NXPO participated in the Cyberjaya Conversations Summit 2025, held on 3 December 2025 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Hosted by the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT) under Malaysia’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), the event was convened under the theme “Achieving ASEAN Sustainable Competitiveness Beyond 2025.” The summit gathered high-level officials from Malaysia and ASEAN, including Datuk Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia; Chang Lih Kang, Minister of MOSTI; and Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN.
The summit served as a regional platform for thought leaders, policymakers, researchers, and industry executives to shape strategic pathways for ASEAN’s sustainable competitiveness. Discussions highlighted opportunities to position ASEAN as a leader in advanced technologies, emerging markets, and innovation ecosystems, while reinforcing the region’s resilience in a rapidly changing global landscape.
Dr. Pranpreya Sriwannawit Lundberg, Director of International Policy Partnership Division at NXPO, joined the panel session “Science Without Borders: Advancing ASEAN’s Role in Global Diplomacy.” She was joined by Dr. Glenn Suerte Felipe Banaguas, President of the Environmental and Climate Change Research Institute (ECCRI); Dr. Fereshteh Rafieian, Programme Specialist for Science Policy and Basic Sciences at the UNESCO Regional Office in Jakarta; and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Malai Haniti Sheikh Abdul Hamid, Director of the Centre for Advanced Material and Energy Sciences at Universiti Brunei Darussalam. The discussion was moderated by Mr. Irza Fauzan Suprapto, Chief Executive Officer of the ASEAN Innovation Business Platform (AIBP).
In her remarks, Dr. Pranpreya highlighted NXPO’s role in advancing ASEAN-wide collaboration in science, technology, and innovation (STI). NXPO serves on the Board of Advisers to the Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation (BAC), contributing to the implementation of the ASEAN Plan of Action on Science, Technology and Innovation (APASTI 2026–2035) and supporting collaborative initiatives among ASEAN member states. She emphasized the significance of STI for regional resilience, referencing recent flood disasters across ASEAN that have affected millions of people and underscored the need for joint research, data sharing, and innovation for disaster preparedness—challenges no country can address alone.
Dr. Pranpreya also highlighted Thailand’s engagement in global science diplomacy through collaboration with the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF). NXPO and ASEF co-organized the workshop series “Navigating Science and Technology Diplomacy Ecosystems,” building on research featured in the Asia-Europe Science & Technology Diplomacy Report: Mapping Science & Technology Diplomacy Strategies and Actions in the Two Regions, to which NXPO contributed Thailand’s case study. To strengthen ASEAN’s STI capacity, she underscored the relevance of the OECD’s Mission-Oriented Innovation Policy approach, which promotes cross-sector collaboration and integration of research and policy to tackle global challenges, and recommended drawing lessons from the European Union’s successful Horizon Europe framework.
More information about the Cyberjaya Conversations Summit 2025 is available at: https://might.org.my/cc2025/
