Ideas to solutions: Promoting a green, resilient, and inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Hindu Kush Himalaya

About the workshop

With the shared goal of strengthening the entrepreneurship ecosystem, this workshop will bring together representatives from the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) countries who are running incubation hubs. Participants will collaboratively design a strategic roadmap for establishing and managing business incubation and innovation hubs which are green, resilient, and inclusive. The workshop will facilitate knowledge sharing, skill transfer, and partnership development drawing inspiration from the successful model of The Buddha Institute of India on inclusive and social entrepreneurship. As added values, ICIMOD would like to bring sustainability, climate resilience and a ‘greening’ production and marketing process and to make enterprise green. Aligning with ICIMOD’s Medium-Term Action Plan V, we want to contribute to the development of a robust and highly adaptable institutional and regulatory framework that promotes gender-responsive, ecologically aware, and circular mountain business.

Objectives

• Knowledge exchange: Share insights, experiences, and best practices from the Buddha Institute of India’s successful entrepreneurship programmes
• Strategic planning: Collaboratively design a comprehensive strategic plan for setting up and operating incubation and innovation hubs in each participating country
• Capacity building: Empower participants with the skills and tools required to establish and manage effective entrepreneurship support systems
• Networking: Facilitate cross-border networking and partnership development among entrepreneurs, institutions, and stakeholders
• Local implementation: Prepare identified partners to adapt the strategic plan and implement it in their respective countries

Outcomes

Strategic roadmaps: Detailed strategic plans for establishing and operating incubation and innovation hubs tailored to the context of each country

• Actionable insights: Valuable insights, lessons learned, and best practices from The Buddha Institute of India’s model, applied to the unique challenges in the HKH context
• Foster partner network: A network of committed partners selected to lead the implementation of the strategic roadmap in their respective countries
• Enhanced capacity: Participants equipped with the knowledge and skills to drive green, resilient, and inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystem development in their regions
• Collaborative culture: Fostering a collaborative spirit among participants, enabling ongoing knowledge exchange and support for leveraging fund and scaling

Participants

15-20 representatives from India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal will be part of the workshop. Experts from WorldStartup, an organisation based in the Netherlands which focuses on inclusive and regenerative global economy for a sustainable future, will provide a more sustainable, green and climate-resilient lens to the roadmaps.

Background

Entrepreneurship is a crucial driver of economic growth, innovation, and job creation. To harness the potential of entrepreneurship in the HKH countries, there is a need to establish robust incubation and innovation hubs. These hubs will provide aspiring and inspiring entrepreneurs with the necessary resources, mentorship, and networking opportunities to turn their innovative ideas to transform agriculture and food system into successful businesses.

The proposed initiative draws inspiration from the successful model implemented by The Buddha Institute of India and aims to replicate its impact in Nepal and across the target countries. The Buddha Institute is a dedicated platform encouraging the creation of an eco-system for sustainable, problem-solving models among the poor, leading to improved livelihoods, mostly in the agriculture sector. The social entrepreneurship culture is embedded in their system with a focus on marginalised groups over profit.

Along with the learning from Buddha Institute, ICIMOD aims to promote a culture in the mountains that harnesses mountain opportunities while focusing on solving mountain problems and engaging the youth. Adding to the already inclusive approach of the Buddha Institute, we would like to bring in a green and resilient aspect, with the 3P approach: Planet, People and Profit.

Agenda