GLOBAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUMMIT 2013
POLICY ROUNDTABLE
Saturday, Oct 12thBanquet Hall, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre
10.30am to 16.00pm
Entrepreneurship is a key factor for economic prosperity and employment. Governments from around the world have pledged support and believe that innovation and entrepreneurship are essential to transforming their economies. However, without establishing ambitious measures and business friendly-policies to facilitate start-ups and new businesses, innovation culture cannot take root.
During the 4th Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2013, a Policy Roundtable Discussion, jointly organised by The Kauffman Foundation, SME Corporation Malaysia and Multimedia Development Corporation, will respond to challenges presented by heads of state and entrepreneurs, and explore some of the smartest ideas being tested by policymakers in their economies in terms of regulatory reform, finance and entrepreneurship education.
PRELIMINARY AGENDA
Moderator – Jonathan Ortmans, Kauffman Foundation
Chief Research Discussant – Dane Stangler, Kauffman Foundation
Chief Research Discussant – Alicia Robb, University of California - Santa Cruz
Chair of Policy Roundtable Committee – Dato' Dan E. Khoo, Multimedia Development Corporation
10:30 – 10:40 OPENING REMARKS
The Honourable Dato' Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia
10:40 – 11:20 Roundtable 1: REGULATORY POLICY
No matter its place in the Doing Business rankings, every country can improve the environment for new business creation by pulling appropriate policy levers. The objectives should be: lower barriers to entry; making labor markets more fluid; promoting entrepreneurship in sectors still "immune" to it; and, challenging the economic and political power of established incumbents, which generally tilts the playing field against entrepreneurs. Different countries have tried to address these in different ways: sharing these lessons, and any research done on their effectiveness, would be a valuable discussion topic.
Speakers:
- YBhg. Tan Sri Dr Irwan Serigar, Secretary General of Treasury, Ministry of Finance – Malaysia
- Doug Rand, Assistant Director for Entrepreneurship, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy – United States
- Adriana Tortajada, Director General, National Institute of the Entrepreneur (INADEM) – Mexico
Finance, and especially 'financial innovation,' is a controversial topic in many parts of the world following the excesses that contributed to the 2008 crash—for good reason. The shortcomings and abuses of the financial system, however, should not obscure the need for further financial innovation to promote entrepreneurial entry and growth. There is already a large amount of experimentation taking place around the world in terms of different modes of financing new companies.
What needs to be discussed is how policymakers can make room for all this experimentation and avoid reinforcing monolithic financial structures that suppress entrepreneurship.
Speakers:
- YBhg. Dato' Hafsah Hashim, CEO, SME Corporation, Malaysia
- Dane Stangler, Kauffman Foundation
2:00 – 2:40 Roundtable 3: UNIVERSITY TECHNOLOGY COMMERCIALIZATION
Universities across the world engage in massive volumes of publicly funded research, much of which has laid the basis for innovation and economic growth. However, the process of commercializing that research has, in many places, stalled. Policymakers need to figure out a way, working with universities, to smooth this process and ensure that universities around the world remain vibrant parts of any entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Technology commercialization is probably the area most in need of improvement, and the Roundtable should hear from places that have had success with reforms and new models.
Speakers:
- The Honourable Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Maximus Johnity Ongkili, Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water – Malaysia
- Esperanza Lasagabaster, Service Line Manager, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, World Bank.
Every country in the world, both developed and developing, faces imminent demographic challenges, whether from aging populations or youth bulges. All over the world, however, youth unemployment is a problem that has barely abated since 2008, and the experience of youth bulges in recent history—particularly amidst economic stagnation—is not encouraging. Indeed, the countries and regions with the highest levels of youth unemployment today are those least ready to deal with it.
This Roundtable will explore how youth unemployment can be overcome through entrepreneurship, and how governments can help better prepare citizens for an entrepreneurial economy.
- Antonius Tanan, University Ciputra Entrepreneur Centre – Indonesia
- Alicia Robb, Research associate, University of California-Santa Cruz - United States of America
- Jonathan Ortmans, Kauffman Foundation
- Donald Frazier, Forbes Asia journalist
