Jakarta, 25–26 May 2026: The ERIA Digital Innovation and Sustainable Economy Centre (E-DISC) convened the Third ASEAN Start-up Policy Roundtable in Jakarta, bringing together representatives from the ASEAN Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation (COSTI), the ASEAN Secretariat, academia, start-up leaders, ecosystem builders, and international organisations to examine trends, address challenges, and explore pathways for strengthening ASEAN’s social impact and innovation ecosystem.

The event opened with remarks by ERIA President Tetsuya Watanabe, who underscored the importance of collective action in supporting the development of social impact start-ups across the region.

‘There is a growing need for enabling policies, stronger innovation ecosystems, and greater regional collaboration to support the growth and scaling up of social impact start-ups across ASEAN. Through this Roundtable, we aim to strengthen alignment between innovation and ASEAN’s development priorities, while identifying practical ways to support social impact ecosystems through policy, investment, talent development, and regional co-operation, ’ he said.

Mr Ea Hai Khov, Assistant Director of the Enterprise and Stakeholders Engagement Division (ESED) at the ASEAN Secretariat, delivered remarks highlighting the importance of practical measures to promote inclusive, sustainable, and innovative businesses across ASEAN.

The event also featured a keynote address by Emeritus Professor Woh Poh Kam of the National University of Singapore, who spoke on the role of national and regional policies in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems.

The roundtable focused on three key themes through interactive and moderated panel discussions:

• 'Understanding the Concept of Social Impact Start-ups and Social Economy’ explored definitions and frameworks relating to social impact start-ups and enterprises. Greater clarity in terminology would help policymakers better identify, monitor, and support relevant entities.
• 'From Service Provision to Impact and Innovation’ examined ways to strengthen innovation ecosystems across the region. Discussions highlighted the need for policymakers to better recognise the unique challenges faced by social impact entrepreneurs and to provide more effective policy and incentive support.
• 'From Set Up to Scale Up’ emphasised the importance of broadening ASEAN’s understanding of scale beyond business growth alone to include the depth of social impact, inclusion of underserved communities, replicability across contexts, and long-term sustainability.

On the second day, ERIA organised the Jakarta Start-up Ecosystem Site Visit to complement the policy discussions. Participants visited Jakarta Mori Tower and Klinik Pratama Aisyah, a primary healthcare provider, to observe how innovations developed by Rekosistem, Modalku, and Doctor Tool are being implemented in, or supporting operations at, these facilities.

Representatives from the three start-ups also delivered presentations, providing deeper insights into how local innovators are delivering sustainable business solutions in emerging sectors such as waste management, inclusive financing, and healthcare services.

The roundtable underscored how public policy challenges across sectors can be transformed into opportunities for national growth and innovation. It also highlighted the importance of regional collaboration within ASEAN to strengthen policy co-ordination, infrastructure development, and financing support for social impact innovation ecosystems.