Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have a strong potential of linking with the regional economy through their integration in the regional product value chain. Business investment forums are one particular way to promote SMEs’ linkages with large enterprises, providing valuable opportunities for business matching and networking between the SMEs and regional and international buyers.

These forums can also facilitate the development of market intelligence systems by collecting market information to determine the most penetrable and profitable domestic and export markets, which can be useful in SME development.

This five-year initiative aims to conduct a series of business forums designed to: 

1. Establish business linkages among the Lancang-Mekong businesses;
2. Assist SMEs’ integration in the regional and global value chains;
3. Exchange information on state-of-the-art technology and innovative products that will push forward industrial growth; and
4. Promote investment through business collaboration with local SMEs in the Lancang-Mekong countries.

Key project components include:

• Development of website and a mobile application function
• Organization of business forums in the Lancang-Mekong countries including a synthesis and evaluation workshop
• Installation of an online monitoring and evaluation system to assess business progress, constraints and gaps and obtain recommendation from investors on investment issues in the sub-region