Abstract
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have long been recognized by APEC as a key contributing source of economic prosperity and employment, innovation and a growth engine within the Asian Pacific region. According to APEC ministerial statements from 1994 to 2016, human resource development, information access, innovation and adaptation of new technology, financing and market access have been key development initiatives. This pilot paper uses the harmonized data compiled by GEM as an alternative to official records to study the features of the MSMEs sector in the APEC region, and Hong Kong in particular. Our study covers the following five areas which are closely related to APEC’s MSMEs initiatives
- promoting new business creation,
- adopting innovation technology,
- promoting export orientation,
- encouraging female entrepreneurship, and
- understanding the relationship between entrepreneurship and income levels