KUALA LUMPUR, 24 October 2025 – Recognising the critical role of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in driving a sustainable, forward-looking, and inclusive ASEAN, ASEAN today launched the ASEAN Centre of Excellence (CoE) for MSMEs in Green Transition. The ceremonial launch was officiated by Dato’ Seri Utama Haji Mohamad bin Haji Hasan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia, and witnessed by Dato’ Sri Ramanan Ramakrishnan, Deputy Minister of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development (MECD) of Malaysia, and Wittawat Lamsam, Chair of the ASEAN Coordinating Committee on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (ACCMSME). The ceremony was also attended by Rafael Daerr, European Union Ambassador to Malaysia; Satvinder Singh, Deputy Secretary-General (DSG) of ASEAN for ASEAN Economic Community; and Dato’ Astanah Abdul Aziz, DSG of ASEAN for ASEAN Political-Security Community.
The CoE is a Priority Economic Deliverable (PED) led by MECD under Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship 2025. The establishment of the CoE was supported by the EU through the Technical Assistance Facility to the Green Team Europe Initiative (TAF-GTEI).
The CoE is envisioned to serve as a regional hub for capacity building, training, and knowledge exchange to support MSMEs in their green transition journey. It also aims to foster a more inclusive and competitive regional business environment to strengthen MSMEs’ integration in the global value chains, which is directly aligned with the strategic objectives of the ASEAN Economic Community Strategic Plan 2030.
Sujiro Seam, European Union Ambassador to ASEAN, commended Malaysia’s leadership role in advancing MSMEs in the green transition, demonstrating the unwavering commitment of ASEAN to carbon neutrality future. He reaffirmed the EU’s continued support to the CoE: “We are committed to supporting the Centre of Excellence, including financing its first year of training, to empower MSMEs in the region as key drivers of a resilient and innovative ASEAN. This reflects the EU’s Global Gateway strategy to build sustainable, inclusive, and green partnerships with ASEAN.”
Wittawat Lamsam, the ACCMSME Chair, underscored the CoE’s significance for the region: “The Centre of Excellence marks an important milestone in our collective journey toward a sustainable, competitive, and resilient ASEAN. It transforms our regional commitment under the ASEAN Strategic Action Plan for MSME Development 2026–2030, particularly on MSMEs in the green transition, into tangible action. Through this Centre, MSMEs across ASEAN will be empowered with the knowledge, best practices, and networks they need to innovate, adopt greener business models, and thrive in the global marketplace.”
Dato’ Sri Ramanan Ramakrishnan, Deputy Minister of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development, said that Malaysia is proud to lead this initiative, which aims to equip ASEAN MSMEs with the tools and knowledge necessary to enhance their contribution to sustainable growth through regional and global trade. He emphasised that the Centre would strengthen ASEAN’s green entrepreneurship ecosystem and serve as a regional platform for sharing best practices, thereby accelerating the region’s transition towards a low-carbon and inclusive economy.”
Today’s launch marks a significant step toward the operationalisation of the CoE for MSME in Green Transition. Following the launch, the CoE’s development will proceed in phases with the finalisation of the landscape study and CoE’s terms of reference for endorsement by ACCMSME, followed by a 3-day pilot training programme for ASEAN MSMEs to be hosted by the CoE.
Media contact
- The European Union: delegation-asean-info@eeas.europa.eu
- ASEAN Secretariat: mustika.hapsoro@asean.org
- MECD: ukk@kuskop.gov.my
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