Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) serve as the backbone of the nation’s economic growth, playing a pivotal role in driving innovation, creating employment opportunities, and fostering inclusive development. As the economic landscape evolves, SMEs become central to this transformation, contributing to technological advancements and overall resilience of Malaysia’s economy. This is in line with the government’s reform policies, such as Madani Economy, National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR), and New Industrial Master Plan (NIMP) 2030.

To unlock the full potential of SMEs, it becomes imperative to establish a well-developed ecosystem where access to finance serves as a key enabler, connecting various other ecosystem enablers across distinct stages of a business’s life cycle. As such, the role of market-based financing in catalysing growth and innovation within SMEs has never been more critical.

ICMR research focuses on providing

• comprehensive overview of the financing landscape for SMEs,
• in-depth analysis of challenges and opportunities faced by SMEs and
• holistic assessment of key imperatives required to strengthen the supporting ecosystem