Promoting SCP in ASEAN countries
ECOTHON in Cambodia 2021: Impact Startup and Idea Competition for Sustainable Consumption and Production
International mentors, coaches, judges and Cambodian competing teams in ECOTHON Cambodia 2021
HSF
ECOTHON (short for Eco-Entrepreneurs’ Marathon) is a business model competition for promising eco-entrepreneurs who have innovative business ideas aimed at achieving the SDG12 “Sustainable Consumption and Production” (SCP). Comprising lectures on entrepreneurship and SCP as well as coaching and mentoring sessions from renowned international experts, the competition aims at supporting the realisation of promising green business ideas and raising public awareness of SCP among local communities, including both producers and consumers, in ASEAN countries. ECOTHON series has been co-organised by the ASEM SMEs Eco-Innovation Center (ASEIC) and Hanns Seidel Foundation Vietnam (HSF) since 2019.
Panel of judges
HSF
This year, the ECOTHON series is held in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The first competition of the ECOTHON series took place in Cambodia from 28th to 30th July. Nine competent teams from Cambodia were selected to present their innovative business ideas that seek to protect the environment, promote local raw material production, improve public health, and facilitate circular economy in Cambodia.
H.E. Chhem Kieth Rethy - Minister Delegate Attached to the Prime Minister and Secretary of State of MISTI of Cambodia spoke at the event
HSF
ECOTHON Cambodia 2021 was also supported by the Young Entrepreneurs Association of Cambodia (YEAC), the Global Entrepreneurship Network Cambodia, the Royal University of Phnom Penh, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups of the Republic of Korea, and the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology & Innovation of Cambodia (MISTI). During the award and closing ceremony on 30th July, H. E. Chhem Kieth Rethy expressed his appreciation for the organisation of the ECOTHON in Cambodia. He spoke highly of all ideas of the participants which are not only profitable, but, more importantly, also environmentally and socially sustainable. He acknowledged the need for a sound legal framework that can stimulate economic growth while protecting the environment and improving social welfare as Cambodia’s ultimate development goal and expressed his appreciation of the role of these young entrepreneurs in fulfilling this goal.
SugarPads – First prize winner of ECOTHON Cambodia 2021
HSF
The first prize of ECOTHON Cambodia this year went to team SugarPads whose idea is to produce biodegradable sanitary pads using banana and sugarcane bagasse. Their mission is to tackle environmental and health problem associated with disposable menstrual products on the one hand, and to combat taboo and misperception of menstruation and to advocate for women rights on the other hand. As the first prize winner, team SugarPads will participate in and present their startup to potential investors at the most famous and biggest start-up festival in Korea “K-Startup Week Come up 2021”. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic all events will be held online this year.
The second and third prizes went to team Neron Recycle and Krodas Kjob, respectively. Both teams aim at reducing plastic waste: while team Neron Recycle focuses on recycling plastic waste and facilitating circular plastic use, team Krodas Kjob want to produce biodegradable packaging materials from corn husks.
The next competition of the ECOTHON series is scheduled from 11th to 13th August in Lao PDR.
Some photos from ECOTHON Cambodia 2021’s participants:
