Innovative SMEs by Gender and Age around the Mare Balticum : Bod - Books on Demand : 9783735791191 : 3735791190 : 12 Mar 2014 : At the 9th Hanseatic Conference 2014 in Hamburg, representatives from business organisations, academic institutions and policy makers from all countries around the Baltic Sea exchanged their experiences. This book contains the presented papers and a summary of the discussion of the participants. The elimination of discrimination by gender and age in working life is an important social concern, regardless of economic needs. But increased labour force participations of women and older people are also essential for economic reasons in the light of demopgraphic developments and changed conditions. Currently high and ever growing shortage of entrepreneurs, managers and professionals are the factors that increasingly limit economic development. There is an urgent need to make better use of local labour potential, particularly via higher labour force participation of