AWEN-MaGIC tie-up to foster business innovations between SMEs, startups
CYBERJAYA: Asean Women Entrepreneurs Network (AWEN) and Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre ( MaGIC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to cooperate on the Asean 10x10 programme.
In a joint statement yesterday, AWEN and MaGIC said, the programme aimed to foster collaborative innovations between Asean small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and regional startups.
“The programme focuses on 10 Asean countries, in which 10 SMEs will be selected from each country to derive 100 challenges while leveraging on one Asean startup community for multiple strategic solution matching,” the statement said.
MaGIC chief executive officer, Ashran Ghazi and Chairperson of AWEN, Pacita Huan, signed the memorandum of understanding here yesterday.
The joint statement was issued after the signing of the MOU.
Earlier, Head of AWEN Malaysia, Nadira Mohd Yusoff, said the 10 SMEs selected from each Asean country could learn new ideas and innovations from the startups from other Asean countries.
“The SMEs can also grow at the regional level.
“They can now look into new areas of innovation partnerships with startups and come out with solutions.
“I would highly encourage SMEs and startups to take advantage of this opportunity to learn from each other as the programme aims to provide a venue to share inputs and expand businesses to develop a better solution,” she said.
Meanwhile, Ashran said, although the programme involved AWEN, an Asean women’ group, it did not mean the the programme would not be opened to the men.
“If a man’s idea is good and innovative, the selection committee will choose him. However, at least there must be a women’s ownership of the company,” he said.
Asean comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. — Bernama