Jakarta, 20 November 2025: In celebration of World Children’s Day 2025, ERIA officially launched the Health Innovation Spark (HITS) series with the inaugural event HITS4KIDS. HITS is a joint initiative of the ERIA Digital Innovation & Sustainable Economy Centre (E-DISC) and the ERIA Healthcare Unit, with the aim of advancing healthcare innovation and strengthening multisectoral collaboration across ASEAN and beyond.

The initiative also seeks to foster cross-sectoral and cross-border partnerships amongst academics, practitioners, startups, private sector representatives, and policymakers to drive impactful and scalable solutions that can improve the health and well-being of all.

HITS4KIDS showcased innovative solutions designed to address critical challenges and unmet needs faced by children and families across ASEAN and India. Ahead of the main programme, participants joined a field visit to the Tanah Abang Primary Healthcare Centre (Puskesmas) and the Yayasan Pondok Kasih Mandiri orphanage in Jakarta on 19 November 2025, gaining firsthand insights into community-level healthcare and social welfare services.

The main event on 20 November opened with opening remarks and an introduction to ERIA and the Healthcare Unit by Dr Manami Uechi, Director of Healthcare Services. Prof. Toh Teck Hock (Paediatrician & Head of Clinical Research Centre, Sibu Hospital, Malaysia) and Mr Shun Matsuzaka (Co-founder, TOY EIGHT) delivered keynote remarks. Their joint presentation, titled Inclusive Education 2.0: Building the Future with Startup and Government Synergy, underscored persistent gaps in developmental screening for children and emphasised the importance of collaborative, cross-sectoral approaches to closing them.

Dr Sarah K. Abe (Manager for Healthcare Services, ERIA) moderated the panel session ‘Startup Innovation for Child and Maternal Health and Well-being’. Panellists comprised:
• Dr Mesty Ariotedjo (Paediatrician, Tentang Anak)
• Ms Pressia Arifin-Cabo (United Nations Population Fund)
• Mr Masaki Ishibashi (TOY EIGHT)
• Dr Dewi Nur Aisyah (Ministry of Health, Indonesia)

The panellists highlighted key initiatives from their respective companies and organisations, followed by a rapid-fire exchange exploring the roles different actors can play in promoting health innovation from clinical, policy, and entrepreneurial perspectives.

Following the panel, Mr Kentaro Machii, Programme Manager for the Startup Ecosystem at ERIA, introduced E-DISC. This transitioned into a pitching challenge featuring 11 selected startups from across ASEAN and India, each presenting healthtech innovations for maternal and child health.

After the pitch session, selected participants joined a 1-on-1 business matching session designed to facilitate deeper engagement amongst startups, investors, private sector leaders, government representatives, academia, and other stakeholders.

An award ceremony later recognised three startups – MedKern (India), PrimaKu (Indonesia), and The Keeper Limited (Thailand) – as the winners of the pitching competition, receiving awards for Most Impactful Health Innovation, Most Growth-Ready Startup, and Most Transformative Innovation, respectively.

The event concluded with a vibrant networking session, providing participants with opportunities to connect, exchange insights, and explore potential collaborations. ERIA believes that the knowledge, connections, and dialogue generated through HITS4KIDS will pave the way for meaningful regional partnerships, innovative solutions, and long-term improvements in health and well-being for future generations.