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Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs
News blog15 December 2022Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs

Discovering the Youth Essay Competition 2022 Finalist Danijel Bačan

Today we are finding out more about what motivated Danijel Bačan to enter the SME Youth Essay Competition, but also what are his plans for this year. 

YEC 2022 Finalist Danijel Bačan

“During almost the entire human history, man was subject to the environment in which he lived, that is, he could not fully master it. Today, and in the last 300 years, man has learned to master the environment almost completely and how to use all the resources of nature to improve human life”. This is how the essay that brought Danijel Bačan among the finalists in the SME Youth Essay Competition starts.

Today we are finding out more about what motivated Danijel Bačan to enter the SME Youth Essay Competition, but also what are his plans for this year. You can read Danijel’s essay here.

What made you enter the SME Youth Essay Competition?

I saw the ad for the Youth Essay Competition on Facebook and Instagram, because it was sponsored by the Promoting Enterprise page. It came up two or three times and once I swiped up and I read the competition rules I knew that I needed to write an essay because of the topic. So, I chose to write the essay and it was selected and here I am. Happy to be here

My essay is about how young entrepreneurs can reduce the use of fossil fuels with smart ideas, with interdisciplinary education, with political activation in the local communication and different mindsets and so on.

What was it like to be announced as a finalist of the 2022 competition?

I was very happy! When the email arrived, I was very excited. I read that I had to be in Prague in three days. As a geographer, I really like to travel and because it’s my first time in Prague I wanted to experience Czech Culture and everything about this country. I have a course of Economy Geography in college that is very connected with this event.

What did you think about the SME Assembly 2022?

It’s a great event. I think we have great speakers. One of them is the Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic, Mr. Jozef Sikelathe and I’m very interested in what he said.

I’ve also heard about Croatian entrepreneurs in here and It’s nice to hear that were somebody for Croatia here too. And I think it’s a great opportunity for young entrepreneurs to learn about new ideas and principles in business.

What was your main takeaway from the SME Assembly 2022?

The panels and entrepreneurs from different countries and with different experiences. Because it is very important on the level of the EU to cooperate between countries and we should develop our European network for entrepreneurs, and not only include US businesses.

What is next for you? Any exciting plans to share?

I’m on the last year of my master study and I will graduate on July 2023, after that I will go to do my PHD, probably in Political Science. Alternatively, Political geography, some kind of corporation, so I will definitely take knowledge from this event to incorporate in my future studies.

I already met my fellow finalists; Viktória and Cosmin, they’re very nice and beside them I heard about Croats and I will love to make more contacts.

See who were the other two finalists of this year’s EU SME Week Youth Essay competition.

Check out the latest news on the SME Assembly and the Youth Essay Competition by regularly visiting the Promoting Enterprise blog. Subscribe to the SME Week Newsletter to stay up to date!

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