4th AUN-University Innovation Entrepreneurship: Incubating ASEAN’s most promising talents

Spearheaders of innovation and entrepreneurship in leading ASEAN universities gathered for the first time after the pandemic at Singapore Management University from 13-14th September 2023. Leaders discussed the significant progress and exciting potential of the entrepreneurial ecosystems in ASEAN, as well as avenues to better collaborate while making use of pre-existing resources right in our backyard. Goals of digital transformation, sustainable living, and growth in Asia, while focusing the research energy to enhance pedagogical innovation to tackle global challenges are the key outlooks. The meeting was held alongside the Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition, bringing together the brightest minds from the world’s most entrepreneurial universities to address the challenges of the 21st century.

Innovation and Entrepreneurial incubation have taken critical strides in many ASEAN universities. Various efforts span across the region, including Startup Accelerator programs, community based technopreneurship, academy and mentorship programs, overseas flagship projects, masterclasses on marketing and developers, science technoparks, and many more. These contribute greatly to the economic development of the local community, modernization on the national level, and to great collaboration on the global stage.

Participants shared and discussed common challenges on knowledge transfer, fostering an innovative and entrepreneurial culture, and the critical need for effective and inclusive incubation to strengthen startups. Platforms such as these are a special venue to share amongst each other best practices and unique solutions that can be implemented to suit each university.

The network is heading to new collaborative actions that could accelerate each university’s mission on entrepreneurship and contributions to entrepreneurial ecosystem development.  The discussions of the 4th AUN-UIE will play a big role on what kind of structures to be put in place to help the innovators of tomorrow.