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ABOUT About the Forum

About the Forum

Learn about the Forum, its overview, background, and objectives. 

Overview

Since 2015, the Global Eco-Innovation Forum has served as the flagship annual platform
of ASEM SMEs Eco-Innovation Center (ASEIC),
with the continued support of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) of the Republic of Korea (ROK).
It stands as one of the very few dedicated Asia-Europe forums
advancing environmentally sustainable and innovation-driven growth for MSMEs and start-ups.

This year, the Forum will be co-organized with the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) and the Asia-Europe
Foundation (ASEF), further strengthening its institutional partnership framework across Asia and Europe. 

The Forum will be held in Jakarta, Indonesia, where ASEIC operates
its Green Innovation Cooperation Center (GICC), 
reinforcing Indonesia's role as a strategic regional gateway connecting the two regions

  • 10

    Forums Since 2015

  • 1500+

    Participants

  • 40

    Countries

  • 300+

    Organizations

Background

  1. Global Challenges

    Geopolitical tensions, climate 
    change, and supply chain 
    disruptions, along with tightening 
    sustainability regulations and rapid 
    advances in AI and digital 
    transformation, are creating 
    unprecedented uncertainty.

  2. Impact on MSMEs and Start-ups

    These shifts place
    disproportionate pressure
    on smaller enterprises,
    whose financial and operational resilience is often limited.

  3. New Opportunities

    Adapting to these shifts
    can be challenging
    but also opens doors for
    eco-innovation, competitiveness, and integration into
    global value chains.

  4. Our Response

    The Forum provides
    a platform to exchange 
    experiences, showcase solutions, 
    and build partnerships
    for sustainable growth.

Objectives

  • Knowledge Exchange

    To explore how MSMEs and start-ups across Asia
    and Europe can navigate evolving sustainability
    expectations and unlock opportunities
    in emerging green value chains through practical
    knowledge exchange and cross-regional dialogue.

  • Case Studies & Solutions

    To share practical case studies and
    experiences of how MSMEs and
    start-ups in Asia and Europe
    are leveraging eco-innovation and AI solutions
    to access global markets and achieve growth.

  • Partnerships for Action

    To advance early-stage Working Group
    recommendations into structured cooperation
    proposals with potential relevance for future
    consideration by the ASEM Senior Officials'
    Meeting to foster long-term policy alignment
    and regional impact.