Erste Group flags Central Europe SME scaling as key growth bottleneck, research shows

• Erste Group research flagged a scaling gap for Central Europe’s 7 million-plus SMEs, despite strong startup formation and rising digital adoption.
• SMEs account for 99% of regional companies, employ over 20 million people, drive roughly 50%-67% of value added.
• Poland is the largest market with nearly 2.8 million SMEs, underpinning the region’s entrepreneurial base.
• Annual business formation runs above the EU average, led by Croatia, Romania, Serbia at over 12% of active firms.
• Bank lending remains the main external funding source, with limited capital-markets use, constraining cross-border expansion into global leaders.

Disclaimer: This news brief was created by Public Technologies (PUBT) using generative artificial intelligence. While PUBT strives to provide accurate and timely information, this AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or legal advice. Erste Group Bank AG published the original content used to generate this news brief on October 08, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein.