Successful Digital Adoption, 3 ASEAN SMEs Win Awards, Proof of Regional Technology Competitiveness

The ASEAN Foundation, fully supported by Huawei, successfully held a grand celebration entitled “Scaling Digital SMEs in ASEAN: Celebrating ASEAN SME Digital Champions”.

This event, which was located at the Sutasoma Hotel Jakarta, was not just an awards ceremony, but rather a stage to share in-depth insights regarding the acceleration of digital adoption among ASEAN Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), in line with the rapid pace of the region’s digital economy.

Over the previous three months, the ASEAN Foundation and Huawei have implemented the ASEAN EDS program through a series of intensive virtual training for 100 selected SMEs from the ten ASEAN Member States (AMS).

The focus of this training is very comprehensive, covering strengthening digital skills starting from marketing strategies, adopting digital business models, technology readiness, regulatory compliance, to best practices in digital commerce and the use of the latest AI Cloud.

This holistic curriculum is specifically designed to equip SMEs to be able to compete at regional and global levels.

Of the hundreds of participants who participated, three SMEs were successfully selected as Digital SME ASEAN Champions thanks to the most consistent involvement throughout the seven training modules, obtaining the highest scores from fellow participant evaluations, and their success in developing a digital transformation strategy that was considered the strongest and had scaling-up potential in the regional market.

The three digital champions are: Ailldoit from the Philippines, which offers video ad automation services for efficient SME marketing content production; DigiTiket from Indonesia, a tour, event and MICE ticket booking platform that simplifies tourism operations; and Orca: Springhill Farmers’ Market from Brunei Darussalam, a revolutionary AI-based platform that connects farmers and consumers by ordering crops via social media.

The three-month EDS ASEAN virtual program is specifically designed to strengthen SMEs’ digital skills and strategies in facing various challenges, ranging from business adaptation, technology readiness, to dynamic regulations.

Technology support from Huawei ensures participants gain a first-hand understanding of best practices in digital commerce and the use of AI Cloud to increase their competitiveness.

This is important, considering that the results of the SMEs and Economic Integration in Southeast Asia research show that 97% to 99% of all companies in ASEAN are SMEs, which also contribute 60% to 80% of total employment.

However, despite their vital role, many SMEs still struggle with structural obstacles, ranging from limited access to fast and reliable digital infrastructure, stagnant market reach, to minimal digital literacy.

Seeing this significant gap, the ASEAN Foundation together with Huawei launched the ASEAN EDS program as a bridge to digitalization in the region. This initiative provides practical training sessions, equipping SMEs with tools, knowledge and strategies to upgrade productivity in the era of the digital economy.

This program is also aligned with ambitious regional agendas, such as the ASEAN Strategic Action Plan for SME Development (2016–2025) and the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework, which emphasize cross-border collaboration to strengthen SME capacity.

The award event began with enthusiastic remarks from the program ambassadors, namely HE Amb. Sitsangkhom Sisaketh, Mr. Peter Pan Junfeng from Huawei, and HE Satvinder Singh from the ASEAN Secretariat, unitedly emphasized the urgency of digital development for SMEs.

The session continued with an in-depth presentation highlighting the development potential of SMEs. The judges, consisting of Dr. Sivaram Superamanian (ASEAN Secretariat), Mr. Jorge Zhu Wenjie (Huawei Cloud), and Mr. Edmund Carulli (BNI Ventures), collectively highlighted the importance of adopting technology such as cloud computing, data analytics and generative AI.

They also provide encouragement for participants to be bolder in developing business strategies that are regionally scalable and have convincing financial storytelling skills, encouraging the exploration of new opportunities outside their comfort zone.

Towards the realization of ASEAN Digital, the ASEAN EDS program also presents a Fireside Chat session featuring Mr. Ea Hai Khov (ASEAN Secretariat), Mr. Jorge Zhu Wenjie (Huawei Cloud), and Ms. Jesslyn Gunawan (Trihill Capital).

This session, moderated by Dr. Satish Rao Appalanaidu, presents the best case studies that SMEs can immediately adopt to accelerate their digital transformation.

“Digitalization is an important driver of innovation, and we hope the ASEAN EDS program can open up new opportunities for SMEs to create value. We remain committed to supporting SMEs, ensuring they have access to the tools, mentoring and networks that can help drive long-term growth,” said Singh.

In line with this, Dr. Piti Srisangnam, Executive Director of the ASEAN Foundation, appreciated the participants’ openness to innovate and learn, which proves that SMEs in ASEAN are able to utilize digital tools to develop their businesses.

Meanwhile, Mr. Huawei’s Peter Pan Junfeng emphasized that their partnership with the ASEAN Foundation underscores the importance of cloud technology adoption in enhancing the competitiveness of SMEs.

Huawei is committed to continuing to accompany SMEs by providing relevant solutions, so that the digital transformation process can run more smoothly and have an impact.