KUALA LUMPUR – The Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr Kao Kim Hourn, delivered a keynote address at the opening ceremony of the Cyberjaya Conversations Summit 2025, held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on 3 December.
The event was officiated by Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Dato’ Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, and brought together policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers from across Southeast Asia.
Dr Kao emphasised that ASEAN must look beyond 2025 to secure sustainable and innovation-driven growth. He highlighted the importance of harmonised standards, deeper regional economic cooperation, and investment in frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and green energy.
“Competitiveness can only be secured through collective action, stronger Research and Development commitment, and alignment with the ASEAN Plan of Action on Science, Technology and Innovation (APASTI) as well as the ASEAN Economic Community Strategic Plan 2026–2030,” he said.
The summit, themed “Achieving ASEAN Sustainable Competitiveness Beyond 2025”, was organised by the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT) in collaboration with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.
It served as a platform for dialogue on how ASEAN can strengthen resilience and institutional readiness in the face of accelerating technological disruption.
Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi, in his keynote remarks, urged ASEAN nations to accelerate regional integration to achieve the bloc’s ambition of becoming the world’s fourth-largest economy by 2030.
He stressed the need for enhanced connectivity between research centres, technology clusters, start-up communities, and regulatory systems.
“The next decade will belong to regions that can integrate, not just innovate,” Zahid said, noting that seamless digital infrastructure and freer movement of talent would multiply value across the region.
The summit also underscored Cyberjaya’s role as Malaysia’s pioneering technology hub. Industry leaders described the event as Southeast Asia’s answer to the World Economic Forum, positioning Cyberjaya as a centre for strategic foresight and collaborative action in shaping ASEAN’s next decade.
Participants discussed how ASEAN could leverage frontier technologies to build a future-ready economy while ensuring inclusivity and sustainability.
The summit’s outcomes are expected to feed into ASEAN’s long-term vision, including the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, which seeks to establish the region as a global innovation powerhouse.
By convening diverse voices from government, industry, and academia, the Cyberjaya Conversations Summit 2025 reinforced ASEAN’s commitment to collective progress.
As Dr Kao concluded, the region’s future competitiveness will depend not only on innovation, but also on unity and shared responsibility.
Sources: ASEAN Secretariat News
