WHEN: 4 October 2022 I TIME: 14:30-18:00 (UTC+7) I REGISTER HERE I Platform: Zoom
Background
The Asia Future Lab for Innovation and Policy – a collaborative partnership between SEED and GO4SDGs – offers a platform for green SME stakeholders, such as policy makers, financiers and entrepreneurs, to make the textile and fashion sector ready for 2030 by developing future-proof solutions for today’s challenges. The lab focuses on the clothing and apparel industries and addresses challenges along the value chain from production to consumption. The participatory lab process will connect policy makers, intermediaries and SMEs in a co-creation setting in order to develop tailored solutions in five action areas such as Innovation, Non-Financial Support, Finance, Policy and Market. The co-created solutions will provide concrete action items in how to better support Asian green SMEs applying circular technologies or business models operating in the textile and fashion sector. To drive this systematic change, the participants of the lab will discuss priority areas such as shifting consumption patterns, improved practices and infrastructure investments. The Asia Future Lab was designed to engage a community of 30-40 participants leveraging the expertise of key green SME stakeholders across the region. The Asia Lab is part of a Global Lab Series that engages green SME stakeholders in the Agri-Food and Textile-Fashion sectors across Africa, Asia, Latin America and West Asia. The practical insights of the regional labs will inform a New Green SME Action Agenda supporting the global advocacy efforts of the growing green SME community leading the way for future SME policies and frameworks. SWITCH-Asia is supporting this event through engagement of its stakeholders.
Key Objectives and Outcomes
The objectives of the Future Lab series are to:
- Support the design of future-proof solutions that serve the needs of SMEs to embrace innovation for circularity, covering key regional priority sectors such as textiles, construction, agriculture-food or plastics.
- Leverage expertise, experience and assets of key green SME stakeholders to co-create future-proof solutions that scale-up financing and policy actions for green SMEs.
The Future Labs intend to generate the following outcomes:
- The Labs will connect key green SME stakeholders in the co-creation of future-proof solutions that scale-up financing and policy actions for green SMEs while informing the New Sustainable SMEs Action Agenda.
- The Labs will increase the knowledge of SMEs and SME stakeholders on the critical role of resource efficiency, circularity and access finance for green SMEs.
Target Audience
The Future Lab targets green SMEs and organisations, who work at the interface of business, civil society and politics supporting green SMEs or circular economy solutions. It aims to advance an evidence-based joint action agenda engaging key policy makers, intermediaries and green SMEs. It is designed to forge direct collaboration and to co-create future-proof solutions addressing the needs of green SMEs.
Agenda
