ORANJESTAD--Six student teams from Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten presented their developing business ideas to State Secretary for Kingdom Relations and Digital Government Eric van der Burg during a Kingdom Startup Program meeting at the University of Aruba on Wednesday.
The Kingdom Startup Program is a six-week pilot that brings university students from the three islands together to develop practical solutions for challenges affecting their communities. The projects focus on areas including healthcare, education, sustainability, tourism, digital innovation and the wider economy.
During the meeting, the six teams outlined the progress they have made and explained how their projects could contribute to the social and economic development of their respective islands.
Participants are receiving guidance from entrepreneurs, mentors and other experts from the Caribbean, the Netherlands and the United States. Internationally recognised methods are being used to help the students identify problems, test ideas and develop possible solutions with practical or commercial potential.
The program uses a hands-on approach in which students work in small teams and learn through the process of developing their ideas. The six-week experience is expected to conclude with a final showcase in Aruba, where participants will present their projects.
The initiative is being implemented through a partnership involving the University of Aruba, the University of Curaçao Dr. Moises da Costa Gomez and the University of St. Martin.
The wider collaboration was announced in November 2025 with the support of a €150,000 grant from the Representation of the Netherlands in Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten. The funding is intended to support entrepreneurship education, knowledge exchange and the development of innovation hubs across the three islands.
The pilot is designed not only to help students develop business ideas, but also to strengthen cooperation between young people from across the Dutch Caribbean. By working across island borders, participants are being encouraged to share knowledge, build regional networks and recognise common social and economic challenges.
The Kingdom Startup Program forms part of a longer-term effort to create stronger entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems in Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten. The three universities have indicated that the initiative could provide a foundation for more permanent entrepreneurship education and support for students, academic founders and emerging entrepreneurs.
University of St. Martin President Antonio Carmona Báez previously said collaboration between the universities would be important to creating a durable environment for local entrepreneurs, particularly within the creative industries and other emerging economic sectors.
The organizers believe programs of this nature can help the islands develop more diversified, competitive and resilient economies by giving young people the skills, confidence and support needed to transform ideas into workable solutions.
The current pilot also demonstrates the potential for cooperation among governments, universities, private-sector partners and civil-society organizations in preparing a new generation of Caribbean entrepreneurs, innovators and problem-solvers.
