How to Develop Digital Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies
ABAC PNG Alternate and Chair of MSME Summit Committee, Stan Joyce.
APEC Business Advisory Committee’s (ABAC) Micro, Small to Medium Entrepreneur (MSME) and Innovation Summit in Port Moresby aimed to provide recommendations to APEC leaders in November on measures that advance growth and further participation of MSMEs in regional economies.
ABAC PNG (Papua New Guinea) Alternate and Chair of MSME Summit Committee, Stan Joyce, during his address to delegates said digital innovation and platform developed at present is a stepping-stone for APEC economies to embrace and use to expand their opportunities.
Mr Joyce said; “ICT infrastructure is key to digital inclusion. In many economies digital infrastructure is concentrated only in urban areas. What is required is all ways of thinking to deliver infrastructure to everybody in our economies.”
“It is clear that if we stick to traditional methods of delivering infrastructure we will simply be left behind. Time waits for no person and if we are to participate in the fourth industrial revolution, we need to take action today and prepare the future workforce.”
There are a number of recommendations by ABAC Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) report, which are relevant for economies to take on board.
‘’Recommendations such as regional bench mark and internet speed and minimum internet penetration must be integrated into the national broadband plans of individual economies,” he said.
“There is also a need to identify issues and progress solutions for emerging economies, and APEC governments should provide education and skills acquisitions for the upcoming generations for digital entrepreneurship.”
Mr Joyce said the report also highlighted the potential of more than 50 million jobs that can be created across all APEC economies through mobile technology.
He added that platforms which facilitate MSME access to finance and market and addressing issues and harnessing opportunities in e-commerce, digitization, regulation and capacity building will enable budding entrepreneurs to participate more in this sector.
