VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - The Ministry of Co-operatives and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and the South Korean government, through the ASEM-SME Eco-Innovation Center (ASEIC), held a workshop on green transformation for small businesses.

"SMEs must be brave to change and commit to sustainable business practices to increase competitiveness in domestic and global markets and contribute to environmental sustainability," the ministry's secretary, Arif Rahman Hakim, noted in a statement received here on Monday.

He explained that the workshop "Capacity Building Program for Green Transition of Indonesian SMEs" was held on September 18-22, 2023.

Some 30 selected SMEs from various regions in Indonesia participated in the program.

"The participants were given a deep understanding of green business transformation, ranging from policies, challenges, opportunities, potential market, and funding schemes, to green business trends at national and international levels," Hakim pointed out.

The workshop panel included experts from the government, private sector, an industry association, and an international organization, as well as speakers from South Korea, he remarked.

"The participants received intensive mentoring and the opportunity to explore cooperation with South Korean SMEs in terms of technology transfer and joint venture," he stated.

In addition, the top 10 SMEs in the workshop will get to visit South Korea in November 2023 and be accompanied by experts to deepen their insights on business transformation.

One of the top 10 participants, Adhitya Prayoga, the head of Strategic Services at Waste4Change, expressed his intent to collaborate with Korean SMEs.

"Especially in terms of technology transfer and potential joint business in the future," he stated.

The ASEIC was established in 2011 to promote cooperation in green growth in Europe and Asia, with an emphasis on enhancing eco-innovation of SMEs in both regions. (Antaranews)