Lesson from Asian ecosystem builders, guest blog by Sally Dale, Programme Manager, CodeBase

At the Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SWITCH) at the end of October, I had the chance to speak with technology ecosystem builders from Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, and Taiwan, gaining a better understanding of their strategies and comparing them to what we know here in Scotland and the UK.

While there are plenty of similarities between countries, the differences offer valuable lessons for how we might refine and expand our approaches at home.

Across the board, ecosystem builders in Asia prioritise community and mentorship, echoing many of the initiatives we’ve championed here at CodeBase.  In Singapore, this focus is particularly pronounced, with founders actively encouraged to give back through structured mentorship programmes.

Similarly, Malaysia focuses on cultivating partnerships, supporting product testing, and helping startups achieve ‘product market fit’ (PMF) - crucial for any startup aiming at commercialisation.   

The challenges faced by Taiwan’s early stage ventures also struck a chord.  Founders there often grapple with pitching skills and next-step navigation, problems we frequently encounter in early stage startups in Scotland.

An interesting parallel is how ecosystems in both Singapore and the UK treat failure as an opportunity to learn. Gabrielle Tan from Singapore Management University described how their entrepreneurial training involves students evaluating hundreds of pitch decks in their first year, analysing what works and what doesn’t. This aligns with our efforts to normalise failure as part of growth, a lesson reinforced through programmes we run like Techscaler, where founders learn by dissecting real-world successes and failures.

Alongside these similarities and common ground, we also encountered differences that highlight the unique strengths and approaches of Asian ecosystems.

Singapore’s tech ecosystem, for example, is extremely outward-looking, a necessity given the country's small domestic market. Local startups are encouraged to engage in immersion programmes, spending time in international startups to gain global perspectives and build networks.  This “global-first mindset” is a striking contrast to the UK, where many startups initially focus on scaling nationally before eyeing international opportunities.

Breaking into Japan, according to people we met, presents unique challenges, particularly around language and cultural nuances. Having a local partner is not just a recommendation but a necessity for startups to navigate this market effectively.

Overall, our key takeaways for the UK ecosystem were around adopting a global mindset, strengthening cultural fluency, learning from failure at scale, fostering more immersive partnerships, and expanding entrepreneurial training.

We think the UK startup ecosystem has much to gain from the insights of Asian ecosystem builders, helping us to refine our own ecosystem and ensure our startups are prepared for both local and international growth and success.

As these conversations at SWITCH revealed, ecosystems are only as strong as the communities they nurture. Whether in Scotland or Singapore, the emphasis on collaboration, mentorship, and learning from failure remains universal - and continues to drive innovation and economic growth forward.