KOTA KINABALU: Sabahan, Viviantie Sarjuni, Chief Executive Officer of the National Entrepreneurship Institute (Insken), has been honoured with the prestigious Public Social Innovator of the Year Award 2026 by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, in partnership with the World Economic Forum (WEF). The award was presented in conjunction with the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos.
The award recognises exceptional public sector changemakers including legislators, policymakers, heads of government entities, and leaders in international organisations who leverage social innovation to drive transformative impact. Viviantie was selected for her visionary leadership in supporting entrepreneurship, social enterprises, and sustainable economic development in Malaysia.
She previously served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Sabah Creative Economy and Innovation Centre (Scenic), where she strengthened Sabah’s technology, innovation, and creative economy ecosystem, with the broader aim of reducing regional disparities and contributing to a more equitable national economic landscape.
Since 1998, the Schwab Foundation has supported over 500 of the world’s most high-impact social innovators across more than 190 countries. The Public Social Innovator of the Year Award 2026 is the first of its kind, acknowledging public leaders who create innovative approaches to social challenges while fostering collaboration between public and private sectors.
According to Viviantie, being the first Malaysian to receive the Schwab Foundation Public Social Innovator Award 2026 is a tremendous honour, not just for her personally, but for the work undertaken at Insken to support micro, rural, and social enterprises.
As a government agency leader, she views this recognition as a responsibility to act as a bridge-connecting communities, the private sector, academia, and government to create meaningful, inclusive impact. She emphasised that the award also opens access to global networks and insights, which INSKEN can adapt locally to strengthen social innovation, inform policy, and help Malaysia’s entrepreneurs grow sustainably, while fostering collaboration across all stakeholders.
Viviantie has been invited to the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, from 16-25 January 2026, to receive the award and to participate in curated dialogues, workshops, and multilateral engagements with global leaders on social entrepreneurship and sustainable economic development.
As an awardee, she will join the Schwab Foundation’s global community. Members of this community are integrated into World Economic Forum meetings and initiatives, actively participating in peer-topeer exchanges with leaders in social and environmental change, and engaging with top leaders from business, government, civil society, and media for a three-year period.
These global opportunities will enable Insken to bring international insights and best practices back to Malaysia and the wider region, strengthening support for micro, rural, and social enterprises, while fostering cross-border collaboration across public, private, and academic sectors.
