The Philippines: Journalism and Community Reporting in the Digital Era
The Philippine Information Agency (PIA) organized a two‑day Mobile Journalism Workshop for its regional information officers, social media managers and reporters. The program, led by ABS‑CBN journalists and media experts, covered mobile storytelling, video production, content strategy and emerging AI tools. Participants were trained to produce accurate, timely, and community‑focused news using handheld devices. The initiative builds on earlier digital‑journalism trainings for police press corps and reinforces PIA’s commitment to transparent, people‑centred governance.
Australia: UNSW Expands AI Simulations for Experiential Learning
University of New South Wales is scaling its AI Conversation Sim platform to more courses across medicine, law, business, journalism and information systems. The AI‑driven simulation offers immersive, web‑or VR‑based environments where students practice communication, decision‑making and professional interactions with...
India: Strengthening Advanced and Additive Manufacturing
India is accelerating its smart manufacturing agenda by pairing advanced and additive manufacturing initiatives. High‑level forums in March 2026 produced the National Additive Manufacturing Symposium and a Prime Minister’s Science, Technology & Innovation Advisory Council meeting, unveiling the Additive Manufacturing...
Malaysia: Quantum Fund to Boost Advanced Technology Investment
Malaysia has launched the MTDC Tradeview Quantum Fund with an initial RM20 million (US$4.7 million) to accelerate commercialization of advanced technologies. The fund, a public‑private partnership, targets strategic sectors such as semiconductors, Industry 4.0 manufacturing, green energy, fintech and agricultural tech. By bridging...
The Philippines: DEFA to Build a Resilient and Inclusive Digital ASEAN
ASEAN negotiators convened in Manila to advance the Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA), refining the draft over three days and targeting a November signing at the ASEAN Summit. The framework is designed to capture Southeast Asia’s projected $2 trillion digital economy...
India: Smart Early Warning Systems Strengthen Disaster Preparedness
India is deploying smart district‑level early warning systems for floods and cyclones, delivering four daily, seven‑day forecasts from the India Meteorological Department. The Central Water Commission’s C‑Flood platform now provides two‑day village‑level inundation forecasts, while the Flood Watch India app...
Malaysia: Johor Hyperscale Data Centre to Boost Digital Economy
Malaysia is set to develop a hyperscale data centre in Gelang Patah, Johor, aimed at bolstering the nation’s digital economy. The project will pursue the top GreenRE sustainability rating by employing reclaimed water for cooling and integrating substantial solar generation....
Singapore: Building a Smart, AI-Enabled Future for Healthcare
Singapore is building a next‑generation, AI‑enabled Eastern General Hospital, scheduled to open around 2029. The smart hospital roadmap integrates digital platforms, AI, robotics, wearables, and real‑time location systems to enhance clinical and operational efficiency. Telehealth and generative AI tools aim...
Hong Kong: Metal 3D Printing Transforms Power Facility Maintenance
CLP Power Hong Kong and City University of Hong Kong have signed an MOU to explore metal 3D‑printing for power‑generation equipment. The collaboration targets on‑demand production of turbine, heat‑exchanger and other critical components, focusing on high‑temperature alloys and microstructure control....
The Philippines: Digital Reporting System Strengthens Disaster Response
The Philippines has launched the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Information System (DRRMIS), a web‑based platform that centralises disaster data across national, provincial and local agencies. By delivering real‑time risk assessments, early‑warning alerts and resource‑tracking tools, the system streamlines response...
Australia: Negative Light Technology Conceals Data in Plain Sight
Australian researchers from UNSW Sydney, Monash University and Imperial College London have demonstrated a novel communication method that embeds data within natural infrared emissions using negative luminescence. The technique employs thermoradiative diodes to create subtle, darker fluctuations in mid‑infrared radiation,...
India: AI and GIS Visualisation Tools Enhance Dam Safety
India inaugurated a new National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) office in New Delhi and launched three digital platforms—an AI‑driven analysis tool (NETRA), a GIS‑based dam information website, and the Rashtriya Bandh Suraksha Darpan (RBSD) simulation system. The initiatives aim to...
Malaysia: Boosting Domestic Semiconductor Design, IP
Malaysia is intensifying its push to develop domestic integrated‑circuit (IC) design capabilities, aiming to shift from a manufacturing‑centric model to one that owns semiconductor intellectual property. The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry has identified local design firms as key...
Singapore: AI, Smart Technology for Next-Gen Maritime Sector
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) is fast‑tracking AI and digital technologies to modernise the nation’s maritime sector. Central to the effort is the Maritime Singapore Master Plan, which promotes autonomous vessels, AI‑driven analytics and a Maritime Digital...
Vietnam: Global AI Partnerships Drive Digital Transformation
China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region is deepening AI cooperation with Vietnamese localities, building on steady progress since 2025. Joint enterprise projects have already been deployed in sectors such as manufacturing and healthcare, while universities on both sides expand joint research...
Hong Kong: Tech Centre Fosters AI-Driven Healthcare Innovation
The Hong Kong Productivity Council has opened the Future Life and Health Tech Centre, a research‑development hub designed to fast‑track AI‑driven innovations across medical technology, biotechnology, functional foods and modernised traditional Chinese medicine. The facility offers an end‑to‑end platform that...
Australia: Digital Health System Strengthens NSW Rural Healthcare
Australia’s Western NSW Local Health District has deployed a virtual support service that continuously monitors patient data across 35 rural hospitals. Algorithm‑driven early warning scores flag clinical deterioration in real time, allowing clinicians at a central hub to alert frontline...
Malaysia: New Digital Platform Advances Smart Construction
Malaysia's Construction Industry Development Board launched the Digital Construction Management platform, a centralized web‑based system that integrates Building Information Modelling and other digital tools to streamline construction workflows. The platform provides real‑time data sharing across design, planning, construction, and maintenance,...
India: C2S Accelerates Semiconductor Talent Development
India’s Chips to Startups (C2S) initiative, part of the India Semiconductor Mission, has equipped 315 academic institutions with world‑class Electronic Design Automation tools, logging over 18.5 million hours of usage. The programme offers students end‑to‑end chip design experience, from concept to...
Hong Kong: AI-Enhanced Ultrasound for Faster, Safer Diagnostics
University of Hong Kong researchers unveiled SonoMeta, an AI‑powered ultrasound system that uses engineered metamaterials to steer sound waves around rib bones. The meta‑lens design improves imaging depth, allowing clear visualization of cardiac valves up to 10 cm behind the ribcage...
The Philippines: Building a Safer Digital World for Children
Government agencies, NGOs, and local officials in the Philippines are intensifying efforts to protect children from online sexual abuse, including AI‑generated explicit content. The Lingap Pangkabataan and World Vision groups, under the CLEAR‑CAR project, are promoting digital literacy and parental...
Singapore Strengthens Technology and Innovation Leadership
At the 2026 Committee of Supply, Singapore pledged SG$800 million to launch a semiconductor RIE Flagship, SG$60 million for a National Semiconductor Translation and Innovation Centre, and another SG$800 million for a Decarbonisation Grand Challenge. A*STAR will spearhead these programmes alongside the Economic...
The Philippines: Building Responsible Digital Citizenship in Bulacan
Students from Bulacan Agricultural State College joined the Kilos Kabataan: Unite for a Digital Safe Future virtual forum, organized by the Philippine Information Agency and DICT Central Luzon. The event addressed misinformation, cyberbullying, scams and other online threats, emphasizing fact‑checking,...
Malaysia: AI Sensors Improve Pedestrian Safety in Subang Jaya
The Subang Jaya City Council has launched SENSA, an AI‑driven pedestrian safety system, at a school crossing in the city. The solution combines analytical cameras, sensors, audio warnings and blue LED lights to alert drivers and pedestrians in real time....
Vietnam: Digital Infrastructure Powers Transparent Elections
Vietnam is embedding digital technology across every stage of its upcoming 2026‑2031 elections, linking voter data, candidate registration, and public communications to a unified online platform. The National Resident Database now fuels accurate voter lists, while QR codes, digital maps...
Australia: Real-Time Bridge Monitoring for Safer Victoria Roads
A 12‑month trial of Bridge Weigh‑In‑Motion (BWIM) technology was completed on Victoria’s Western Freeway, installing sensors beneath a bridge to capture real‑time axle loads of heavy vehicles. The system recorded detailed load patterns without disrupting traffic and proved portable for...
The Philippines: Digital Platform Boosts National Health Systems
SeeYouDoc, a Filipino health‑tech startup founded in 2018, has become a leading digital healthcare platform linking patients, clinicians, hospitals and local government units via web and mobile apps. The solution delivers telemedicine, digital prescriptions, electronic health records, appointment scheduling and...
Vietnam’s 5G Expansion Fuels Digital Economy Growth
Vietnam’s rapid 5G rollout is reshaping both urban and rural economies, with tens of thousands of base stations enabling real‑time data, AI‑driven traffic and flood management, and new digital services. Smart city pilots in Hanoi illustrate how low‑latency connectivity powers...
New Zealand: Expanding AI Tools Across Healthcare
New Zealand has rolled out an artificial‑intelligence scribe tool across every emergency department, giving more than 1,250 clinicians automated note‑taking support. The pilot showed doctors could see an extra patient per shift, and post‑deployment surveys reported 80% of staff noting productivity...
Vietnam: Developing a Skilled High-Technology Workforce
Vietnam is accelerating a nation‑wide push to create a high‑quality science and technology workforce under Politburo Resolution 57‑NQ/TW, yet persistent talent gaps threaten its strategic goals. The country’s researcher density sits at roughly 1,300 per million people, far below regional...
Singapore and Norway Activate EFTA Digital Economy Agreement
The European Free Trade Association‑Singapore Digital Economy Agreement (ESDEA) has entered into force for Singapore and Norway, following its signing in September 2025. The pact establishes binding rules for cross‑border data flows, electronic payments, and paperless trade, while prohibiting data‑localisation...
Vietnam: Digital Leap Set to Transform the Real Estate Market
Vietnam will assign a unique identification code to every land plot, apartment, house and land‑attached asset starting March 1, 2026, integrating them into a single national land database. The digital platform will consolidate rights, planning data, transaction history, mortgage status and tax...
The Philippines: PhilTower MIDC Aligns Digital Infrastructure, Workforce
PhilTower MIDC became the first independent tower company in the Philippines to join the People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP). The move ties its aggressive rollout of built‑to‑suit towers to a formal workforce development framework, supporting the national “Build...
Australia: New Implementer Hub Advances Digital Health Integration
The Australian Digital Health Agency has launched the Digital Health Implementer Hub, replacing its Developer Portal to simplify how health services, software developers and system providers connect to national digital health infrastructure. The hub adds a personalized case‑management system, dynamic...
Indonesia: Regulation, Support Platforms Strengthen Child Online Safety
Indonesia is rolling out a two‑pronged strategy to protect minors online, beginning with the enforcement of Government Regulation No. 17 (PP Tunas) in March 2026. The law obliges digital platforms to implement age verification, content filtering and other safety controls. Complementing the regulation,...
Hong Kong: AI Partnership Targets Regional Digital Growth
Hong Kong and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to create a structured AI partnership. The MoU outlines joint efforts in AI research, data infrastructure, governance standards, and talent development. Both jurisdictions aim to accelerate...
Singapore: InvoiceNow for Smarter, Faster and More Efficient Business
Singapore’s government announced that all GST‑registered businesses must adopt the InvoiceNow e‑invoicing network by April 2031. Built on the international Peppol framework, InvoiceNow lets firms exchange invoices digitally, cutting manual entry, errors and payment cycles. The scheme includes up to SG$5,000...
Vietnam: Hanoi Drives Digital Transformation, Creative Industries
Hanoi has launched the Hanoi Innovation Centre (HIC), a joint‑stock company designed to accelerate digital transformation and nurture creative industries. The centre will serve as a hub linking data, technology, policy and culture, offering experimental spaces for AI, big data,...
Australia: Victoria Expands AI-Ready Data Centre Infrastructure
Victoria has opened a new data centre campus in Brooklyn, featuring two advanced facilities designed to meet growing AI and high‑performance computing demand. The state plans a third building on the site and a separate campus at Laverton North, expanding...
Malaysia: Driving AI Adoption for SMEs and Industry Growth
Malaysia is accelerating AI adoption by directing more government contracts to domestic technology firms, especially SMEs. Deputy Minister Sim Tze Tzin emphasized expanding local participation in AI projects to build expertise and boost productivity across manufacturing, logistics, services and digital...
Exclusive! Visibility That Pays: Unlocking the Full Value of Cloud Investment
Leaders at the OpenGov Breakfast in Singapore warned that cloud migration alone fails to deliver value without end‑to‑end observability. They emphasized that real‑time visibility across infrastructure, data pipelines, and workflows enables proactive, insight‑driven decisions, reduces risk, and fuels trustworthy AI...
Vietnam: Building a Regulated Digital Asset Market: Vietnam
Vietnam is set to launch its first pilot crypto‑asset exchange before 28 February 2026, following the government’s five‑year pilot programme and new licensing rules issued in January 2026. The Ministry of Finance’s detailed procedures codify market entry criteria, capital thresholds, and supervisory safeguards,...
India: Cybersecurity Guidelines to Safeguard Space Systems
India has issued comprehensive cybersecurity guidelines for space systems, jointly crafted by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT‑In) and the Space and IT Association‑India (SIA‑India). The advisory framework targets satellite operators, ground‑station managers, manufacturers and emerging private space firms,...
Malaysia Leads ASEAN in Cross-Border Cloud Governance
Malaysia, through the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation, has secured ASEAN endorsement for a Regional Framework on Cross‑Border Cloud Computing. The framework, unveiled at the 6th ASEAN Digital Ministers’ Meeting, introduces shared governance principles and "Trusted Data Corridors" to ensure secure...
The Philippines: Building a Responsible AI Workforce
The Department of Science and Technology in Central Visayas (DOST‑7) launched a four‑day AI training for about 30 government employees, covering prompt engineering, generative AI tools, and core ethical principles. The program emphasized responsible use, data privacy, and the “co‑intelligence”...
Singapore’s Approach to Building a Resilient Digital Future
Singapore is bolstering its cybersecurity ecosystem through a multi‑pronged strategy that includes large‑scale cyber‑drills, senior leadership training, and youth programmes to grow a skilled talent pipeline. The Cyber Security Agency and the Ministry of Digital Development coordinate rapid response to...
Vietnam: AI and Data Economy Key to 2026 Development Goals
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh urged a decisive breakthrough in Vietnam’s digital economy, positioning data and artificial intelligence as core growth pillars for the 2026 development agenda. He highlighted chronic delays in database integration, insufficient digital infrastructure, and a shortage...
Hong Kong: 2026–27 Budget Accelerates AI and Innovation Leadership
Hong Kong’s 2026‑27 Budget places artificial intelligence at the core of its economic strategy, pledging multibillion‑dollar subsidies for AI research and a new Committee on AI and Industry Development Strategy. The plan expands computing capacity with a large‑scale data centre...
The Philippines: Enabling Direct Digital Payouts for TESDA Scholars
Landbank and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) have signed a memorandum of agreement to digitise scholarship payouts for more than 335,000 scholars across the Philippines. The partnership uses Landbank’s ATM Payroll Facility to credit allowances directly into...
Australia: Embedding Digital Health in Tertiary Healthcare Degrees
Australia has launched the Digital Health Train the Trainer Toolkit, a national resource designed to help tertiary educators embed digital health competencies into health‑related degree programmes. Developed by the Australian Digital Health Agency with the Australian Council of Senior Academic...
