Wahyu Dwi Anggoro
IDXChannel - The potential for startup businesses in ASEAN could reach USD1 trillion by 2030. To achieve this, startups need support and encouragement through innovation and collaborative facilitation both within ASEAN and Indo-Pacific.
This was conveyed by the Director General of Information and Public Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Teuku Faizasyah, in his opening speech at the ASEAN-Indo-Pacific Forum (AIPF) Startup Connect event in Jakarta on Tuesday (5/9/2023). The event, which took place over two days on September 5-6, 2023, was a side event of the 43rd ASEAN Summit.
A total of 52 startups in the fields of finance, SMEs, supply chain, and creative economy from seven ASEAN countries (Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam), as well as 21 corporate partners from three countries (Indonesia, Japan, Singapore), attended the AIPF Startup Connect event.
The startups and corporate partners are participating in marathon business matching sessions from today until tomorrow," said Faizasyah.
Through this activity, it is hoped that ASEAN will continue to produce successful startups, even reaching unicorn and decacorn status, he added.
Vice President for Asia Pacific at Google, Michaela Browning, also expressed her belief that the development of startups in ASEAN will continue to grow rapidly. This is due to the strong adoption of technology by the ASEAN population and the continuous emergence of young talent.
In panel discussions, challenges and opportunities in improving the competitiveness of startups in ASEAN were discussed, particularly in response to the development of digital technology and the strengthening of sustainability issues.
The AIPF Startup Connect event is the result of collaboration between the government and the business sector (Government-to-Business) involving the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Google, and Impaccto. (WHY)
