The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) has entered into a collaboration with Japan’s Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation (SMRJ) to help Pakistani small and medium enterprises (SMEs) join ‘J-GoodTech ’-an online B2B platform.
The initiative marks another step in SMEDA’s internationalization drive to help Pakistani enterprises move beyond domestic markets and become part of global value chains. The Ministry of Industries and Production (MoI&P) is pursuing it under the guidance of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s vision of an export-oriented economy.
Through the platform, Pakistani SMEs will have opportunities to explore distributorship agreements, receive orders from Japanese buyers, establish joint ventures and pursue technical collaboration with companies across a global network.
Officials say the collaboration reflects SMEDA’s renewed emphasis on connecting Pakistani businesses with international markets and technology partners. “The initiative aims to create avenues for SMEs to expand their customer base, strengthen capabilities and participate in cross-border commercial opportunities,” they added.
Under the arrangement, interested enterprises will complete a registration form (accessible through the SMEDA website https://smeda.org/) developed to meet SMRJ’s requirements. SMEDA will scrutinize the submitted applications before forwarding eligible cases to SMRJ to create company profiles on the platform, they explain.
The process is designed to ensure credible, export-ready businesses are brought to the platform, officials add.
Documents say the initiative is expected to focus on sectors such as advanced manufacturing, medical equipment and eco-technology, while outreach will remain open to enterprises across all sectors of the economy.
The collaboration is part of SMEDA’s broader drive to pursue partnerships and discussions with international development institutions, technology platforms, and business networks to expand opportunities for Pakistani SMEs. These include recent collaborations with Alibaba.com and JICA, as well as engagements with counterparts in Russia, Uzbekistan, and Malaysia.
