The Third EECOLE Roundtable, held in Jakarta from 26-27 November 2024, brought together a dynamic group of representatives from diverse sectors, including education, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and technology, to address the transformative role of AI (Artificial Intelligence) in entrepreneurship. The roundtable, co-chaired by ERIA and OECD, provided a platform for multidisciplinary discussions around enhancing local ecosystems through innovation and collaboration.
EECOLE (Entrepreneurship Education, Collaboration, and Engagement) is co-hosted by the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions & Cities, and ERIA (Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia). Through a series of engaging sessions, the Roundtable offers a platform for discussing compelling evidence, ongoing research, and international best practices to bolster entrepreneurial ecosystems, promoting a tailored approach that focusses on the unique needs of entrepreneurs, higher education institutions, and research centres. Following the previous two Roundtable events held at the OECD Headquarters in November 2022 and then in Toronto, Canada in 2023, the theme for this third Roundtable, "AI and Entrepreneurial Ecosystems" explores the transformative impact of Generative AI on innovation, skills development, and community growth.
JA Asia Pacific and Prestasi Junior Indonesia (PJI) had the privilege of being part of Session 2: Acquiring the Right Skills – Entrepreneurial Skills and AI, where we joined esteemed speakers to delve into how entrepreneurial skills can enable SMEs to effectively integrate AI for growth and innovation. Representing Junior Achievement, Robert Gardiner, Executive Director of PJI shared practical strategies and programmatic approaches implemented in Indonesia to equip youth with both entrepreneurial and AI-related skills. These initiatives have introduced the use of AI to start-ups with a purpose of augmenting Business Identity and Strategy Development, Content Writing, Product Marketing & Content Analysis, and Product/Activity Ideas and Innovation. With the adoption of tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Canva we have found that 57% of these business operations are now utilizing AI at varying levels of intensity. This place-responsive approach ensures that AI integration is aligning with each targeted regions' needs and strengths at the very early stages of business development. It emphasizes a human-centric approach which, we believe, is a cultural necessity.
These programs not only highlight JA’s commitment to preparing young leaders for the future but also reflect its integral role in fostering innovation within SMEs globally. Asia Pacific is home to 60% of the world’s youth, and engaging in such events provide the platform for JA as one of the world’s largest youth-serving NGOs to collaborate with other experts from varied fields, exchanging insights and forging new pathways for empowering youth and SMEs through technology and education.