We invite submissions of unpublished empirical analyses, survey articles, and policy-oriented research on a range of topics related to private sector development (especially, MSME development), impact assessments of geopolitical risks on international trade for MSMEs, investment/financing matters to private sector business or MSMEs, and related policy design, including, but are not limited to, the following:

• Private Sector Development and Inclusive Growth – The Role of MSMEs under Global Agendas: Measuring the effect of the private sector development / MSME development for resilient, inclusive economic growth amid global uncertainty; sectoral assessment of private sector businesses; environment-friendly MSMEs.   
• International Trade for MSMEs: MSME participation in global value chains; the role of regional cooperation and integration for internationalized MSMEs; impact of regional/global turbulence, tariff/non-tariff barriers, and regulatory and policy issues for MSME exporters/importers.
• Technology Adoption for MSMEs: Sectoral impact of business digitalization for MSMEs’ global business; barriers for technology adoption, transfer, and commercialization for MSMEs; regulatory and policy issues.
• Investing and Financing MSMEs: Assessment of various financing options for domestic and globalized MSMEs, including the assessment of bank credit performance, nonbank financing, credit guarantees/insurance, venture capital/ private equity investments, digital finance solutions, and capital markets for MSMEs.
• MSME Trade Policies and Assessments: Diagnostic assessment / impact evaluation of policy interventions and regulations on MSMEs’ international trade amidst growing geopolitical risks; how national and sub-national institutions, legal frameworks, and the ease of doing business influence MSME development and trade integration; how governance structures impact MSMEs’ participation in formal markets and access to international trade opportunities.
• Institutional Arrangements for MSMEs: Institutional quality, business registration and licensing procedures, regulatory burdens on small firms, corruption, contract enforcement, and public service delivery; comparative analyses of MSME-related policies across economies, and their adaptability in times of geopolitical or economic stress.

Interested authors should register here to submit papers by 15 June 2025. Only completed papers with an abstract will be considered for evaluation. Submissions will be evaluated in terms of originality, analytical rigor, and policy relevance in the Asian context. Decisions on paper selections will be announced in July 2025.

The paper length should be in the range of 6,000–8,000 words (including references), and adhere to the following structure:

• Paper title
• Author information (including co-authors): name, affiliation, address, and email
• Abstract (150-250 words)
• Introduction
• Main text (split into various sections with headings and subheadings: e.g. literature review, data and methodology/approach, and main findings)
• Conclusion and policy recommendations
• References

Authors of the accepted papers (one author per paper) will be invited to the conference scheduled on 13 November 2025. After the conference, the authors will revise their papers based on comments received from the reviewers/discussants. The revised papers will be considered for the book on the conference topic. Authors may also have an opportunity to submit their work for publication in the ADB Economics Working Paper Series.