Thailand to host ASEAN – Australia Workshop: Future of Digital Transformation among ASEAN MSMEs

                The Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the Department of ASEAN Affairs,
in collaboration with the Office of SMEs Promotion (OSMEP) and
the Australian Embassy in Thailand, will organize an “ASEAN – Australia Workshop: Future of Digital Transformation among ASEAN MSMEs” on
13 February 2018 from 09.00 to 17.00 hrs. at Dusit Thani Bangkok.

          The workshop, proposed by Prime Minister of Thailand at the First ASEAN – Australia Biennial Summit in Vientiane, Lao PDR, on 7 September 2016 that Thailand will host the workshop on technology and innovation cooperation between SMEs from ASEAN and Australia was welcomed by
the Summit. In line with Thailand 4.0 policy, the Workshop aims to share best practices of MSMEs which have successfully digitalized their businesses and
of public sector in promoting digitalization as envisioned in the ASEAN Strategic Action Plan on SME Development Plan (SAPSMED) 2016–2025 that ASEAN MSMEs should achieve the goal of becoming “Globally Competitive and Innovative” in 2025.

          At the Workshop, around 70 participants- ASEAN Member States and Australia’s officials, private sectors, and MSMEs-, will exchange their views and experiences on 1) Challenges of MSMEs Digitalization in ASEAN and Beyond, 2) Accelerating Digitalization in MSMEs, 3) Government Roles in MSMEs Digitalization, and 4) Practical Recommendations which will be submitted to
the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit through the ASEAN-Australia Business Summit, to be held in Sydney, Australia during 17 – 18 March 2018. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is scheduled to attend the Summit.

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Socio-Cultural Division,

Department of ASEAN Affairs

8 February 2018