Medellin, 15 December 2023: The Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) co-organised and co-hosted a policy session during the 2023 World Congress of the International Economic Association, to discuss findings and trends emerging from the work of the OECD Platform for the ERIA-chaired Entrepreneurship Education Collaboration and Engagement Network (EECOLE).

The session on The Role of Higher Education Institutions in Entrepreneurial Ecosystems – Lessons from the OECD, Latin America and Asia, discussed policy trends and dynamics vis-à-vis innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems across these regions.

Key messages which emerged during the session include:

1. Innovation ecosystems are very diverse and context specific. Their success and trajectories are determined by their comparative advantages, the type of local institutions, local talent and communities, and international connections.
2. Higher education institutions such as universities are key actors in innovation ecosystems, however they can play very different roles depending on the specifics of the ecosystems themselves. Factors which are important to consider include the absorption capacity of the local business sector; the ability to attract, retain and circulate talent; industrial structures and research and development (R&D) intensity.
3. Innovation and entrepreneurship are increasingly important vis-à-vis global trends which are transforming economies and societies, such as increasing geopolitical rivalry, digital transition, and green transformation. These structural transformations also require new and different skillsets for innovation and entrepreneurship, for example the ability to navigate complexity, team working, creativity, and adaptability.

The session was organized by Dr Raffaele Trapasso, OECD and leader of the EECOLE initiative; and Dr Giulia Ajmone Marsan, ERIA Director of Strategy and Partnership and Chair of the EECOLE Steering Group. Other speakers included Tatyana Orozco, business sector leader from Colombia; Professor Louise Kempton of Newcastle University, UK; Dr Juan Carlos Navarro, former Principal Lader Science and Technology of the Inter-American Development Bank and independent expert; and Dr Fernando Gomez-Baquero, Director of Runway and Spinouts, Cornell Tech, New York, the US.