Building an innovation ecosystem in Asia (May 14, 2025)

Join us for an exclusive AGX breakfast roundtable. Innovation practitioners from German companies will gather to share experience and know-how on building fit-for-purpose external innovation strategies in Asia.

For international companies, Asia is not just a production base — it’s a fertile ground for innovation. But Asian operations are complex, far from headquarters, and constrained by limited resources. Delivering real impact in Asian markets requires leveraging a local open innovation ecosystem — drawing on startups, agencies, universities, and other ecosystem players to augment internal capabilities.

Co-hosted by Michael Maeder (August Leadership & Asia Growth Partners) and Linda Schindler (Start2 Group) and held under the Chatham House Rule, this roundtable applies AGX’s peer-based interactive dialogue format to unlock the practical expertise in the room around open innovation in Asia and scaling sustainable innovation through partnerships.

This interactive session will explore how established companies can successfully design and implement external innovation initiatives in Asia, with particular emphasis on:

• Building an effective innovation ecosystem
• Collaborative venture building with local partners
• Overcoming challenges in corporate-startup collaboration
• Measuring the business impact of external innovation initiatives
• Aligning with global strategy while enabling local decision-making