Eco-tone

Last September 18, ASEIC’s Chairman Seong, Myeong-ki announced that it held an opening ceremony for the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Eco-Innovation Center.

The ASEIC opening ceremony was held at COEX, Seoul, on September 17 wherein about 100 dignitaries participated. The participants included Administrator Jungwha Han of the Small and Medium Business Administration of Korea, Seong, Myeong-ki the Chairman of ASEIC and Inno-Biz Association, Co-Chair & Director Young, Soo-gil of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network Korea (SDSN-Korea), ambassadors of ASEM member states, and representatives of various international organizations in Korea, as well as related organizations, and companies.

ASEIC works to promote an eco-friendly win-win shared growth with developing countries, spread eco-innovation in the countries, and carry out projects that will provide information on adaptation to climate change.

Among its major projects, the project to spread eco-innovation in developing countries will be carried out based on the appropriate technologies and eco-innovation consulting support and indexes (ASEI). The project to spread eco-innovation entails the provision of tailored consulting on eco-innovation in order to enhance the eco-friendly competitiveness of SMEs that are ASEM member states (developing countries). It also involves the promotion of eco-innovation of ASEM member states by grasping the state and level of each state’s eco-innovation. ASEIC also works to supply and spread appropriate technologies to local Cambodian societies, together with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI).
 

In addition, it holds the Asia-Europe Environment Forum (ASEF ENVForum), a global forum working to promote an eco-friendly win-win shared growth among ASEM member states. The said forum is held in partnership with the Korea–China Green Economy Cooperation Forum. The center also provides a space for SME incubation of ASEM member states by managing a Green Business Center (GBC) in Indonesia with matching funds from Korea and Indonesia.

Furthermore, ASEIC plans to build and manage a portal site (www.aseic.org) to provide diverse information on climate change for the quick adaptation to climate change.

“ASEIC will play a pivotal role in leading a win-win shared growth between Asia and Europe through international cooperation. With this, we can provide reliable eco-friendly information to SMEs from 49 ASEM member states, support eco-friendly technological innovation, and share the best practices to propel eco-friendly innovation of SMEs in developing countries,” said ASEIC and Inno-Biz Association chairman, Seong, Myeong-ki.

The center has been officially approved by ASEIC to meet the need for an organization that can support the SMEs from ASEM member states to better respond to climate change. This need was was expressed during the “Eighth ASEM Summit Meeting” held in 2010. It was first launched in June 2011 and then became a foundation in April 2014. Since then, it has played the role of a bridge that promotes eco-friendly innovation among SMEs of the ASEM member states.

The secretariat is located in Pangyo, Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do, Korea. Relaunched as a foundation, it plans to mainly work on cooperative projects among companies of ASEM member states.