The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) was established in 1996 to facilitate dialogue and strengthen cooperation between Asia and Europe Comprising 51 member states, the European Union, and the ASEAN Secretariat, ASEM holds biennial Summits—alternating between the two regions—to drive collaborative initiatives across political, economic, socio-cultural, and environmental pillars, promoting sustainable development for all
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) typically refer to enterprises with fewer than 250 employees In Europe, SMEs represent approximately 99% of all businesses and provide over 100 million jobs, serving as the backbone of the economy Similarly, in Asia, SMEs are vital drivers of growth, injecting resilience and vitality into various industries amidst global economic shifts As the primary engines of innovation and job creation across manufacturing, trade, and services, SMEs are central to the global economy ASEIC stands with SMEs across Asia and Europe, guiding them toward a sustainable future through eco-innovation
Eco-innovation refers to any form of innovation resulting in significant progress towards the goal of sustainable development by reducing impacts on the environment or optimizing the use of resources The European Commission defines it as the development of technologies, systems, and services that mitigate environmental challenges ASEIC provides comprehensive support to help SMEs within the ASEM region resolve environmental issues and sharpen their competitive edge through eco-innovation, paving the way for a greener, more sustainable tomorrow