The President of the National Institute of the Entrepreneur (INADEM, by its initials in Spanish), Enrique Jacob Rocha, participated in the 22th Ministerial Meeting of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in Iloilo, Philippines.

During the event, in which were reviewed the issues affecting the Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in the region, and the progress made since the last meeting held in Nanjing, China, last year, Jacob Rocha presented the proposal that the INADEM has been formulated on: the importance and opportunity that exists to use digital technologies for growth of micro and small traditional businesses, as such technological advances reached will make possible to separate them from the subsistence economy in which they are trapped.

In this regard, the United States, Peru and the Philippines demonstrated in full agreement with the Mexican proposal; joining other numerous nations which in various international forums have agreed to collaborate with Mexico to make, in 2016, a global conference in which will be identified the key global strategies based on the digital technology to get more productive micro and small-sized traditional businesses.

During this Ministerial Meeting of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, the President of INADEM shared the forum with ministers and deputy ministers of the APEC countries, among which are Australia, Canada, South Korea, China, USA, Philippines, Indonesia Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, among others.

In a working tour through Asia, particularly in Beijing, China, Enrique Jacob Rocha met Xin Goubin, Deputy Minister of the Minister of Industry; Tong Daochi, Assistant Minister of Commerce; Cao Jianlin, Vice Minister of Science and Technology; Qin Zhihui, Director General of the Chinese Centre for the Promotion of the Development of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises; and Wang Jinzhe, Vice President of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), to highlight the interest of INADEM in deepening the convergences between Mexico and China to promote the entrepreneurship and innovation thorugh the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.

At the meeting, it was recalled the successful participation of over 170 Mexican companies in the China International Fair for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (CISMEF, for its acronym in English), held in the city of Guangzhou in October 2014, in which Mexico attended as co-host country and both reviewed the details of the 2015 Edition, which is expected to a delegation of 20 companies.

Similarly, the President of INADEM stressed the importance it represents for Mexico the celebration of the IX China Latin America and the Caribbean Business Summit (CHINALAC) that will take place in Guadalajara, Jalisco, on 13 and 14 October. "This summit will boost the trade and investment between China and Latin America and will serve as a platform to impulse the trade and investment," he said.

In Singapore, Enrique Jacob met with Wong Toon Joon, Director of the Division of Emerging Markets and Director of the Division of Research and Enterprises; Philip Yeo, Chairman of EDIS SPRING; Poh Kam Wong, Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship at NUS Enterprise; and Jack Sim, President and Founder of BOP HUB Singapore, to identify the next steps in the race for getting successful entrepreneurs and startups able to conquer markets on both sides of the Pacific Ocean.

The aim is to implement cooperation mechanisms that could link universities of both countries to host entrepreneurs and link them with mentors of wide experience that allows them to succeed in business, in a scheme supported by the INADEM and SPRING of Singapore.

In his meeting with Jack Sim, he participated him the institutional support of the INADEM to the Mexican promoting organizations that drive "The BOP World Convention 2015", an event to be held from 1 to 3 December this year in Mexico City.

In addition, it was raised the possibility of developing partnerships to constitute a BOP HUB in Mexico that encourages the young Mexican entrepreneurs to develop social enterprises, as the BOP Hub Singapore is a business accelerator and its mission is to catalyze and strengthen the inter sectorial collaboration and participation in the social entrepreneurship; it also conducts research aimed to develop affordable technologies that can solve social problems.

The mexican entrepreneurs and Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises will be benefited of the agreements and achievements obtained by the President of INADEM in Asia.