Serendipity Knowledge Program is an ADB platform dedicated to identifying knowledge solutions for Sri Lanka’s development challenges. Serendib is one of Sri Lanka’s ancient names and serendipity refers to a fortunate finding, which is a common occurrence throughout the history of product invention and scientific discovery. ADB established this new knowledge program in 2021 in line with its vision as a knowledge solutions bank.

Micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) development is key to achieving inclusive growth. MSME policy design has grown more challenging given the complexity of the MSME business environment and the rapidly evolving external environment. The exogenous shock of the COVID-19 pandemic severely limited economic activity, including for MSMEs, which has been further exacerbated by the ongoing economic crisis. The Asia Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Monitor is a knowledge-sharing product for small and medium-sized enterprises in Asia and the Pacific, especially focusing on access to finance. This event under the Serendipity Knowledge Program provided a platform to discuss findings from the Asia SME Monitor series on MSME development, access to finance, and policy actions, post the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing economic crisis in Sri Lanka.