ASEAN Must Link Investment, Research, and Skills to Capitalize on AI Era

Key summary

A panel at Future-Ready Economy 2026 argues that ASEAN's challenge in the AI era is not just attracting investment but ensuring it drives knowledge transfer, technology adoption, and skills development across the region. Jeep Kline of UC Berkeley Haas School of Business warns against viewing ASEAN as a talent-scarce region, citing existing research institutions in Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia, along with a market of roughly 700 million people. The discussion highlights the need to connect these assets—intellectual property, university research, and engineering talent—to commercialize innovations and expand markets beyond single countries. Judy Qing Chen of UNICEF Hong Kong emphasizes that better tools do not guarantee access for all, noting over 278 million children remain out of school globally, and calls for shared standards to ensure funding reaches the underserved. Dr. Rak Worakijpochatr of BAM discusses re-performing loans (RPL) to help debtors return to the financial system, while Young Ho Lee of KAMCO notes that debt relief must be paired with vocational training to create jobs. The event underscores the necessity of integrating capital, university research, and skills to allow people to learn, restart careers, and scale businesses globally.