The AABI 20th Anniversary Summit, organized by the Shanghai Technology Innovation Center and co-hosted by incubators in Shanghai and incubation associations from Thailand, ROK, and other countries, took place on December 30 in Shanghai, under the lead of AABI, the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Science & Technology (MOST), Torch High Technology Industry Development Center of the MOST, and the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (STCSM). The purpose of the event was for Shanghai to engage deeper in the Belt and Road Science, Technology, and Innovation Cooperation Action Plan, implement the plan on innovation and entrepreneurship and build a diversified united international network. Mr. Dai Gang, director-general of MOST’s Department of International Cooperation, and AABI president Ms. Suwipa Wanasathop delivered their speeches via video link. Ms. Huang Hong, deputy director of STCSM and Shanghai Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, addressed the audience on site.

AABI drives the integrated development of innovation and entrepreneurship in the Asia-Pacific region.

As highlighted in the Report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, we will reinforce the principal role of enterprises in innovation, give full play to the guiding and supporting role of key high-tech enterprises, create an enabling environment for the growth of micro, small, and medium technological enterprises, and further integrate the innovation, industrial, capital and talent chains on a deeper level.

Since its establishment in 2002, AABI has focused on promoting exchanges and collaboration on science and technology incubation between Asia-Pacific countries and regions by following the development trends of international innovation and entrepreneurship and integrating key innovation elements across the globe. The past two decades have seen the membership of AABI grow across 19 countries and regions, including China, India, Thailand, ROK, and Australia, effectively serving more than 5,000 technology incubators. AABI is also the largest international business incubator currently active in the Asia-Pacific region, especially in regard to the “Belt and Road” Initiative.

In his speech, Mr. Dai Gang pointed out that over the past 20 years, all parties have shared incubation service resources to promote the cross-border development of incubators and technological enterprises in different countries, which has given birth to a sound Asia-Pacific incubation partnership. He expected to see AABI continue to give full play to its advantages as an international, professional, and flexible organization, further engage in the sharing of and collaboration on science and technology resources and services across the Asia Pacific, and actively promote the multi-level integrated development of innovation and entrepreneurship in the region. Furthermore, he said the Department of International Cooperation of MOST will continue to create opportunities, build platforms and support international cooperation on innovation and entrepreneurship, and contribute more to the common prosperity and development of all countries.

Ms. Suwipa Wanasathop emphasized the major role of business incubation in coping with the challenges brought by COVID-19 and helping economies stay resilient and competitive. AABI’s incubator members have proven crucial in nurturing innovative entrepreneurs and tech startups. They have worked with strategic partners in various regions to create new solutions and new ways of doing business, and to build a vibrant ecosystem that is key to entrepreneurs’ success and economic growth. In this sense, AABI has become a cross-border business collaboration platform that supports and develops partnerships and helps entrepreneurs in various regions.

Ms. Huang Hong talked about how AABI has created a presence in 19 cities in the world over the past 20 years and how its successive councils have made new progress based on thorough exchanges and discussions, steadily empowering the healthy operation and growth of this cross-border multilateral science and technology organization. The establishment and development of the association epitomizes the coordinated efforts of sci-tech innovation forces in Shanghai. Further engagement with the association in the next one or two decades is also on Shanghai’s agenda for international collaboration on science and technology. With flexibility, professionalism, and openness, we will continue to foster collaboration in sci-tech innovation and entrepreneurship in the Asia-Pacific region by laying the right ground, inspiring sci-tech innovation, and creating an open system for it.

AABI blazes a trail of co-development for cross-border multilateral networks.

AABI is committed to the professional operation of cross-border multilateral incubation networks, with a consistent focus on professional incubation, non-governmental consultation and autonomy, and international exchanges. Over the years, what AABI has done has illustrated its purpose of “building a diversified international cooperation network.” Its network based on consultation and co-development, conferences on collaboration, annual innovation awards, and academic journals have contributed to collaboration across fields, layers, and borders.

The past two decades have witnessed AABI bring together numerous incubation professionals, who have gained brilliant ideas from their discussions and built up a strong trust through cooperation. This is a precious asset for international incubation cooperation.

The diversified environment for innovation and entrepreneurship in the Asia-Pacific region has urged the AABI network to gather a myriad of incubators with unique strengths. As a result, thirty-one technology incubators have won the AABI Incubator of the Year Award. They champion and accompany the startups with their familiarity with the local incubation ecosphere. They also promote cross-border collaboration by being active at the forefront of Asia-Pacific cooperation.

Since its establishment, AABI has launched two annual awards, the “AABI Incubator of the Year Award” and the “ABBI Torch Entrepreneur Awards,” to promote exchanges on sci-tech innovation, information sharing, and cross-border cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. Major council members recommend that local representative incubators and enterprises to file an application and designate experts to decide the winners through open evaluation. The “AABI Torch Entrepreneur Awards”, proposed and sponsored by China, include the Best Entrepreneur Award, Award for Technology Transfer, Award for Internationalization, and Award for the Most Promising Entrepreneur. They are designed to recognize entrepreneurs who have performed superbly in incubator projects of member countries or regions, and to enhance the enterprises’ ability to expand cross-border business.

Mr. Jia Jingdun, director of the Torch High Technology Industry Development Center, MOST, said in his speech that the Torch Center is one of the founding members of AABI. “Torch” in the Chinese context is often reminiscent of the saying by Chairman Mao that “a single spark can start a huge blaze.” The “AABI Torch Entrepreneur Awards” are thus named to express the hope of empowering the winning entrepreneurs and enterprises to further connect with the Asia-Pacific and even the global market through the influence of the association’s network. This year’s award winners mainly come from industries such as digital intelligence, agricultural technology, high-end manufacturing, and new materials, which s with our current needs to cope with many global challenges, including COVID-19, food security, and sustainable development. They also represent the future of sci-tech innovation and entrepreneurship in the Asia Pacific region, reflecting the hot spots and highlights.

Over the past two decades, AABI has presented 98 Torch Entrepreneur Awards to the shining stars in its network, each with unique strengths and global vision, who are committed to the local people’s well-being or industrial transformation. The achievements and experience in entrepreneurship and the transformation of these entrepreneurs and enterprises have made the integrated development of innovation and entrepreneurship in Asia Pacific all the more appealing and enlightening.

AABI delivers the most professional value-added incubation services.

Also present at the event were representatives from technological enterprises, investment institutions, and academic research institutes, who shared their views on building an innovation network. In addition, interviews were conducted with representatives of AABI Incubator of the Year Award winners.

Mr. Wang Guanchun, the founder of Laiye and winner of the AABI Torch Best Entrepreneur Award in 2021, delivered a speech titled “Encouraging AABI Services: Professional Incubators Effectively Help Technology Enterprises Go International.” He believes that a technological enterprise needs to think ahead and take action to prepare for or even lead the next round of technological competition and improve human life while identifying and addressing the pain points in real life. While the pandemic continues to affect our lifestyles and accelerate the digitalization of all industries, intelligence and automation have changed from an option to a living condition, said the Gartner Report. Therefore, Laiye feels honored and obliged to provide high-caliber and efficient automation solutions, as always, to those in need. Driven by this mission, AABI’s incubator network can encourage more vertical or interdisciplinary links between technology companies. Furthermore, the Asia-Pacific region features diverse cultures with the same origins and traditions. Therefore, companies expect AABI to help them merge into local markets and understand local customers.

The keynote speech, “Broadening the Perspective of AABI: APJIE Academic Network Actively Connects Cross-border Businesses,” was delivered by Professor Chang Xuhua, editor-in-chief of the Asia Pacific Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (APJIE), and head of International Cooperation in the Shanghai Technology Innovation Center. Launched by AABI in 2007, APJIE has published 239 articles over the past 15 years. It is one of the few English academic journals in the Asia-Pacific region still in stable operation and supported by the multilateral incubation cooperation network. APJIE respects the development of innovation and entrepreneurship in all Asian countries. Therefore, it will stay dedicated to bridging incubator businesses with academic research on innovation and entrepreneurship so that academic achievements will help optimize business models. Practical incubation cases, in return, can enhance theoretical studies in breadth and depth.

Mr. Tian Yuequ, director of Danaher China Innovation Center, offered his perspective in the speech “Enhancing AABI Links: Asia-Pacific Innovation Ecology from the Perspective of Investors.” Referring to Danaher’s experience in more than 700 investment opportunities in Asia-Pacific countries, including China, India, Singapore, Japan, Israel, and Australia, he believed that cooperation between investors and incubators is indeed valuable and complementary, as evidenced by Danaher’s cooperation with incubator partners and the resulting achievements in places like South Korea, Israel, Singapore, and Hong Kong. He also shared Danaher’s observations and analysis of investments in the life sciences sector, arguing that innovation in new drugs, diagnostics, and healthcare services is the mainstream in Asia. However, he mentioned that given the large regulatory differences in different Asia-Pacific countries, it is not easy for healthcare start-ups to expand rapidly. Therefore, he suggested that regional incubators go further and provide outreach services to help start-ups understand the market dynamics of different countries, discern the current situation of the medical industry and supply chain, and establish contacts with multinational corporations as early as possible.

“As Shanghai is an early mover with a sound tradition in internationalization, most of its incubators have been equipped with a global vision from the outset.” Stated Mr. Lai Haofeng, head of Shanghai Caohejing Hi-Tech Park Innovation Center and the first winner of the AABI Incubator of the Year Award in Shanghai. He also shared what he had gained from the business exchanges under the AABI framework. Shanghai Technology Innovation Center was one of the initiators of the AABI back in 2002 and took over the work of AABI Secretariat in 2007 to efficiently assist its cross-border operations. As a result, Shanghai Caohejing Hi-Tech Park Innovation Center was honored with the AABI Incubator of the Year Award in 2010, enabling it to expand cooperation and exchanges in the Asia-Pacific region further. Supported by abundant resources and professional capabilities, the center has remained active at the forefront of international incubation business and engaged in key collaboration projects. For example, as one of the executors of the first cross-border two-way acceleration camp under the AABI framework in 2021, the center tailored an acceleration plan for the Thai food technology company SMS. They efficiently supported the company’s optimization of technology solutions, analysis of the business environment, dovetailing with major corporate customers, a series of business negotiations, and eventually helped the Thai enterprise register in Shanghai. In retrospect, the history of AABI’s development embodies the collaboration of science and technology innovation forces in Shanghai and the advantages of the Shanghai incubation industry, which coordinates through public institutions, promotes business with characteristic incubators, and constantly develops key cross-border businesses.

“The incubation projects of Pharma Valley are more high-tech, innovative, and in line with international standards.” Zhangjiang Pharma Valley won the AABI Incubator of the Year Award this year. As its General Manager Jiang Tao introduced, the platform has given birth to more than 490 outstanding innovative enterprises in the field of life science, and 415 enterprises have successfully “graduated” and moved out, such as Junshi Biosciences, Hua Medicine, Medicilon and Liferiver. Among them, six are listed in Hong Kong, eight on the Science and Technology Innovation Board, and ten on the New Third Board. There are more than 50 projects valued at more than one billion yuan. Recent years have seen the rapid growth of Zhangjiang Pharma Valley, with more high-tech and innovative projects. In terms of the research and development of instruments for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems, it has gradually caught up with the United States and Japan. It also continues to step up the screening of quality projects and incubation services worldwide in cutting-edge fields such as synthetic biology, cell/gene therapy, and brain science.

AABI Council members from across the globe attended the event online with partners and technological enterprises. In addition, representatives of the Consulate-General of Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand and, Thailand in Shanghai, Enterprise Singapore, the Japan External Trade Organization, and other foreign organizations in Shanghai attended the event on-site, jointly reviewing AABI’s developing history and working together towards future innovation and entrepreneurship collaboration in the Asia-Pacific region.