The Canadian-APEC SME-WG Research Initiative

The School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary, in partnership with Global Affairs Canada, has launched a Research Initiative to support the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation’s (APEC) Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Working Group (SME-WG). 

The goal is to produce and disseminate evidence-based research to address critical issues in the development of Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs) in the Asia-Pacific region. 

There is an urgent need to support better economic performance of MSMEs, which account for over 97% of all businesses in the APEC region. Improved operating and financial performance by these businesses is critical to economic growth and helps ensure the benefits of prosperity are available to more people in the region.

The focus of the School of Public Policy is to provide policy makers and collaborators in the APEC region new evidence-based research and actionable policy recommendations to accelerate the growth of MSMEs in five areas: 

1. Start-up, scale-up, entrepreneurship and innovation
2. International trade, market access and global value chains
3. Digitalization and transformation
4. Bio-circular green transformation and business practices
5. Inclusion and sustainable development 

The Initiative is a three-year project that began in 2024, with a focus on empirical research, academic exchange, networking with collaborators and policy engagement. 

Over three years, researchers will generate high quality, policy-relevant empirical studies and policy briefs to contribute to the APEC SME-WG’s action plan. In addition to policy recommendations, the research will support conferences, webinars and publications to be disseminated by the School of Public Policy and the APEC Working Group on MSMEs.

The initial workshop on MSMEs in APEC was held in September 2024, hosted by the School of Public Policy in partnership with Global Affairs Canada. It introduced researchers, practitioners and policymakers with empirically based policy research focused on the needs and challenges of MSMEs in APEC economies. The workshops acted as a starting point to build a community of researchers focused on best practices in support of the APEC SME-WG. 

MSMEs are critical to sustained economic growth in the APEC region, and they contribute significantly to new employment opportunities. They help expand inclusive participation in economic prosperity, including growing participation of women in the work force and as entrepreneurs in the Asia Pacific region. 

The research reports and policy briefs for the Initiative will focus on key areas: 

• empirical approaches to measuring growth and development of MSMEs
• start-up, entrepreneurship and innovation;
• regulatory issues, standards, taxation, competition law, and other administrative constraints;
• international trade, trade facilitation, financing, controls and barriers, global value chains, internationalization and cooperation;
• digital transformation, technology adoption and e-commerce;
• MSME green transformation, environmental considerations and sustainable practices; and
• increasing inclusive economic opportunities generated by MSMEs, in particular how to support those owned or operated by traditionally disadvantaged groups. 

There is an urgent need to support improved economic performance of MSMEs in the APEC region. Improving the performance of MSMEs within the region is critical to economic growth and ensures economic prosperity can be widely shared.

The School of Public Policy of at the University of Calgary, in partnership with Global Affairs Canada, has issued a Call for Papers that seek to address the challenges faced by policy makers and collaborators by generating policy-relevant and evidence-based research to advance practical discussions towards economic growth for MSMEs in the region.

To learn more about the requirements of submission, read the guidelines here.