First announced in December 2024, the ASEAN Startup Year 2025 initiative marks a new chapter in ASEAN’s evolution as a globally significant innovation bloc.

The Indonesian Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemdiktisaintek) has encouraged universities to develop based on the characteristics and potential of each locality, instead of applying policies uniformly.

Phase II will be supported by a 48.8 trillion IDR (approximately 2.8 billion USD) allocation from the state budget.

Bilateral business relations have witnessed remarkable progress, especially in recent years, with Vietnam introducing key national strategies such as the National Green Growth Strategy for 2021-2030, vision towards 2050; the National Strategy on R&D and Application of Artificial Intelligence; and the National Strategy for 4th Industrial Revolution.

The opening of the 2025 SEHATI quota is part of the government’s strategy to encourage halal certification for UMK products, aiming to enhance their competitiveness in both domestic and global markets.

As many as 39 support and safety centres have been set up along Thailand's coastlines, aiming to ensure tourist safety and encourage the public to protect marine ecosystems by avoiding littering, refraining from feeding or touching rare marine animals, and respecting natural habitats.

Latin American news agency Prensa Latina has highlighted Vietnam’s approach in addressing the latest US tariff policy as flexible, intelligent, pragmatic, and creative.

The task force will focus on communication and information sharing. For instance, it will gather information from private sector representatives on the challenges that businesses are facing on the ground and how the Government can support them.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim urged members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) not to underestimate the issue, particularly amid the current global economic and political uncertainties.

A four-pronged approach has been designed to build business confidence, expand trade opportunities, and enhance Thailand's competitiveness on the international stage.

Minister of Tourism and Sports Sorawong Thienthong said that a tourism risk and crisis management team will be established to support the industry, with representatives from organisations in the tourism supply chain, such as the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Roads Authority.

Laos' Enabling Environment Roadmap for Infrastructure Asset Management (IAM EE) outlines strategies for the effective management of public infrastructure, including roads, schools, and hospitals, with a focus on resilience, inclusivity, and sustainability.

Singapore has launched a digital platform to enhance maritime workforce training, with full implementation expected in the second half of 2025, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) announced on March 27.

In 2024, Cambodia cracked down 197 cases relating to human trafficking and sexual exploitation, an increase of over 20% compared to the previous year. The authorities identified 523 victims and arrested 273 suspects and sent them to court, including 30 foreigners.

The US withdrawal from the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) will not reduce the nine other countries' commitment to support Indonesia to achieve the net-zero target date by 2060.

Indonesia's Ministry of Social Affairs has identified over 200 potential sites for the establishment of people’s schools (Sekolah Rakyat), a programme designed to provide free, quality education to children from economically disadvantaged families.

Thailand is rapidly developing artificial intelligence (AI) for fraud detection, according to SAS Institute, a global leader in the data and AI field.

Indonesian Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Yuliot Tanjung said each city can produce around 20 megawatts of electricity. The products obtained from waste processing will not be limited to electricity but also include fuel oil, which will be produced using pyrolysis technology.

These strategies are designed to prepare for an anticipated surplus in fruit production, lift domestic consumption, and expand export opportunities.