BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, 8th June 2026 — Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) officially relaunched the ‘UBD Startup Centre @ Entrepreneurship Village’ (USC @ EV), an incubation hub dedicated to nurturing entrepreneurial talent, supporting startup growth, and fostering a culture of innovation within the university and the broader national ecosystem.
Designed as an accessible and affordable platform for students, alumni, researchers, staff, and young entrepreneurs, the USC @ EV provides the resources, programmes, and collaborative environment needed to transform ideas into viable ventures.
The relaunch ceremony was officiated by UBD Vice-Chancellor Dr Hazri Haji Kifle, and attended by over 50 guests comprising industry partners, academics, entrepreneurs, and members of the UBD community.
The relaunch establishes USC @ EV as a dedicated space for entrepreneurship and innovation, positioning UBD as a leading institution for startup incubation and enterprise development in Brunei Darussalam.
The centre is set to serve as a national entrepreneurial platform, strengthening partnerships between UBD and industry through opportunities for collaboration, mentorship, and investment, while providing the UBD community with an accessible and affordable avenue to support the development and growth of their startups and entrepreneurial ventures.
“We envision the USC @ EV as a space where creativity meets commercialisation, where academic rigour meets market reality, and where the next generation of Bruneian entrepreneurs can find the support they need to succeed,” said Director of Industry Engagement and Enterprise Development (IEED) Dr Annie Dayani Haji Ahad Abdullah.
The USC @ EV operates on four strategic pillars: a launchpad for first-time founders, a home for research commercialisation, a hub for continuous innovation, and a pipeline for UBD born spinoff companies, all aimed at bridging the gap between academic knowledge and real-world enterprise.
With a strong focus on outcomes, USC @ EV targets the acceleration of early-stage startups, deeper collaboration with industry, and the development of a vibrant entrepreneurial culture that extends beyond the university campus. Most notably, USC @ EV seeks to enable promising research and ideas originating from UBD to be spun out as independent, job-creating companies in Brunei.
The even was organised by the Commercialisation Unit under the Office of Assistant Vice-Chancellor for Industry Engagement and Enterprise Development (OAVC-IEED). A ribbon-cutting by the UBD Vice-Chancellor officially marked the reopening of the centre, after which guests were invited on a guided tour of the facilities and a networking session featuring exhibitions by student entrepreneurs and startup projects.
USC @ EV is expected to increase the visibility of UBD’s entrepreneurship initiatives among industry and government stakeholders, drive the recruitment of student startups, and foster long-term engagement and support for the centre. By creating tangible opportunities for collaboration, mentorship, and investment with the private sector, the centre also aims to inspire students, staff, and young entrepreneurs across Brunei Darussalam to pursue innovative ventures as a viable career pathway, in alignment with Wawasan Brunei 2035.