Social entrepreneurship key to Southeast Asia's sustainable future

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Social entrepreneurship key to Southeast Asia's sustainable future

As Southeast Asia pursues a more sustainable future, social entrepreneurship is emerging as a powerful catalyst for addressing the region's most pressing social and environmental challenges.

Published in The Bottom Line, the study, titled “Emerging trends in social entrepreneurship and sustainability: a Southeast Asia analysis” by Associate Professor Greeni Maheshwari and Associate Professor Burkhard Schrage (The Business School, RMIT Vietnam), analysed 442 academic publications from 2001 to 2023, providing one of the most comprehensive overviews to date of how research on social entrepreneurship has evolved across Southeast Asia.

Rather than focusing on a single country or enterprise, the review maps the region's research landscape, identifies emerging themes and highlights future opportunities for researchers, policymakers and businesses.

Social entrepreneurship could help Southeast Asia tackle its biggest sustainability challenges. (Image: Magnific)

New research from RMIT Vietnam suggests the region is not only becoming a global hotspot for social entrepreneurship but also generating valuable insights into how businesses can create lasting social and environmental impact alongside economic growth.

However, the study also identifies a major challenge: while research in the field has expanded rapidly over the past decade, stronger collaboration across countries, sectors and disciplines will be essential to translate knowledge into meaningful change.

For Associate Professor Maheshwari, the inspiration behind the research came from witnessing Southeast Asia's remarkable transformation first-hand.

Having lived and worked in Vietnam for nearly two decades, she has witnessed the country's rise into one of Southeast Asia's most dynamic innovation ecosystems.

“At the same time, rapid economic growth has brought new social and environmental challenges, reinforcing the need for entrepreneurial solutions that create positive impact alongside economic success,” she said.

She believes Southeast Asia offers a unique environment for understanding how social entrepreneurship can contribute to sustainable development.

Unlike many other regions, Southeast Asia combines extraordinary economic diversity, different political and institutional contexts, and shared sustainability challenges. This diversity creates opportunities for researchers and practitioners to learn from a wide range of approaches while developing solutions tailored to local communities rather than relying on one-size-fits-all models.

The review found that research on social entrepreneurship accelerated significantly following the adoption of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015. It also revealed that the field has expanded well beyond traditional social enterprises to include sustainable tourism, corporate social responsibility, entrepreneurial ecosystems, digital transformation and sustainability innovation.

“Perhaps the most important message from our study is that social entrepreneurship in Southeast Asia is evolving from a niche research area into a strategic driver of sustainable development,” Associate Professor Maheshwari said.

“As governments, businesses and communities increasingly recognise the need for more inclusive and sustainable growth, social entrepreneurship has enormous potential to create innovative solutions that address complex societal challenges while generating long-term economic and social value.”

One finding, however, stood out above all others. Despite the rapid growth in research, collaboration across Southeast Asia remains surprisingly limited, with most studies still conducted within individual countries rather than through regional partnerships.

According to Associate Professor Maheshwari, this represents one of the greatest opportunities for the field.

“This matters because many of the challenges social entrepreneurs are trying to solve, including climate change, poverty, inequality, public health and sustainable development, are shared across national borders,” she said.

“Greater regional collaboration would strengthen both research and practice. It would enable researchers to undertake larger comparative studies, generate more robust evidence for policymakers, and identify successful approaches that could be adapted across different Southeast Asian contexts.”

Associate Professor Greeni Maheshwari, RMIT Vietnam (Image: RMIT)

The study also highlights Vietnam's growing influence in shaping the region's sustainable entrepreneurship agenda.

The review identifies Vietnam as an emerging hub for research on corporate social responsibility and sustainable entrepreneurship, reflecting the country's evolving business landscape and increasing commitment to sustainability.

“What is particularly encouraging is that Vietnam is not simply adopting ideas developed elsewhere. It is increasingly contributing new knowledge and practical insights to regional discussions on sustainable business and social innovation,” Associate Professor Maheshwari said.

Beyond identifying research trends, the study also offers practical recommendations for strengthening social entrepreneurship ecosystems.

Associate Professor Maheshwari believes that governments can create enabling policy environments, businesses can embed sustainability into long-term strategy, and universities can prepare future leaders with the knowledge, skills and partnerships needed to transform innovative ideas into real-world impact. She also believes closer collaboration between academia, industry and communities will be critical to ensuring research translates into meaningful social outcomes.

Looking ahead, she sees emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain opening new opportunities for social enterprises to increase their reach and effectiveness. However, she emphasised that “social entrepreneurship cannot succeed through the efforts of one sector alone.”

She believes the future of social entrepreneurship in Southeast Asia will depend not only on innovative ideas, but on our collective ability to turn knowledge into action through stronger partnerships, responsible innovation and a shared commitment to creating sustainable social impact.

"By working together across disciplines, sectors and countries, we can build stronger social entrepreneurship ecosystems that empower people, strengthen communities and help create lasting positive impact throughout Southeast Asia.”

Behind every major shift is a story worth exploring. The Ripple Theory is a series of expert perspectives informed by research from RMIT University Vietnam. By connecting academic insight with real-world stories, the series helps readers gain a deeper understanding of the shifts unfolding across the economy, society, environment, and technological world, while exploring solutions and opportunities for what lies ahead.

Story: June Pham

Business and management

Research

23 October 2026

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