WILLEMSTAD - The universities of Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten have announced a landmark collaboration aimed at strengthening entrepreneurship and stimulating innovation across their communities. The initiative is supported by a €150,000 grant from the Representation of the Netherlands in Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten.
Dutch Representative Gerbert Kunst welcomed the partnership, calling it “encouraging” that all three universities are eager to deepen their academic focus on entrepreneurship. According to Kunst, the effort will help “spark the next generation of Caribbean startup success stories.”
Kingdom Startup Program at the Core
At the center of the collaboration is the Kingdom Startup Program, which will establish innovation hubs on each of the three islands. These hubs are designed to act as foundational pillars for sustainable innovation ecosystems within the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Through this program:
students, aspiring academic founders, and emerging changemakers will receive hands-on training in modern entrepreneurship and innovation methodologies. The training emphasizes practical application, equipping participants with the skills needed to build real-world solutions.
A Multi-Sector Approach to Island Challenges
Participants will work closely with:
government entities,
private-sector partners,
and civil society organizations.
This cross-sector collaboration is intended to generate tangible solutions to pressing social and economic challenges facing Caribbean communities — from sustainability and workforce development to digital transformation and economic diversification.
Building a Stronger Regional Innovation Ecosystem
By joining forces, the universities aim to cultivate a long-term culture of innovation that creates more opportunities for young entrepreneurs, strengthens inter-island cooperation, and boosts the competitiveness of local economies.
The institutions say the initiative marks a significant step toward empowering the next generation of Caribbean innovators and fostering a more resilient and future-ready region.