As Asia-Pacific economies confront speedy digital disruption, small and medium-sized enterprises are more and more central to Asia-Pacific’s innovation and finance agenda. In Jeju, Korea convened the APEC SME Innovation Discussion board 2025, gathering policymakers, international establishments, and business leaders from 21 economies to discover how digital instruments, monetary fashions, and cross-border cooperation can redefine the expansion trajectory of SMEs worldwide.
APEC SME Innovation Discussion board 2025 Opens in Jeju
South Korea has positioned digital transformation on the middle of the Asia-Pacific’s SME agenda with the launch of the 2025 APEC SME Innovation Discussion board in Jeju.
Held on September 1 on the Jeju Worldwide Conference Heart, the discussion board marked the first official program of the five-day APEC SME Ministerial Assembly (APEC SME Week 2025) and introduced collectively over 200 contributors from 21 member economies, together with authorities delegations, lecturers, and enterprise leaders.
The occasion was hosted by the Korea SMEs and Startups Company (KOSME), underneath the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS), with a pointy deal with how SMEs can adapt to the digital period and strengthen resilience in international markets.
4 Periods on Transformation, Finance, and Cooperation
The discussion board unfolded throughout 4 structured classes:
- The present standing and challenges of SME digital transformation.
- Monetary innovation by coverage finance and private-sector collaboration.
- The development of digital finance and SME innovation methods.
- Cooperative pathways amongst APEC member economies.
Key audio system included Vorapoj Prasanpanich, Deputy Director-Normal of Thailand’s Workplace of SME Promotion; Zaki Khoury, Senior Digital Growth Specialist on the World Financial institution; Professor Cho Hold-jung from KAIST’s College of Administration of Expertise; and Choi Sung-wook, CEO of cross-border funds agency Sentbe.
Vorapoj Prasanpanich introduced methods for narrowing SMEs’ digital divide, whereas Zaki Khoury highlighted the expertise and infrastructure wanted to strengthen digital capability within the AI period. Corporations in attendance responded with specific curiosity, noting the alignment of the discussions with challenges they face in their very own operations.
Aspect Packages: Startups, Ok-Magnificence, and Coverage Coaching
In parallel, KOSME organized aspect applications to showcase Korea’s SME ecosystem to worldwide delegations.
These included:
- A Ok-Startup Information Session with international growth technique seminars and IR pitching.
- A Ok-Magnificence product showcase, highlighting Korean shopper innovation.
- Coverage coaching workshops, introducing Korea’s SME assist fashions.
The initiatives aimed each to current Korea’s insurance policies and merchandise to APEC members and to broaden the muse for Korean SMEs to develop abroad.
APEC SME Innovation Heart: 20 Years of Cooperation
The day concluded with a ceremony marking the twentieth anniversary of the APEC SME Innovation Heart.
Established by joint declaration on the 2005 APEC SME Ministerial in Daegu and operated by KOSME since 2009, the middle has served as Korea’s solely hub devoted to supporting innovation-driven SME progress and cross-border cooperation inside the APEC area.
Digital Transformation as Crucial
KOSME Chairman Kang Seok-jin underscored the urgency of the agenda:
“Digital transformation is not elective however a vital activity for SMEs. This discussion board offered a significant venue for member economies to share future visions and determine concrete pathways for cooperation.”
Strengthen Korea’s Status as Innovation Hub and Advance SMEs into World Market
By main the APEC dialogue on digital transformation and monetary innovation, Korea is positioning its startup and SME ecosystem as a regional benchmark. The inclusion of world establishments such because the World Financial institution, alongside policymakers and entrepreneurs from 21 economies, underscoring a shift towards cooperative frameworks that emphasize efficiency and shared digital capacity-building.
For Korea, the occasion strengthened its twin technique: advancing its personal SMEs into worldwide markets whereas strengthening its status as a hub for coverage innovation, digital finance, and cross-border startup progress within the Asia-Pacific.
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