APEC SME Innovation Forum 2025 Opens in Jeju
Focus on Digital Transformation, Financial Innovation, and Global Cooperation
Key Stakeholders Gather to Share Strategies and Expand Overseas Opportunities
The first official event of the '2025 APEC SME Ministerial Meeting' has begun. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency announced on September 1 that they held the '2025 APEC SME Innovation Forum' at the Jeju International Convention Center.
This forum focused on the digital transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises, which is the driving force of innovation. The main topics of the event included a total of four sessions: ▲The current status and challenges of digital transformation ▲Financial innovation through policy finance and private sector cooperation ▲The development of digital finance and SME innovation strategies ▲Cooperation measures among APEC member economies.
Key speakers included Vorapoj Prasanpanich, Deputy Director General of the Office of SMEs Promotion in Thailand; Zaki Khoury, Senior Digital Development Specialist at the World Bank; Cho Hangjung, Professor at KAIST School of Business and Technology Management; and Choi Seonguk, CEO of Sentbe. In addition, around 200 participants gathered from various sectors, including government delegations from 21 APEC member economies, academic experts, and industry leaders.
Kang Seokjin, Chairman, is delivering a congratulatory speech at the Jeju ICC APEC SME Innovation Forum on the morning of the 1st. Photo by Jungjin Gong
In particular, the Deputy Director General of the Office of SMEs Promotion in Thailand presented ways to bridge the digital divide for SMEs, while the Senior Digital Development Specialist from the World Bank shared strategies for strengthening digital capabilities in the era of artificial intelligence.
Alongside the forum, the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency also organized side events, including ▲the K-Startup Info Session (seminar on overseas expansion strategies and global IR pitching) ▲the K-Beauty Excellent Products Exhibition ▲a policy training program. Through these events, Korea's SME support policies and outstanding products were introduced to member economies, providing an opportunity to expand the overseas presence of domestic SMEs.
After the forum, a ceremony was held to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the APEC SME Innovation Center. The center was established as a result of the joint declaration at the APEC SME Ministerial Meeting held in Daegu in 2005, and since 2009, it has been operated by the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency as the only domestic hub supporting innovative growth and global cooperation for SMEs in the APEC region.
Kang Seokjin, Chairman of the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency, stated, "Digital transformation is no longer an option but a necessity for SMEs," adding, "This forum will serve as a meaningful venue for member economies to share future visions and develop concrete cooperation measures together."
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