How we work

How ASM Generates Leverage Through Early-stage Catalytic Action

ASM identifies where targeted catalytic actions, such as institutional capacity building, data system integration, and community-led experimentation, can unlock multiple downstream impacts across socio-ecological and governance systems. By embedding learning-ready practices and shaping shared mission priorities, ASM creates the conditions to test, learn, adapt, and ultimately scale innovations into investible pathways.How ASM Generates Leverage Through Early-stage Catalytic Action

A Solution-Discovery Ecosystem for Pre-Investment Learning

ASM fills the pre-investment gap by supporting solution discovery, prototype testing, socio-ecological risk mapping, stakeholder alignment, and the development of investable narratives. By creating intelligent risk-taking environments in which innovations can mature toward investability, ASM becomes a catalytic enabler of future capital deployment.

ASM fills the “missing middle” between research and investment by supporting:

• prototype testing

• socio-ecological and health risk mapping

• stakeholder alignment

• the development of investable narratives

This creates an intelligent risk-taking environment where innovations can mature, evidence can accumulate, and promising ideas become suitable for catalytic and blended finance.

Flipping the Science Model Through Mission Alignment

ASM’s core contribution is a co-created innovation-pathways ecosystem where stakeholders collectively surface validated insights, uncover least-resistance routes, and reduce the specific uncertainties that hold back promising innovations from scaling.

Traditional science models assume research comes first and real-world application follows later, often years later. ASM flips this model by aligning science, community priorities, and policy needs from the very beginning.

Through co-created mission pathways, stakeholders collectively:

• surface validated insights from the ground

• identify the least-resistance routes to impact

• reduce the uncertainties that prevent promising innovations from scaling

This transforms science from a linear sequence into a shared, adaptive problem-solving system, accelerating the journey from idea to impact.

Structured Innovation That Learns Through Uncertainty

Rather than optimising for certainty, ASM enables structured innovation. Early failures become informative, rapid iteration is encouraged, and prototypes can evolve into investible pathways. This approach multiplies the impact of every dollar invested.

Instead of optimising for certainty, ASM enables a structured process where:

• early failures provide valuable insight

• rapid iteration improves design

• prototypes evolve into scalable models

This multiplies the impact of every catalytic dollar and accelerates pathways that traditional programmes would hesitate to fund.

Focus on Underinvested Domains

ASM focuses on areas where markets systematically underinvest in resilience to climate extremes, long-term ecosystem restoration, adaptation, and local innovation systems, and cross-border risk and water security. These domains require catalytic capital because commercial incentives alone cannot trigger early-stage learning or innovation.

ASM prioritises areas where markets systematically underinvest despite high social and ecological value:

• resilience to climate extremes

• long-term ecosystem restoration

• local innovation systems

• cross-border water and risk security

• vulnerable community adaptation pathways

These domains require catalytic capital because commercial incentives alone cannot trigger early-stage learning or unlock transformative solutions.

What Makes the Asia Science Mission Different?

Most sustainability and health efforts in Asia remain fragmented, duplicative, or disconnected from the lived realities of communities. The Asia Science Mission breaks from this pattern.

ASM uses a mission-oriented, systems-based approach that connects scientists, governments, communities, and knowledge holders to work toward shared, measurable goals.

Instead of isolated projects, ASM builds mission pathways that align data, expertise, policy, investment, and local action.

At its core is a regional learning and coordination system—a flexible network that links diverse actors, knowledge systems, and data across Asia. This enables countries and communities to co-design solutions, test them in real-world settings, and learn from each other as they respond to interconnected challenges in water, food, climate, ecosystems, and health.

How the Mission stand apart?