Taiwan's big data initiative has been adopted by Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Committee on Trade and Investment, reported Taiwan Today on August 8. The Taiwan-proposed Advancing Big Data Applications in Trade projects, which aim to encourage APEC members to tap into the possibilities and benefits of a data-driven method for improving  international trade cooperation and information sharing, have earned co-sponsorships from APEC member economies including Australia, South Korea, the Philippines and Thailand. Particularly, small and medium-sized enterprises in Asia-Pacific area will significantly benefit from big data technologies, which allow them to gain possible opportunities from new trade and economic development, said the Bureau of Foreign Trade, MOEA (Ministry of Economic Affairs).