Almost one in three (30 per cent) small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Europe is planning to expand their operations during 2010.

This is the finding of a new survey by insurer Hiscox, which discovered 58 per cent of respondents are confident about their prospects for this year, with many expecting to boost their size, something which is likely to result in new jobs.

According to the poll of almost 1,000 small business owners in Germany, France, the Netherlands and the UK, 53 per cent perceive 2010 as a good year to establish new ventures and 19 per cent view gaps in the market as a result of closures during the recession as good opportunities for trade.

Entitled DNA of an Entrepreneur, the study also reveals that such firms want more support from governments, lower taxation and less red tape, while entrepreneurs have become more risk averse since the last time the survey was carried out.

Global economic activity appears to be recovering from the recession, with the latest composite leading indicators from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development showing the pace of growth across all member countries grew by 0.7 points during February this year.