Building Cultures of Security in Global Innovation Ecosystems

Partnering with Global Collaborators to Mitigate Dual‑Use Risks and Promote Responsible Innovation

Emerging technologies bring enormous potential for positive impact — but they also carry risks of misuse, particularly in the context of dual‑useapplications, where technology designed for benign purposes could be repurposed for malicious ends.

Many startups, accelerator programmes, and innovation ecosystems lack the awareness, best practices, and institutional culture needed to prevent such risks. This is especially true for rapidly growing tech sectors in emerging economies, where research security and responsible innovation principles are still developing.

A government agency and non-profit organisation engaged Formation Consultancy to help address this challenge by building the leadership capacity of innovators and entrepreneurs to embed security cultures into their organisations from the ground up — strengthening resilience and safeguarding innovation across diverse global regions.

Our Approach

The programme included participants from across Europe, South America and South-East Asia and was designed to blend global learning with local action. It comprised:

Online Asynchronous Training

• Participants completed a flexible, self‑paced module on establishing a culture of security, identifying dual‑use risks and integrating responsible innovation frameworks.

• Content highlighted practical tools, case studies, and policy approaches relevant to startups, incubators, and innovation hubs.

In‑Person Policy Hackathons

• Three regional, two‑day hackathons took place at local incubator hubs:

  • Brazil (also hosting Peru and Chile)

  • Malaysia (also hosting Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand)

  • Poland (also hosting Bulgaria)

  • Multidisciplinary teams of innovators, incubator leaders, and policy thinkers co‑created practical concepts to strengthen security culture within their local environments.

Targeted Grants to Implement Solutions

• Selected participants received seed funding to pilot their hackathon projects and amplify key messages from the programme within their local innovation communities.

The Impact

By the end of the programme, participants could:

• Proactively identify dual‑use data and technology risks in their organisations and incubator communities.

• Embed security best practices into operational processes and innovation cultures.

• Disseminate knowledge gained through peer‑to‑peer sharing within their local ecosystems.

The longer‑term outcome will be a strengthened, globally connected network of security‑aware innovation leaders — ensuring that technological advances contribute to societal good while mitigating the risks of misuse.