the Hanse-Parlament I see excellent possibilities to make common projects,create new, dynamic networks and also to receive more funding resources from the European Union for the benefit of SMEs.