Economic convergence is a major aim of the EU. Innovation and investment in economically weaker regions are key steps to foster convergence • Public institutions and the regulatory environment for investments differ substantially across EU member states and increase economic disparities •...

This paper contributes to the academic debate on the pecking order theory and SMEs equity financing, in this equity financing gap. In order to address this problem, this study relies on the empirical design that is driven by the premises of the pecking order theory and distinguishes between the...

This article uses European Central Bank (ECB) survey data to assess whether gender matters in the small firms’ financial structure and access to credit. Firms owned or managed by women (female firms) use smaller amounts and less heterogeneous sources of external finance than their male...