What We Learned After Working with Over 250 SMEs Across the Baltic Sea Region- Internationalisation is often presented as a question of ambition.

Do companies want to expand abroad?
Are they ready to enter new markets?
Do they have growth ambitions?

After working with over 250 SMEs across the Baltic Sea Region through the BSR Go-abroad project, one insight became particularly clear:

Many smaller companies do not lack ambition.
They lack capacity.

Internationalisation competes with everyday business realities

For micro-SMEs, international expansion rarely happens within a dedicated export department or international growth team.

In most cases, founders and small teams manage internationalisation alongside:

• customer work,
• operations,
• administration,
• sales,
• product development,
• and everyday problem-solving.

Even companies that are highly motivated to explore foreign markets often struggle to allocate consistent time and resources to international activities.

Time becomes one of the biggest barriers

Many SMEs already understand the value of internationalisation.

They recognise opportunities in neighbouring markets, see the potential of cross-border partnerships and are interested in expanding beyond their local ecosystems.

The challenge is often execution.

Tasks such as:

• researching new markets,
• identifying relevant partners,
• adapting communication,
• attending international meetings,
• or following up on opportunities

require time and organisational capacity that smaller companies may not always have.

As a result, internationalisation can easily become postponed — not because companies are uninterested, but because daily operations take priority.

SMEs need realistic pathways for international growth

One important lesson from working with SMEs across the region is that internationalisation support must be practical and manageable.

Smaller companies often benefit more from:

• step-by-step guidance,
• trusted networks,
• practical coaching,
• peer-learning,
• and gradual market exposure

than from large-scale export programmes designed for more mature businesses.

This kind of support helps companies integrate internationalisation into their existing operations instead of treating it as a separate or overwhelming process.

Internationalisation develops gradually

For many SMEs, international growth is not a single leap into a foreign market.

It is a gradual process built through:

• first international conversations,
• small pilot collaborations,
• learning about business cultures,
• and testing opportunities over time.

These smaller experiences help companies build confidence, develop networks and better understand how to operate across borders.

Support ecosystems play an important role

Because SMEs operate with limited resources, support ecosystems can significantly reduce barriers to internationalisation.

Business support organisations, incubators and regional cooperation initiatives help companies:

• access networks,
• navigate unfamiliar markets,
• connect with trusted partners,
• and approach internationalisation in a more structured way.

This kind of ecosystem support becomes especially valuable for micro-SMEs that may not have prior international experience.

Conclusion: SMEs need capacity as much as ambition

Many SMEs are already interested in international growth.

What they often need is not more motivation, but more space, structure and support to make internationalisation realistic alongside everyday business demands.

Strengthening accessible and practical support systems remains an important part of helping SMEs engage internationally across the Baltic Sea Region.

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