Ministry of Economic Affairs Hosts APEC SME Workshop, Inviting Member Economies to Facilitate Low Carbon Transformation Through Digital Innovation
The Small and Medium Enterprise and Startup Administration (SMESA) of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) hosted the APEC Digital Innovation to Implement SMEs Low-Carbon Transformation Workshop on June 12-13. Experts from the public sector, industry, and academia from Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Peru, the Philippines, Viet Nam, and Thailand, as well as leading MNEs, Merck Life Science and Siemens, were invited to participate in the workshop. The event aimed to not only raise awareness of green transformation among APEC economies but also lead participating SMEs from member economies in practical exercises, utilizing innovative low-carbon solutions to assist SMEs with low-carbon transitions.
Dr. Chin-Tsang Ho, Deputy Minister of Ministry of Economic Affairs, emphasized the importance of addressing climate change through digital technology in his opening remarks. He stressed that Taiwan s Pathway to Net-Zero Emissions in 2050, implemented in 2022, aims to drive industries to meet supply chain and global green initiative requirements. Following the pathway, the government encourages core factories to lead both upstream and downstream supply chain partners in carbon reduction efforts. By collaborating with industry associations, the government aims to enable SMEs to conduct digital carbon inventories and reduce carbon emission. In addition, the government provides relevant grants and loans to alleviate the financial pressure of upgrading and transitioning, and to accelerate the advancement towards smart and low-carbon practices. The MOEA welcomes APEC economies to participate in this workshop, and hopes that the knowledge and skills acquired from the workshop will be beneficial for the SMEs of the member economies.
The SMESA noted that award-winning enterprises and startups from the Green-Tech Startup Challenge were invited to share their collaboration experiences of green technologies and innovative low-carbon solutions. This workshop aimed to increase green resilience for SMEs and, through digital empowerment, enhance the ability of startups and women-owned enterprises to participate in supply chains.
The SMESA also noted that the workshop included corporate visits by participants from APEC member economies such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Peru, to Hushan Industrial Co., Ltd., and O right International Corporation, Taiwan s role models in carbon reduction and achieving net zero. The carbon-reduction learning from these corporate visits, combined with courses led by KPMG Carbon Resource Assurance and Advisory Services Co., Ltd. and the Plastics Industry Development Center on two main topics: The Process to Conduct Digital Carbon Inventory and Leveraging Digital Innovation to Reduce Carbon Emission, were designed to enhance attendees use of digital innovation solutions to achieve carbon reduction.
The SMESA stated that in response to the twin trends of green and digital transitions, the SMESA will continue to collaborate with APEC member economies to assist SMEs with their green transformation, implementing initiatives aimed at enhancing green competitiveness and promoting sustainable and inclusive growth.
