At the first conference of the UP Diliman (UPD) Institute for Small-Scale Industries (ISSI) on small and medium enterprise (SME) development, UPD Chancellor Edgardo Carlo L. Vistan II said the conference’s theme encapsulates the spirit of those who dare to dream, create, and overcome.

The ISSI conducted the International Conference on Entrepreneurship and SME Development 2023 (ICESMED 2023) with the theme Resilience and Relentlessness: Bouncing Back and Leaping Forward.

“In the dynamic landscape of entrepreneurship and SME development, resilience and relentlessness are not mere buzzwords but guiding principles that fuel the journey of every visionary,” Vistan said.

The two-day conference from Nov. 28 to 29 was held at Malcolm Hall (plenary sessions) and ISSI training rooms (parallel sessions).

The ICESMED 2023 served as a venue for faculty members, students, researchers, and practitioners to share their work in the fields of entrepreneurship and the development of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

The ICESMED 2023 brought together 110 participants from the academic community, non-profit organizations, and corporations from various regions in the country. It featured two plenary sessions and 10 breakout sessions with 54 paper presentations.

The presentations covered topics on technology, innovation, and MSME development; entrepreneurial behavior; MSME policy; disaster risk reduction / COVID-19 / business continuity planning; entrepreneurship education; inclusive entrepreneurship; and entrepreneurship and SME development and sustainable development goals.

Quezon City Mayor Maria Josefina “Joy” Go Belmonte was the event’s keynote speaker. In her message, Belmonte enumerated the projects and support systems Quezon City provide the MSMEs. She also shared success stories of some MSMEs in Quezon City.