On the 1st, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME) announced that they hosted the '2025 APEC Small and Medium Enterprises Innovation Forum' at the International Convention Center Jeju.
This forum is the first official schedule of the five-day '2025 APEC Ministerial Meeting on Small and Medium Enterprises', which focused on the digital transformation of small and medium enterprises that drive innovation.
The forum was conducted in a total of four sessions: ▲ Current status and challenges of digital transformation ▲ Financial innovation through policy financing and private cooperation ▲ Development of digital finance and innovation strategies for small and medium enterprises ▲ Cooperation methods among APEC member countries.
Notable speakers included Vorapoj Prasanpanich, Deputy Director of the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion from Thailand; Zaki Khoury, Senior Digital Development Specialist at the World Bank; Professor Cho Hangjeong from KAIST; and Choi Seong-wook, CEO of Sentbe. Additionally, over 200 participants gathered, including government delegations from 21 APEC member countries, academic experts, and industry leaders.
In particular, the Deputy Director of the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion from Thailand presented solutions to bridge the digital gap for small and medium enterprises, while the Senior Digital Development Specialist from the World Bank shared strategies for enhancing digital capabilities necessary in the AI era.
KOSME also organized accompanying events such as ▲ K-startup overseas expansion strategy seminars and global IR pitching ▲ K-beauty product exhibition ▲ and policy training programs. Through these, they promoted Korea's small and medium enterprise support policies and excellent products to member countries and provided a foundation for the overseas expansion of domestic small and medium enterprises.
After the forum, a ceremony was held to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the APEC Small and Medium Enterprises Innovation Center. This center was established by the joint declaration of the APEC Ministerial Meeting on Small and Medium Enterprises held in Daegu in 2005 and has been operated by KOSME since 2009 as the only domestic hub supporting innovation growth and global cooperation of small and medium enterprises within the APEC region.
KOSME Chairman Kang Seok-jin noted, "The digital transformation of small and medium enterprises is no longer an option but a necessity," adding, "This forum will be a meaningful opportunity for member countries to share future visions and substantiate cooperation methods."