Creating Cross-Border Connectivity Through Virtual Mentoring & Resources Platform

Business Incubators (BIs) and Technology Business Incubators (TBIs) are considered as economic growth engine in both advanced and emerging economies for the promotion of small-medium enterprises (SMEs). There are more than 7000 business incubators globally. However, not all incubators are created equal. Incubators in developed economies have better resources, stronger innovation and entrepreneur ecosystems and highly sustainable compared to its counterparts in developing economies. As the world becomes borderless, cross-border connectivity is increasingly important to compete at the global level. How does developing economies, faced with challenges in sustainability and lacking resources support their entrepreneurs to become global players? This paper explores the concept of a Virtual Mentoring & Resource-Sourcing Platform where incubators can offer access to mentors and sharing of critical resources on a virtual platform to assist their entrepreneurs in their internationalization efforts.