Introduction
The private sector plays an important role in industrial development and employment creation in the economy. The process of globalization and internationalization imply greater challenges for the private sector to improve its competitiveness. The role of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) is gaining more significance in these processes. SMEs foster economic cohesion by linking up with, and supporting larger enterprises (often in the context of foreign investment inflows and partnerships for development); by serving niche markets and in general, by contributing to the build-up of systemic productive capacities. Furthermore, they foster social cohesion by reducing development gaps and disparities, thus spreading the gains of economic growth to less developed regions. New promotion strategies for SME have been developed in the last decades. Some of them seem to be very efficient in strengthening the competitiveness of SMEs. Some, however, show strong dependence on surrounding macro-economic conditions. Therefore, it is worth to address the following questions

• What are the strengths and weaknesses of several SME promotion strategies?
• Is there any "country-specific context" for SME promotion?
• What criteria should be paid special attention to when applying SME policies?
• What are the impacts of different SME promotion strategies on poverty alleviation?

The 1st SEPTNeT workshop "International Comparisons on Private Sector Development Strategies" will be jointly organized by SEPneT network, the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ) and the China Institute for Reform and Development (CIRD). The workshop is sponsored by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Before the workshop, the CIRD is organising the International Conference "SME Policy and Strategy International Comparison: Promoting China-EU SME cooperation". Topics such as "Status Quo and Challenges for SME Development in China", "International Comparison on SME Development Policies and Strategies" and "Cooperation Potentials between Chinese and European SMEs" will be broadly discussed with economists from China and Europe.

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Day 1 - 4
Workshop Session

This workshop session is structured into three sections:

• Debate on different approaches of innovation processes
• Presentation of countries cases
• Discussion of country-specific organization of innovation processes in companies and institutions through panel discussion and team work

Day 5
Follow-up of the network - Next workshops and projects SEPneT

GTZ-German Agency for Technical Cooperation
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH is an international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development with worldwide operations. In more than 130 partner countries, GTZ is supporting c. 2,700 development projects and programmes, chiefly under commissions from the German Federal Government.  GTZ's aim is to improve the living conditions and perspectives of people in developing and transition countries.

DAAD - German Academic Exchange Service
In its capacity as the largest German support organisation in the field of international academic co-operation, the DAAD, with considerable public funds at its disposal, simultaneously fulfils responsibilities in foreign cultural and academic policy, development co-operation policy and national higher education policy.
The programmes for developing and transformation countries focus primarily on providing continuing education and training for young academic staff and for important experts and executives (staff development) as well as on supporting the construction of appropriate structures (institution building). This is why the instruments, above all, involve various study programmes in Germany and in the home country or respectively the home region (sur-place and "third country" scholarships). The DAAD receives substantial funds for its programmes from the BMZ, although in some cases Federal Foreign Office (scholarship) programmes also take effect here.
The DAAD supports SEPT with scholarships for applicants from developing countries for our Masters program.

CIRD-China Institute for Reform and Development
China Institute for Reform and Development (CIRD) was jointly initiated by the former State Commission for Restructuring the Economic System of China, and the Hainan Provincial Government on November 1, 1991, with equity investments from dozens of large enterprises including Shanghai Bao-steel Corporation, China First Auto Works, Shanghai Petrochemical Co., etc. With its network-based, internationalized and independent operations, the institute mainly conducts research on reform policy and transitional economies while providing training, consulting and conference services.

1st SEPneT Workshop Proceedings

Integration into the Global Market and Economic Growth: Successful Strategy for Poverty Reduction in Developing Countries?
Mr. Utz Dornberger

Private Sector Development and the Informal Economy - the forgotten policy
Ms. Ute Rietdorf

Strengthening Institutional Conditions: Interventions on the Meso-Level to Develop the Private Sector
Ms. Ingrid Fromm

SMEs in Indonesian Economy and Policies to Enhance Development and Empowerment of Indonesian SMEs
Mr. Hafiz Rahman

GTZ-Strategies for Private Sector Development in Indonesia
Ms. Harriet Ellwein

Philippine-German Development Cooperation
Ms. Mary Jean Roxas

Vietnam context for SME development
Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Tam

Strategy for An Enabling Environment for SME & Private Sector Development
Mr. Le Duy Binh