Panel
In person
LeadersGoldDiscovery

AI for everyone: Unlocking global markets for SMEs

  • Date
    9 July 2026
    Timeframe
    14:30 - 15:00
    Duration
    30 minutes
    • Days
      Hours
      Min
      Sec

    AI is reshaping global trade, offering new tools to optimize supply chains and reduce costs. AI now enables the likes of real-time analytics, compliance capabilities, all of which are particularly valuable for SMEs, which form more than 90% of the world’s businesses, to navigate complex trade environments.

    Yet despite this potential, their AI adoption still lags that of large firms.

    Findings from the 2025 WTO-ICC survey on AI adoption for trade, suggests that AI could accelerate SME participation in global markets. SMEs prioritize market intelligence and communications which can help them find and reach new customers. This is different from large firms who use AI in trade more for compliance related functions, which might be due to them having a more established customer base. SMEs are also more optimistic about cost savings: 61 per cent expect AI-driven communications cost reductions of over 25 per cent, compared to 31 per cent of large firms.

    Adoption is constrained by concerns around trust and technical readiness. The lack of in-house expertise, cybersecurity concerns, and regulatory uncertainty rank above implementation costs as barriers to adoption.

    This panel will explore what trade policy (WTO), international standards (ITU), and business ecosystems must deliver to bring SMEs into the AI economy at scale. It will seek to feature the winner of the WTO-ICC-ITC-ITU Small Business Champion Award 2026, which will bring the perspectives of an SME innovator.

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