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Manufacturing Hub

Caught Between Superpowers: Southeast Asia's Strategic Supply Chain Dilemma and Paths to Breakthrough

Strategic supply chains now account for over one-fifth of Southeast Asia's exports and half of its foreign investment projects. Yet US-China geoeconomic competition is pushing this "connector" region toward a crossroads. Drawing on the Lowy Institute's latest report, this article dissects the real value across four key sectors—semiconductors, electric vehicles, critical minerals, and solar photovoltaics—and proposes directions for regional coordination and targeted industrial policy.

Budi Santoso7 min read
Regional Outlook

ASEAN's Innovation Rise: GII 2025 Reveals the Underlying Logic of Regional Transformation

The 2025 Global Innovation Index shows that several ASEAN countries have risen significantly in the rankings, with Singapore firmly in the top five, the Philippines entering the top fifty for the first time, and Vietnam and Indonesia continuing to climb. This reflects ASEAN's transformation from a low-cost manufacturing base to an innovation-driven knowledge economy. Based on the latest WIPO data, this article analyzes ASEAN's innovation landscape and new trends in regional economic integration.

Budi Santoso5 min read
ASEAN Briefing

ASEAN's Rise as the Global Manufacturing Hub: An In-Depth Observation of Regional Integration and Supply Chain Restructuring

Based on the Philippines' 2026 ASEAN Chairmanship priority economic agenda, analyze the rise of ASEAN as a global manufacturing and innovation hub, exploring its advantages such as a young labor force, a network of free trade agreements, RCEP, and the potential for Russia-ASEAN cooperation, reflecting the trends of regional supply chain restructuring and industrial upgrading.

Budi Santoso3 min read
Manufacturing Hub

Vietnam's economic rise: ASEAN supply chain restructuring and the challenge of the middle-income trap

Vietnam's economy is leading ASEAN with an 8% growth rate, but to leap from a manufacturing and assembly base to a middle-income country, it still needs to address structural issues such as investment efficiency, human capital, and deepening the local value chain. This article analyzes Vietnam's transformation path from the ASEAN regional perspective and its impact on the division of regional industrial chains.

Budi Santoso5 min read
Manufacturing Hub

Vietnam will still be the growth engine of ASEAN, but the real test lies in "what comes after high growth"

The World Bank has raised its medium-term growth forecast for Vietnam, highlighting its central role in ASEAN manufacturing relocation, supply chain restructuring, and foreign capital inflows; however, external shocks, shortcomings in domestic enterprises, and the capacity to implement reforms are determining whether this round of growth can be translated into more solid regional competitiveness.

Sarah Lim9 min read