UK and Southeast Asian nations collaborate to enhance technology commercialisation expertise
The ASEAN i-Teams programme, modelled on its successful counterpart run at the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM), was the topic of discussion at a recent knowledge-sharing session between the UK and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The session paved the way for further collaboration between the nations, exploring ways research and innovation from ASEAN Member States can reach its full potential via the i-Teams programme.
On 9 October 2024, the UK and ASEAN hosted a knowledge-sharing session on the ASEAN i-Teams programme in conjunction with the 86th meeting of the ASEAN Committee on Science, Technology & Innovation (COSTI). The initiative aims to advance technology commercialisation across ASEAN Member States, with the event bringing together experts, university representatives and policymakers to explore the ways to harness the potential of university innovations and bring them to market.
The ASEAN i-Teams programme, funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and developed in close cooperation with ASEAN partners, is modelled after the successful i-Teams programme hosted at the IfM. The lead implementing partner for this two year project is the Centre for Global Equality, which also collaborates with the IfM on Development i-Teams.
Launched in 2006, the i-Teams approach has proven to be a game-changer in helping universities commercialise new technologies by training multi-disciplinary student teams in hands-on market research. The programme has now been piloted at two leading universities in ASEAN: Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST), Viet Nam and Bandung Institute of Technology (BIT), Indonesia.
The session marked a crucial opportunity for all ASEAN Member States to share lessons learned from these pilot programmes and discuss challenges and opportunities for technology transfer in the region.
Key objectives of the session included:
- Sharing insights from the first implementations of i-Teams in Viet Nam and Indonesia.
- Exploring how technology commercialisation in ASEAN can be enhanced through university-industry collaboration.
- Identifying future opportunities to support ASEAN COSTI priorities.
Amy Weatherup, i-Teams Programme Director at the University of Cambridge, said, “Throughout the ASEAN i-Teams programme, we have been impressed by the depth of science research and the support being put in place for technology commercialisation in both ITB and HUST. The students and staff have been exceptional, and the i-Teams have made some very perceptive recommendations for the inventors of the new technologies."
"We would like to thank all of the COSTI attendees who joined us in Singapore for their knowledgeable feedback and positive suggestions about the work we have done in the ASEAN region, and we look forward to the next stages of their technology commercialisation journeys,” says Dr. Lara Allen, CEO of the Centre for Global Equality
For the official press release, please see :
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For more information on the ASEAN i-Teams programme, visit: www.iteamsonline.org/asean-i-teams
For more information on i-Teams at the IfM, visit: www.iteamsonline.org
The ASEAN i-Teams programme is funded by the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and led by the Centre for Global Equality.