The goal of the APEC 2017 App Challenge arises out of the recognition by APEC Ministers and Senior Officials that the Internet plays an important role in promoting the growth of small businesses in the region. The App Challenge initiative is supported by APEC, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam, the Asia Foundation, and Google.

leftcenterrightdel
Competitors at the challenge 

At the official launch of the APEC App Challenge, Deputy Director General of the Vietnam e-Commerce and Information Technology Agency Lai Viet Anh said that, “Recently, with  the Internet dominance, costs of finding overseas customers and exporting have come down dramatically. And that has allowed more and more MSMEs to engage in international trade and join global value chains.”

Participants in the App Challenge were also enthusiastic about the role that technology can play in supporting MSMEs. Noting that the vast majority of Asia Pacific businesses are MSMEs, Qamra Jema Khan, an Android developer from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, said that App Challenge sought to use technology to help small enterprises “chart their destiny in the global ecosystem.” “Even with limited resources,” added Frederick Fogerty, a participant from Auckland, New Zealand, “technology can have a substantial impact.”

After the end of the challenge, software products the challenge has generated will have potential to make a positive impact. Thanks to the participants’ efforts, the App Challenge has resulted in the creation of real, tangible, and scalable products with the power to help the Asia-Pacific’s small businesses take advantage of the Internet to overcome persistent barriers to growth.

Reported by Song Anh