From March 23-25, 2026, the ASEAN-Japan Centre organised the CLMV Capacity Building Workshop for Reverse Pitching.
The workshop brought together 13 CLMV senior smart city officials in-person in Tokyo to participate in a case study sharing session and lecture on reverse pitching for the first two days, finishing off with a mock reverse pitching session with Japanese startups and a networking event on the third and final day.
Objectives and Goals
Open innovation, utilised by major corporations to crowd-source solutions, is a problem-solving method gaining traction in recent years within the global business community. It is a method where corporates share their challenges with startups that may have innovative products or solutions that could address the problem.
However, open innovation is increasingly becoming an avenue for governments to look for creative solutions as well. Singapore’s Open Innovation Network and Japan’s Challenge Nagano are examples of how the respective governments are now tapping into the startup ecosystems to resolve problems or to improve the quality of life in their countries.
Through the workshop, the Centre aimed to bring the concept of reverse pitching to more governments at the local level who are familiar with their communities and the challenges they face, so that they may be able to search for new and innovative solutions to pilot through international open innovation platforms.
Activities and Highlights
Kicking off the event was Ms. Sato Nami, Director for International Planning for Construction Industry, MLIT, welcoming the participants to Tokyo and reaffirming Japan’s commitment to the ASEAN Smart City Network.
Following that, Mr. Fabian Tan, former Regional Group Director of Enterprise Singapore, delivered a case sharing session online. He shared about how through Challenge Nagano, Hakuba Village, a small but popular tourist destination, found a solution for their public transport infrastructure by working with a Singaporean tech startup and a Japanese logistics company.
Familiarised with the concept, the participants then partook in a 3-day-long workshop taught by Prof. Goi Hoe Chin, Professor at the Nagoya University of Commerce and Business.
Basing the idea on design thinking, Prof. Goi introduced an adapted version of his lecture, normally meant for businesses, for the government officials. He introduced how governments should identify their problems, how to phrase their challenges in a business-friendly way, and how to identify scalable solutions.
During the workshop, an agritech startup founder in Japan, Dr. Denis Pastory Rubanga, was also invited to share their perspective on what startups look for when considering working with governments.
Key Takeaways
- Open innovation is still an underutilised format for governments to solve local challenges.
- By participating in global open innovation platforms, governments can tap into technological solutions unavailable in the local business ecosystem.
- Smart cities are well positioned to test innovative solutions, leapfrogging traditional methods to achieve more efficient and sustainable outcomes.
Way Forward and Engagement
In FY2026, the ASEAN-Japan Centre will continue to explore ways to further promote the use of open innovation platforms and reverse pitching as a method to constantly improve local infrastructures. Through this, the Centre hopes to connect more ASEAN and Japan local governments with the wider tech startup ecosystem for the betterment of their communities through innovative solutions.
