The ASEAN NEXT 2025 forum, hosted in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on 3 December 2025, marks a significant milestone in ASEAN’s efforts to strengthen regional collaboration in science, technology, and innovation.
Organised by Cambodia’s Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation (MISTI), the event gathered policymakers, researchers, and experts from ASEAN Member States alongside representatives from China.
The Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr Kao Kim Hourn, delivered remarks at the closing ceremony, emphasising the importance of innovation-driven growth and regional cooperation.
He highlighted that ASEAN must harness infrastructure development, frontier technologies, and harmonised standards to remain competitive in global manufacturing.
Key objectives of ASEAN NEXT 2025 include:
- Advancing infrastructure cooperation: Building resilient and interconnected systems to support industrial growth.
- Strengthening technology partnerships: Promoting collaboration in frontier technologies such as AI, biotechnology, and green energy.
- Boosting manufacturing competitiveness: Leveraging innovation to enhance ASEAN’s role in global supply chains.
- Deepening ASEAN-China collaboration: Expanding joint initiatives in research, education, and digital transformation.
The forum also served as a platform to align ASEAN’s innovation agenda with broader strategic frameworks, including the ASEAN Plan of Action on Science, Technology and Innovation (APASTI) and the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Strategic Plan 2026–2030.
Cambodia’s hosting of ASEAN NEXT 2025 underscores its growing role as a hub for regional dialogue on science and technology.
The event highlighted the need for ASEAN to prepare for future challenges by investing in research and development, fostering inclusive innovation ecosystems, and ensuring sustainable growth.
As ASEAN looks ahead to its long-term vision under ASEAN Community Vision 2045, forums like ASEAN NEXT 2025 are expected to play a crucial role in shaping policies that strengthen resilience, competitiveness, and regional integration.
Sources: ASEAN Secretariat News
