Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten Universities team up to train new generation of entrepreneurs

GREAT BAY--The Universities of Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten are launching a joint program to boost entrepreneurship and innovation that fits the social, ecological and economic realities of their islands. The initiative is backed by a grant of €150,000 from the Representation of the Netherlands in Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten.

Netherlands Representative Gerbert Kunst said his earlier posting in San Francisco motivates him to apply lessons from that experience to the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. “After previously serving as Consul General in San Francisco (2016-2020), I’m keen to continue building on best practices from Silicon Valley. It’s exciting that all three Universities in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom are open to deepening entrepreneurship education to foster the next generation of Caribbean startup success.”

Central to the collaboration is the Kingdom Startup Program, which will operate through hubs in Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten. These hubs are intended to serve as anchors for sustainable innovation ecosystems in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The program is open to students, ambitious academic founders and emerging changemakers. Participants will receive practical training in current entrepreneurship and innovation methods, while working with government bodies, private sector partners and civil society organizations to design solutions for urgent social and economic challenges on the three islands.

A pilot run of the Kingdom Startup Program is planned for summer 2026 in Aruba, with student delegations from Curaçao and St. Maarten taking part. This first edition is meant to pave the way for long-term integration of entrepreneurship education, structured knowledge exchange and innovation capacity building across the islands. During the 2026 summer break, a Demo Day at each hub will give teams from Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten the chance to present their work and share lessons. In the longer term, the program aims to strengthen economic resilience, develop local talent and support key innovation sectors, while also deepening cooperation within the Kingdom.

“We are excited to begin developing a multidisciplinary entrepreneurship curriculum, one that ignites students’ interest in creation and innovation, grounded in the local context of Aruba. Through this initiative, we aim to strengthen and contribute to the entrepreneurial ecosystem on Aruba and create a platform where students can explore, experiment, and bring their ideas to life, both inside and outside of the classroom,” said Sue-Ann Lee, Rector at the University of Aruba.

Antonio Carmona Báez, President of the University of St. Martin and Professor of International Relations and Development, said: “As we seek to embrace the so-called Orange Economy, or the creative industries, the University of St. Martin recognises that only through collaboration with our Kingdom partners, can we establish a durable ecosystem for our local entrepreneurs. It has become evident that the universities are central to any project supporting innovation and socio-economic development for our islands.”

“We will use this grant to stimulate students to explore initiatives in the area of sustainable development and technology, and discover their business talents,” said Stella van Rijn, Rector Magnificus at the University of Curaçao.

“This collaboration is about shaping a shared future,” said Michael Dooijes, founder of StartAruba and strategic lead of the Kingdom Startup Program (KSP). “By connecting these three universities, aspiring entrepreneurs, and strengthening ecosystems, we are turning the Caribbean part of the Kingdom into a launchpad for innovation that is rooted locally yet globally connected."

The universities and their partners will finalize the structure of the Kingdom Startup Program in early 2026. Recruitment of student teams and mentors is expected to start in the spring semester, followed by a public launch event and visual campaign that will present the universities involved, the partner network and opportunities to collaborate. Further details about the 2026 edition, partnership options and the first student cohorts will be shared in the coming period.

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