The Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC), in cooperation with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), is pleased to invite you to an upcoming webinar focusing on the important linkages between Quality Infrastructure for Sustainable Development (QI4SD), SME access to finance, industrial resilience and market integration.
Small and medium-sized enterprises play a vital role in economic development across OIC Member States. Yet many continue to face challenges in accessing finance, demonstrating compliance with recognized standards, enhancing their competitiveness and entering regional and international markets.
This webinar will bring together perspectives from quality infrastructure, government, development finance, Islamic finance, SME development and academia to examine how stronger connections between quality infrastructure and financing mechanisms can help SMEs improve their competitiveness, export readiness and integration into regional and international value chains.
Key areas of discussion
The programme will address Quality Infrastructure and QI4SD as enablers of SME competitiveness and access to finance, national approaches to entrepreneurship and industrial resilience, financing gaps faced by SMEs in OIC Member States, Islamic financing solutions through lines of finance, SME readiness for finance and market access, and the relationship between quality infrastructure, SME creditworthiness and access to finance.
The webinar will feature contributions from UNIDO, SMIIC, the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Islamic Development Bank, the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector, SKSEED and Durham University, followed by an interactive Q&A session.
We particularly encourage the participation of representatives from national standards, accreditation and metrology institutions, ministries responsible for industry, trade and SME development, financial and development finance institutions, SME support organizations, and other relevant stakeholders.
Wednesday, 23 September 2026
10:00–12:00 CEST | 11:00–13:00 GMT+3
Participation is open and registration is required.
We would also appreciate your support in sharing this invitation with colleagues, institutions and stakeholders within your network who may benefit from the discussion.
We look forward to welcoming you to this important exchange and to jointly exploring practical approaches for strengthening the resilience, competitiveness and sustainable development of SMEs across OIC Member States.