SMEs heed govt call

More than 200 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore have responded to the government's iSprint programme, an initiative to provide assistance on information and communications technology, reports Channel News Asia.

The companies have collectively invested $2 million in ICT-related projects to improve or transform their business.

Speaking at the 14th Infocomm Commerce Conference last week, Acting minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, Lui Tuck Yew, urged more companies to tap on the programme.

Irish software companies are set to showcase their products to major venture capital companies at the upcoming second annual Software Investor Forum in Dublin, organised by the Irish Software Association and the Irish Venture Capital Association (IVCA), writes Finfacts.

The event, which will take place on November 25th, gives innovative software SMEs and start-ups the opportunity to showcase their businesses to some of Ireland's leading venture capitalists.

Members of the IVCA have some 800 million euros to invest over the next few years and have already invested 1.5 billion euros in Ireland during the last ten years.

A new forward-looking initiative to strengthen the growth of the SME sector in the UAE was unveiled with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (Mou) between Economic Zones World's R&D initiative, Dubai Institute of Technology (DIT) and the Federal Ministry of Economy, says Khaleej Times.

At a brief ceremony on the sidelines of the 20th Waitro Biennial Congress and General Assembly, organised under the banner of DIT Strategic Forum, the Mou was signed by Economic Zones World chief executive officer Salma Hareb and Ministry of Economy director-general Mohammad Bin Abdelaziz.

The Mou establishes a partnership between the two parties, who will engage in discussions focussed on exploring ways to enhance competitiveness in the UAE's SME sector through accessing innovation and technology.