The APEC Small & Medium Enterprises Technology Conference and Fair (APEC-SMETC), dedicated to providing a platform for APEC members to showcase new technologies and products as well as to promoting technological communication and economic cooperation among the region's SMEs to help them thrive internationally, will be held from June 19 to 22 in Yiwu, China. Yiwu, in Zhejiang Province, is the world's largest consumer goods purchasing centre.
The 8th APEC-SMETC will continue to uphold the theme of "technology promotes the economy, cooperation creates the future" to showcase the new products and technologies of the region's SMEs. All 1,200 exhibition booths have been reserved, with more than 400 booked by non-APEC organisations. There will be displays focusing on electronic appliances, high-end technological equipment, industrial designs, e-commerce, smart logistics, public service platforms and the best innovations created by participating SMEs.
This year's APEC-SMETC emphasises the issues faced by SMEs in member economies, as well as on technological innovation and technology exchange, with the aim of commercialising, industrialising and globalising scientific and technological findings.
The 8th APEC-SMETC will include a SME technology exchange meeting themed "Driving Industrial Transformation through Technological Innovation". The meeting will cover current issues facing SMEs, match technology sources available within APEC countries and globally with those in APEC SMEs, and improve their market presence and promote their development within APEC. To encourage technological innovation among SMEs in the Asia-Pacific region, the organising committee of the 8th APEC-SMETC will present an APEC SME Technology Innovation Award.
The event is sponsored by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the PRC, and the Zhejiang Provincial People’s Government, and organised by the China Centre for Promotion of SME Development, the Zhejiang Provincial Economic and Information Commission, the Yiwu Government, and the China International Cooperation Association of Small and Medium Enterprises. It is co-organised by APEC SMESA, the alliance of APEC SME Service Agencies. For more details, visit www.apecsmetc.gov.cn.
