Singapore, 23 June 2022: The Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia, in partnership with the Asian Network, launched a new ERIA initiative to promote inclusive economic development though entrepreneurship and innovation across ASEAN and East Asia: the E-S-I Knowledge Lab. 

The Entrepreneurship (E), Start-ups (S), Innovation (I) Knowledge Lab is a platform to discuss, share idea and develop new knowledge on how innovation and business creation are contributing to the post-pandemic recovery across ASEAN and East Asia. The platform is open and collaborative and engages actors across academia, the business community, policy makers as well as international organisations.

The E-S-I Knowledge Lab  scopes new tech and innovation trends in a number of key areas for the development of ASEAN (such as ed tech, agri tech, and health tech) and wants to connect the growing community of ASEAN innovators with peers across the globe. The E-S-I Knowledge Lab is also committed to promote innovation for inclusive development, in particular by promoting knowledge on how to support women entrepreneurs and innovators, innovative social enterprises working to include persons with disabilities and the digitalisations of MSMEs.

During the launch event, key stakeholders from the Singapore business community, knowledge organisations and entrepreneurship and innovation support organisations gathered to discuss challenges and opportunities to foster connectivity and inclusion in the digital economy and innovation in ASEAN. Participants discussed on-going trends and future scenarios for the ASEAN digital economy. The issues of connectivity, skills development and bridging digital divides emerged as key areas for policy makers to consider to foster inclusion and sustainable development.

‘The E-S-I Knowledge Lab is our new platform to discuss how innovation and entrepreneurship are transforming ASEAN economies. If we want to foster inclusion and move towards sustainable development goals, it is key to understand how digital technologies can accelerate transformative solutions for inclusive development,’ concluded Dr Giulia Ajmone Marsan, Strategy and Partnership Director at ERIA.

‘My company has benefited greatly by partering with  the E-S-I Knowledge Lab. This is a way to connect relevant stakeholders within our Asian Network community with key regional initiatives,’ mentioned Ravindra NGO, CEO and Founder of the Asian Network.

‘Southeast-Asia’s burgeoning digital economy gives leaders new ways to harness the power of technology for good. To fully realise the benefits of the digital economy, closing the digital divide at the local, national and regional levels must be an economic, political and social imperative. Regional coherence on strategies, policies and systems can help boost cross-border public services and e-commerce in the region. To fully maximise the transformational potential of technology, Southeast-Asian leaders must continue to remain open to regional cooperation and exchange,’ mentioned PeiChin Tay, Policy Lead at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change who participated in the E-S-I Knowledge Lab Singapore Launch.

For more information on E-S-I Knowledge Lab visit: https://www.esi-eria.org/

Connect with E-S-I Knowledge Lab on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/e-s-i-knowledge-lab/