The 22nd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Science, Technology and Innovation (AMMSTI-22) was held on 26 June 2026, in Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, preceded by the 89th Meeting of the ASEAN Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation (COSTI-89) and related Dialogue Partner meetings held from 22 to 25 June 2026. ASEAN Member States engaged in open, strategic and forward-looking discussions on sustainable innovation, digital integration and public-private partnerships. The primary objective was to provide guidance on advancing the ASEAN Plan of Action on Science, Technology and Innovation (APASTI) 2026–2035 to ensure the region remains resilient, sustainable, and competitive.
The meeting chaired by His Excellency Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thongsalith Mangnomek, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education and Sports, Lao People’s Democratic Republic focused, among others, on leveraging science, technology and innovation to address focus areas such as climate change, strengthen food security and accelerate the region’s transition towards renewable energy. Ministers also took stock of progress on the 2026 Priority Economic Deliverables led by the Philippines: the Regional Programme for STI on AI (Phase 1 - Health S&T) and the ASEAN Declaration on Space Cooperation.
The Meeting also endorsed the launch of the ASEAN Science, Technology and Innovation Fund (ASTIF) Call 2026, themed “ASEAN Grand Challenge: AI-Enabled Competitive and Resilient Region,” with a funding amount of USD 1.2 million. Another significant milestone of the Meeting was the official launch of the APASTI Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Dashboard, a digital platform designed to drive accountability and results-oriented cooperation across the region. In addition, the Meeting welcomed the official launch of the ASEAN Technology Management Hub (ASEAN TMH), a regional digital platform aimed at strengthening technology transfer, research commercialisation and innovation collaboration across ASEAN. The Meeting also welcomed the operationalisation of the ASEAN–Korea High-Performance Computing (HPC) Facility in Indonesia, ASEAN’s first shared regional supercomputing infrastructure, which will support advanced research and innovation in areas such as artificial intelligence, climate modelling, disaster forecasting and biotechnology.
The Meeting provided Brunei Darussalam an opportunity to strengthen collaboration in the development of Science, Technology and Innovation. In addition, Brunei Darussalam’s participation in APASTI also gives it access to regional mechanisms that can support innovation development including collaborative funding through the ASTIF Call 2026, shared Regional Research Infrastructure, and the ASEAN Talent Management Hub (TMH): allowing Brunei Darussalam to draw on regional expertise and resources as it advances its national STI agenda.
During the meeting, Brunei Darussalam shared its views on the region's future direction and priorities for the implementation of APASTI, amongst others: first, emphasized the importance of identifying and investing in regional priority areas, including the need to map and inventorise national innovation strengths and talent across ASEAN Member States. Second, it underscored the importance of ensuring that future annual deliverables are designed to promote strong and inclusive collaboration across ASEAN's Pillars, recognising that Member States are at different stages of innovation maturity and that more advanced members can play a role in strengthening the capacities of others. Finally, Brunei Darussalam highlighted the need to ensure that funding mechanisms remain open and accessible to all Member States regardless of their circumstances or level of development, citing the ASTIF Call 2026 and the development of shared Regional Research Infrastructure as examples of collaborative models that should be further strengthened in the future.
Brunei Darussalam also shared proposed specific guidance on the 2026 Priority Economic Deliverables. On AI in health, Brunei Darussalam emphasised the need to develop regional standards to ensure that innovation advances hand-in-hand with public trust and safety. On space cooperation, the Minister urged more advanced Member States to share their experience and support the development of regional space capabilities, including through people-to-people development in space technology, as well as strengthened collaboration development of related space agencies. Brunei Darussalam’s guidance to the Meeting was for APASTI to remain practical, inclusive and measured by outcomes that reach every Member State, so that ASEAN can grow into a region that is more resilient, more sustainable and more competitive, together.
The Brunei Darussalam delegation to AMMSTI-22 was led by Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Paduka Awang Mohammed Riza Bin Dato Paduka Haji Mohammed Yunos, Minister of Transport and Infocommunications. The 89th Meeting of the ASEAN Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation (COSTI-89) and Dialogue Partner meetings was represented by Yang Mulia Awang Haji Mohammad Nazri bin Haji Mohammad Yusof, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications. These sessions included senior-official level meetings with Dialogue Partners; Japan, the Republic of Korea and China.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Yang Berhormat Minister of Transport and Infocommunications held a series of bilateral meetings with counterparts from ASEAN Member States to discuss opportunities for strengthening cooperation in science, technology, innovation and digital transformation. The discussions reaffirmed Brunei Darussalam's commitment to advancing practical and outcome-oriented collaboration under regional frameworks, including APASTI, particularly in areas such as artificial intelligence, human capital development and climate-resilient technologies. The meetings also provided an opportunity to exchange views on digital transformation and talent development in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), while underscoring the importance of continued engagement among officials to support the implementation of national and regional strategies and to promote greater peer learning and cooperation across ASEAN and with its partners.
ASEAN Member States must work collectively to translate strategies into tangible outcomes through greater knowledge sharing, enhanced cross-border technology collaboration and efforts to bridge the digital divide across the region. In parallel, ASEAN will continue to strengthen capacity-building in science, technology and engineering as a key enabler for the effective implementation of APASTI.
MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT AND INFOCOMMUNICATIONS
Jalan Menteri Besar
Bandar Seri Begawan,
BB3910 Brunei Darussalam
11th Muharram 1447
26th June 2026
