ASEM SMEs Eco-Innovation Center

The ASEM SMEs Eco-Innovation Center(ASEIC) was established in 2011 to promote cooperation of green growth in Europe and Asia, with a particular emphasis on enhancing eco-innovation among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in both regions. Agreeing on the importance of SMEs as main engines of innovation and growth, Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) member countries joined together to establish ASEIC as an international platform for spreading eco-innovation principles and practices among SMEs and assisting them in harnessing the new business opportunities that arise out of such principles and practices.

The partnership between Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) and ASEIC has developed significantly in recent years. Both organisations have been partners in the consortium of the Asia-Europe Environment Forum (ENVforum) and have collaborated as part of this inter-regional platform. Since 2020, HSF and ASEIC have built strong bilateral projects, namely the Ecothon series, that complement the ENVforum’s activities and focus on building the capacity of start-ups with sustainable business models in ASEAN as well as developing a regulatory dialogue between line ministries and impact start-ups to foster a start-up friendly eco-system with access to finance, reduction or red tape and other business-related challenges.