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Friday, October 24, 2025
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Lao Green Business Forum 2025 sets vision for Laos as ASEAN’s future Green Business Hub

This Week

The Lao Green Business Forum 2025 marked a pivotal step in Laos’s journey toward becoming a regional leader in green and sustainable enterprise.

Hosted at the Amari Vientiane Hotel, the event brought together over 150 participants from government, business, finance, academia, and development sectors, all committed to advancing a shared vision of Laos as the Green Business Hub of ASEAN.

Co-organized by XM Technovator (XMT) and the Department of Forestry under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Forest Ecopreneurs Incubation Program, the forum showcased how innovation and environmental stewardship can go hand in hand.

In his opening address, Xaysompheng Sengkhamyong, Director of the Production Forest Management Division, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to sustainable growth, stating that “Laos must now move from resource extraction to resource regeneration.”

His words reflected a broader policy shift toward harnessing the country’s rich natural assets to fuel an inclusive, low-carbon economy.

UNEP’s Senior Technical Advisor, Alexis Corblin, underscored the importance of aligning policy, finance, and innovation to unlock green value chains. “UNEP is proud to see Laos taking proactive steps to build a green economy that aligns conservation with competitiveness,” said Corblin. “The Forest Ecopreneurs initiative demonstrates that protecting forests can also drive growth, create jobs, and inspire new forms of investment.”

He added that the forum marked “a new phase of collaboration where government leadership, private sector dynamism, and community innovation intersect to achieve sustainable prosperity.”

Throughout the day, panel discussions and exhibitions highlighted the immense potential of Laos’s biodiversity, renewable energy, and forest-based enterprises.

Representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the European Union, the Young Entrepreneurs Association of Laos (YEAL), GGGI, UNDP, ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity, RECOFTC, and others discussed how Laos could leverage its natural wealth and innovation capacity to build a resilient green economy.

“YEAL stands ready to partner with XM Technovator, the government, and all stakeholders to shape a green economy that positions Laos at the center of sustainable business in ASEAN,” said Viboon Sithimolada, Vice President of YEAL. “This is not just about promoting green startups, it’s about building an ecosystem where responsible entrepreneurship becomes the foundation of our country’s future.”

A highlight of the event was the Forest Ecopreneurs Incubation 2025 Final Pitching Competition, which celebrated the nation’s most promising green innovators from 13 provinces.

The program, implemented by XMT in partnership with MAF, UNEP, and Bridge for Billions, supported 29 early-stage enterprises this year, graduating 21 ventures focused on forest-friendly and sustainable business models.

First prize went to Tongkham Suliyodlathanh from Houaphanh Province for his agroforestry model, Growing Coffee Under the Shade of a Family Tree, which integrates coffee cultivation beneath forest canopies.

The first runner-up, Yengmoua Yongpor, founder of Go2Green Sole Co., Ltd, developed a digital waste-management platform, while Oulayphone Phommachanh of SoGreen Laos received second runner-up for her sustainable honey enterprise.

Two special awards recognized creativity and impact: Lamkiang Phongnanid from Savannakhet won Best Product for her eco-friendly Coffee Scrub Soap, while Sithandone Thammasine from Vientiane Capital earned the Most Impact Venture Award for Lao Chaluen Recycling, which generates over LAK 50 billion in annual circular-economy value.

Closing the forum, Corblin highlighted that “what we are seeing in Laos today is a new generation of entrepreneurs who understand that sustainability and business success can go hand in hand.”

Xaysompheng Sengkhamyong reaffirmed the government’s role, saying, “Through partnerships with organizations like XM Technovator and UNEP, we are not only restoring forests, we are cultivating a green economy that values both people and nature.”

XM Technovator’s Managing Director, Ophakorn Kouphokham, added, “Our goal is to make the Lao Green Business Forum a yearly platform that connects innovators, investors, and institutions to co-create sustainable solutions. The Forest Ecopreneurs Program is more than an incubation, it is a movement to redefine how Laos harnesses its natural wealth for inclusive prosperity.”

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