The past five years have marked a significant chapter in the collaboration between the UK’s Social Enterprise Academy (SEA) and South Korea’s Kickstart Asia. This partnership has become a cornerstone in fostering entrepreneurial innovation across borders. SEA, a distinguished UK-based entrepreneurial support organisation, has worked alongside Kickstart Asia, South Korea’s leading government-approved accelerator, to import and adapt UK entrepreneurial practices to one of the world’s most dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystems.
Kickstart Asia’s integration with South Korea’s educational and governmental agencies, including the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, as well as collaboration with various universities and research institutes, has been pivotal in enhancing local entrepreneurial capacities. This effort has been significantly influenced by Jess Kemp at SEA and Taeje Park at Kickstart Asia, whose joint efforts have catalyzed numerous cross-border innovations.
The foundational talks for this collaboration were initiated by Taeje Park, Chairman of Kickstart Asia, with Neil McLean, CEO of SEA, in Edinburgh. This dialogue set the stage for a robust exchange of ideas and practices that has benefited thousands of Korean entrepreneurs. Under this collaboration, SEA’s innovative social enterprise programs have been tailored to align with South Korean governmental initiatives supporting innovation, culminating in the creation of specialized certification courses for entrepreneurs and organizations.
Taeje Park, with his extensive background in fostering entrepreneurial ecosystems in Asia and current doctoral pursuits at the Manchester Institute of Innovation Research (MIOIR), remains a pivotal figure in this transnational exchange. His involvement with the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) and the Royal Anthropological Institute (RAI) allows for deeper engagement with the UK’s scholarly and entrepreneurial community.
As a long-standing pillar in both the UK and South Korea, entrepreneurship continues to be recognized as a key driver of economic and social progress. Reflecting on the success of the partnership, Taeje Park stated, “We are pleased to mark a significant milestone in the collaboration between Social Enterprise Academy (SEA) and Kickstart Asia. We look forward to the promising future ahead,” expressing optimism for the continued impact of their collaborative efforts.
