Insightful Agenda, Strategic Meetings, Great Networking

On the 24 and 25 May 2023, MFC held its 25th Annual Conference: Thriving Together. Silver Jubilee in Budva, Montenegro It was a special occasion as it has embarked celebrations of 25 years of MFC activities and joint efforts to advance microfinance and social economy sectors.

We had a great pleasure to gather almost 400, microfinance practitioners, policy makers, experts, investors, IT providers, donors, social finance enthusiasts from 37 countries, with the biggest attendance from Bosnia & Herzegovina, Albania and Georgia. The conference, with almost 50 speakers, 5 plenary sessions, 4 spotlights and 5 talks, was the biggest event in the ECA microfinance sector this year. It was also a great networking  opportunity for professionals from around the region.

This year’s agenda focused on challenges and opportunities that are ahead of us. The topics included digitalization in economy, impact investment trends and initiatives, transformation of microfinance institutions into banks, and advancing financial inclusion.  

We had a great pleasure to listen to Nicolas Schmit, European Union Commissioner welcoming remarks, in which he underlined that “Social Economy can make our societies more inclusive, our economies more innovative and resilient and our business model more democratic and sustainable”. The social economy can reconcile technological progress with social progress. Here, microfinance by giving loans to entrepreneurs too poor to qualify for traditional bank loans enhances economic and social development”.

Werner Hoyer emphasized that “Microfinance despite its small name has macro relevance and huge potential. (…) Microfinance has grown from a tiny non-profit endeavor to a more structured industry. European Investment Bank Group is proud to have played an active role in this growth story, particularly through the European Investment Fund (…)”

We also would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all our speakers, partners, and participants for their valuable contributions and active engagement during the conference. The success of this event would not have been possible without your enthusiasm and support. We are already excited to invite you to our next conference, which will be held in 2023 in Cracow, Poland. We look forward to your continued participation in our collective pursuit of advancing microfinance and fostering social and economic development.

Thank you once again for being part of this remarkable journey.