Credit: © Cour grand-ducale / Claude Piscitelli / tous droits réservés

On Friday 13 October 2017, Her Royal Highness the Grand Duchess participated at the Chambre des Métiers in the presence of Luxembourg's Minister of Labour and Social Economy and Solidarity, Nicolas Schmit, at the opening of the first Micro-Entrepreneur Days.

"I am proud that my Foundation is the initiator of an event that puts the spotlight on micro-entrepreneurs in Luxembourg and their contribution to the economic activity of our country," said the Grand Duchess in her speech. "Our message is to tell you that we must dare to undertake," she said, addressing the many promoters of projects gathered at the Micro-Entrepreneur Days. "We need to unleash the creativity and potential of hundreds of men and women in Luxembourg and give them the means to realise that potential through access to credit," she added.

"The micro-entrepreneurs' projects respond to a real need of our society and its urgent social problems such as the fight against unemployment and precariousness, lack of training and dropout. It is often the small bosses who best embody this new vision of business and development, as they are based on more equitable, more inclusive and more social models," said the Grande Duchess who also encouraged "banks to also take an interest in micro-entrepreneurship and to support a greater number of project promoters in the dynamic of economic integration, leading to shared social progress."

The Micro-Entrepreneur Days were organized on Friday 13 and Saturday 14 October by the Foundation of the University of Economics (FUSE) in partnership with the Foundation of the Grand Duke and the Grand Duchess.

These event brought together more than 120 people interested in starting a small business.