2024 Global Eco-Friendly Forum Concludes with Participation of Over 100 Attendees from 29 Countries

The ASEM Small and Medium Enterprises Eco-friendly Innovation Center (ASEIC) held the "2024 Global Eco-friendly Forum" on the 14th at the Ulsan Convention Center, with more than 100 participants from 29 countries including the Netherlands, Poland, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

At the 'ASEIC 2024 Global Eco-Friendly Forum,' Chairman Jeong Gwangcheon (President of the Innobiz Association) is delivering the opening address. Photo by Innobiz Association

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Recently, major overseas countries have been strengthening regulations on climate change response and supply chains, which poses a significant burden on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) lacking technology and capital. According to the Angel 2023 Supply Chain Outlook, 60% of SMEs have experienced sales losses of up to 15% or more due to supply chain issues, and a Standard Chartered survey also showed that 78% of global companies would terminate contracts with suppliers who are slow to transition their global supply chains.

In response, ASEIC organized this forum in conjunction with the 2024 SME Technology and Management Innovation Expo held over two days from the 14th to 15th, to discuss global supply chain regulations and climate change response measures for SMEs within the ASEM (Asia-Europe) region.

The forum was attended by various specialized institutions from Asia and Europe, including the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), which supports developing and emerging economies in establishing and implementing sustainable green growth strategies; the European Sustainable Business Federation (ESBF), representing eco-friendly and sustainable SMEs in Europe; the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA), an EU agency established to support innovation and SMEs; and the Korea Technology Finance Corporation. Each institution provided explanations on global trends, corporate support cases, and directions for investment support based on their expertise.

More specifically, the forum consisted of three sessions discussing △ global trends related to supply chain regulations and climate change response △ support cases for supply chain and climate change response for SMEs within the ASEM region △ directions for investment support for supply chain regulations and climate change response for SMEs.

Jung Kwang-cheon, Chairman of ASEIC, stated, "Since SMEs account for more than 90% of companies within the ASEM region, it is necessary to solve problems through international partnerships, government support, and corporate response strategies," adding, "Through this forum, we were able to discover global agendas centered on SMEs and seize opportunities to overcome crises."

Meanwhile, ASEIC was established following the Chair’s Declaration at the 8th ASEM Summit held in Belgium in October 2010 to strengthen economic cooperation and promote sustainable development between Asian and European countries. The chairman of the Innobiz Association concurrently serves as the ex officio chairman of ASEIC.

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