Jakarta, 25 May 2023: Mr Koji Hachiyama, Chief Operating Officer of the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), warmly welcomed Ms Mami Fukuchi, Director of Asia and Pacific Division of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) Japan, Alternate Senior Economic Officials Meeting (SEOM) Japan, and her team to the ERIA headquarters. Mr Hachiyama was accompanied by ERIA’s Senior Policy Fellows Mr Salvador Buban and Dr Intan M. Ramli, ERIA’s Economist Dr Keita Oikawa, and ERIA’s Manager of the Digital Innovation and Sustainable Economy Centre Ms Mahirah Mahusin.

Mr Hachiyama and Ms Fukuchi discussed the forthcoming establishment of ERIA’s Centre for Digital Innovation and Sustainable Economy, as well as several topics on the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement, global value chains, data free flow with trust, cybersecurity, and circular economy. Ms Fukuchi said she was optimistic that the centre could set up priorities from a wide range of topics as ERIA expands its activities beyond research to working with the business sector. Mr Hachiyama explained that the centre would be aligned with ASEAN priorities and expected to play an important role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. He added that the centre’s immediate activities would include policy recommendations, multi-stakeholder engagement, and human resource development.