ASEM SMEs Eco-Innovation Center

What ASEM SMEs Eco-Innovation Center does

ASEM SMEs Eco-Innovation Center (ASEIC) is a non-profit international cooperation organization established in 2011 pursuant to consensus reached at the 8th ASEM Summit and headquartered in Seocho-gu, Seoul, with a secondary office in Pangyo, South Korea. It operates under the sponsorship of Korea's Ministry of SMEs and Startups (중소벤처기업부) and functions as an inter-governmental bridge connecting small and medium-sized enterprises across Asia and Europe for the purpose of advancing eco-innovation, carbon-neutral business practices, and green technology adoption. Its mandate covers SMEs in 18+ ASEM member countries spanning East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Europe.

ASEIC's product portfolio centers on four core programs: Eco-Innovation Consulting, the Support for Creation of an Eco-Friendly Ecosystem, the Global Eco-Friendly Forum (held annually since at least 2017, with the 2025 edition recently hosted), and the Green Innovation Cooperation Center (GICC) operating in Indonesia as its first overseas subsidiary. These are complemented by a publications portfolio — ESG guidelines for SME supply chains, the ASEM Eco-Innovation Index, annual reports, Global Policy Trend Reports (2021-2022 cycle), and periodic newsletters/webzines — distributed through the official website (aseic.or.kr, en-aseic.imweb.me), Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. ASEIC's underlying technology is a program-delivery platform built around international forums, in-country capacity-building seminars, and bilateral technology-matching events, rather than a unified software product.

ASEIC's business model is government-funded non-profit operations: revenue is sourced from Korea's Ministry of SMEs and Startups with supplementary international cooperation funding from ASEM member countries and partner institutions such as the European Commission, ASEAN, and the UN Climate Technology Centre and Network. It does not sell commercial services at disclosed prices; instead, it delivers consulting, capacity-building seminars, and technology-matching events to SME populations and member-country government partners. Its distribution is direct, event-driven, and relationship-based, operating through in-country programs in Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Cambodia, and through bilateral events spanning Korea-Denmark, Korea-Indonesia, Korea-Vietnam, and Korea-Poland-Slovakia.

Name

ASEM SMEs Eco-Innovation Center

Legal name

ASEM SMES ECO-INNOVATION CENTER

Website

https://aseic.or.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ASEM SMEs Eco-Innovation Center (ASEIC) is a Seoul-based non-profit, established in 2011 under the 8th ASEM Summit, that connects SMEs across 18+ Asia and Europe member countries to advance eco-innovation, carbon neutrality, and green technology adoption via consulting, forums, and the Indonesia-based GICC.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability and Eco-Innovation Consulting

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability, ESG & Climate Risk Advisory (BPAHAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technical Committees, Working Groups & Expert Panels (BPADANAB), Greenhouse Gas (GHG) & Climate Regulatory Compliance (Mandatory Reporting, Cap-and-Trade Compliance) (EUAHABAG), Benchmarking, Ratings & Stakeholder Reporting Portals (Scorecards, Dashboards) (EUABAEAJ)

Keywords

• Eco-innovation consulting
• SME sustainability programs
• Carbon-neutral advisory
• Green technology transfer
• International cooperation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Seocho

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government-funded operations: ASEIC operates as a quasi-governmental organization primarily funded through support from the Ministry of SMEs and Startups of Korea (中小벤처기업부), with international cooperation funding for ASEM member country programs

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ASEIC provides eco-innovation consulting, capacity-building programs, international forums, and the Green Innovation Cooperation Center (GICC) in Indonesia to help SMEs in ASEM member countries adopt carbon-neutral practices and green technologies. It also publishes ESG guidelines, the ASEM Eco-Innovation Index, policy trend reports, newsletters, and annual reports to support cross-border cooperation between Asian and European SMEs. Operations are backed primarily by Korea's Ministry of SMEs and Startups and ASEM-related international cooperation funding.

Product overview

ASEM SMEs Eco-Innovation Center (ASEIC) operates as an international cooperation body offering a portfolio of programs and publications. The core offerings include Eco-Innovation Consulting services that help SMEs integrate eco-innovation principles into their business strategies, the Support for the Creation of an Eco-Friendly Ecosystem program, the Global Eco-Friendly Forum as a platform for international collaboration, and the Green Innovation Cooperation Center (GICC) in Indonesia. These programs are complemented by a comprehensive publications portfolio including ESG Guidelines and Reports, Newsletters and Webzines, Annual Reports, ASEM Eco-Innovation Index studies, and Global Policy Trend Reports. ASEIC functions as a platform-plus-publications model rather than a single unified software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Eco-Innovation Consulting Consulting services supporting SMEs in ASEM member countries to integrate eco-innovation principles and practices into their core business strategies, including carbon-neutral business practices and green technology adoption.
• Support for the Creation of an Eco-Friendly Ecosystem (Ecothon) Program supporting the creation of an eco-friendly ecosystem for SMEs across Asia and Europe, fostering sustainable and inclusive growth through green business cooperation.
• Global Eco-Friendly Forum Global cooperation platform hosting forums that connect SMEs and stakeholders to advance eco-innovation and sustainable development through international collaboration.
• Green Innovation Cooperation Center (GICC) Indonesia Country-level center established in Indonesia to promote green innovation cooperation and support SMEs in the ASEAN region with eco-innovation initiatives.
• 2025 Global Eco-Innovation Forum Annual forum showcasing the latest developments in global eco-innovation, bringing together SMEs and stakeholders to discuss sustainable growth strategies.
• ESG Guidelines and Reports Guidelines and reports on ESG implementation for SMEs, including action guides for ASEAN supply chains, startup ESG guidelines, and carbon emission management guidelines.
• ASEM Eco-Innovation Index ASEM Eco-Innovation Index reports and country-specific case studies measuring eco-innovation performance across ASEM member nations.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ministry of SMEs and Startups of Korea (中小벤처기업부)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Primary government support partner providing funding and policy framework for ASEIC operations. Supports the organization's mission to promote eco-innovation among SMEs in ASEM member countries.
• Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs of IndonesiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndonesian government ministry cooperating on Green Innovation Cooperation Center (GICC) initiatives and joint SME support programs between Korea and Indonesia.
• BPPT (Indonesia's Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with ASEIC and Indonesian Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs for the Korea-Indonesia Eco-Innovation Technology Matching event.
• European CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey institutional partner supporting ASEM cooperation framework and eco-innovation initiatives between Asian and European member states.
• ASEANcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoutheast Asian nations bloc cooperation for eco-innovation among SME supply chains, including ESG implementation guides for ASEAN supply chain SMEs.
• ASEIC-Denmark GTC MOU (Green Tech-Center)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOU signed January 25, 2017 for developing green competitiveness enhancement programs for SMEs in Asia-Europe region. Located in Vejle, Denmark.
• Vietnam's NISTPASS (National Institute of Science and Technology Policy and Strategy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVietnam's science technology policy research institute collaborating with ASEIC and Korea's STEPI on Asia-Europe eco-innovation future forecasting projects.
• STEPI (Korea's Science and Technology Policy Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKorea's science and technology policy research institute partnering on future forecasting center projects with NISTPASS Vietnam and ASEIC.
• Luxembourg Trade and Investment Representative Office in KoreaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJointly organized the Luxembourg Circular Economy Hotspot participant recruitment seminar in Seoul, supporting Korean eco-innovation companies' international expansion.
• Slovak Business AgencyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with ASEIC, Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Košice IT Valley for Korea-Poland-Slovakia Eco-Innovation Technology Matching event.
• Košice IT Valley (Slovakia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSlovak technology cluster partnering on Korea-Poland-Slovakia Eco-Innovation Technology Matching event supporting SME cooperation.
• Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUN Climate Technology Centre and Network based in Copenhagen UN City. ASEIC Vice Chairman visited to discuss cooperation for climate technology support to SMEs in developing countries.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• UN Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN): UNEP/UNIDO-hosted mechanism that promotes climate technology transfer to developing countries, including through SME channels. ASEIC's leadership has engaged CTCN directly; comparable in supporting technology transfer and SME access to climate solutions across borders.
• Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI): Multilateral organization headquartered in Seoul that supports green growth and climate-resilient development across member countries, with strong overlap to ASEIC in green-economy SME advisory and project delivery in Asia. GGGI's program-based model and Seoul presence make it the closest comparable.
• Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF): ASEM-linked foundation operating under the same Asia-Europe Meeting umbrella as ASEIC, fostering cross-regional exchange and capacity building. Comparable because it shares ASEM's institutional parentage, operates across the same member-country footprint, and runs people-to-people and SME-relevant programs.
• Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME): Korean government agency under the same parent ministry (Ministry of SMEs and Startups) that supports domestic SMEs with sustainability, digitalization, and global expansion services. Closely comparable as ASEIC's domestic counterpart, sharing parent ministry oversight and SME policy mandate.

Regional players

• EU-ASEAN Business Council: Regional business council bridging European and ASEAN private sectors, including on sustainability and ESG matters. Comparable to ASEIC in facilitating Europe-Asia cross-border business cooperation with sustainability and SME-relevant programming.
• SME Corporation Malaysia: Malaysian government agency coordinating SME development and sustainability programs across ASEAN, frequently partnering with multilateral bodies. Comparable to ASEIC as an SME-focused national/regional development organization that interacts with cross-border eco-innovation programs.
• Enterprise Singapore: Singaporean government agency supporting SME growth, capability building, and sustainability adoption. Comparable to ASEIC in operating government-backed SME capability programs including green transformation initiatives across Southeast Asia.

Broad incumbents

• United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO): UN agency that promotes inclusive and sustainable industrial development, including green industry and SME support across developing and emerging economies. Comparable to ASEIC in targeting SMEs in eco-innovation, though operating at far greater scale and global reach.
• Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ): German federal enterprise for international cooperation that delivers development and sustainability programs including SME green-economy projects globally. Comparable to ASEIC in its government-backed international cooperation mandate and SME capacity-building orientation.

Others

• Climate Bonds Initiative: International organization mobilizing capital for climate solutions through standards, certification, and policy advocacy. Comparable to ASEIC as a multilateral, mission-driven organization with publications and frameworks that shape SME and corporate sustainability practices globally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ASEIC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aseic
• Instagraminstagram.com/aseic_official

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ASEM SMEs Eco-Innovation Center