APEC economies referred to as for deeper coverage coordination and sensible cooperation on science, expertise and innovation as synthetic intelligence (AI) and different frontier applied sciences speed up financial transformation throughout the Asia-Pacific.
“Currently, a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is gaining momentum. Frontier technologies, especially AI, are developing rapidly, opening up new possibilities for human society. At the same time, we are facing intertwined global challenges,” mentioned Chen Jiachang, Vice Minister of Science and Technology of China, in his opening remarks on the APEC Policy Partnership on Science, Technology and Innovation held this week in Guangzhou.
“As the core engine of global growth, Asia-Pacific economies are closely connected and share common interests, which requires us to strengthen consensus and cooperation, take science, technology and innovation as the key and jointly safeguard overall regional prosperity and stability,” Vice Minister Chen mentioned.
Meeting beneath the theme Fostering an Open and Collaborative Innovation Ecosystem for Resilient Growth within the Asia-Pacific, policymakers, researchers and consultants examined how open innovation, cross-border data flows and public-private collaboration can help productiveness progress whereas addressing challenges reminiscent of digital inequality, sustainability and accountable expertise governance.
Innovation is among the three priorities for APEC in 2026, with economies looking for to unlock progress potential by technological change whereas selling shared prosperity. Discussions targeted on synthetic intelligence coverage, inexperienced and digital transition, open science, researcher mobility and the position of innovation ecosystems in strengthening regional competitiveness.
“In the face of new opportunities and challenges, it is more crucial to pursue science, technology and innovation cooperation with greater focus and sustained efforts,” Vice Minister Chen mentioned.
Dr Hwanil Park, Chair of the APEC Policy Partnership on Science, Technology and Innovation (PPSTI), emphasised the necessity for clearer coverage route and measurable outcomes.
“We’re in a global environment where advances in science, technology and AI are reshaping economies and elevating national security concerns. We must advance the group’s role, relevance and visibility within APEC,” Dr Park mentioned.
“PPSTI must provide clear and forward-looking policy direction on science, technology, innovation and AI, and we must demonstrate through concrete and measurable outcomes how cooperation within PPSTI delivers mutual benefits to APEC member economies,” he added.
The assembly reviewed progress and updates on APEC-funded initiatives, open science initiatives and scientist trade applications. Economies additionally exchanged views on new venture proposals spanning synthetic intelligence, low-carbon applied sciences, university-industry collaboration, girls in science and youth innovation.
Highlighting the significance of openness and collaboration, Hazami Habib, Vice Chair of PPSTI, mentioned economies should harness range throughout the area to translate innovation into inclusive and sustainable progress.
“Fostering an open innovation ecosystem is not merely about technology transfer; it is about building strong partnerships between governments, the private sector, academia and civil society,” she mentioned. “Collaborative approaches enable us to share knowledge, resources and best practices, empowering us to tackle challenges collectively.”
Outcomes from the Guangzhou assembly will inform PPSTI’s future work program and coverage suggestions, supporting APEC economies as they search to leverage science, expertise and innovation for resilient, inclusive and sustainable progress throughout the area.