Jakarta, 11 June 2025: ERIA, in collaboration with the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan (IEEJ), hosted a workshop titled ‘Risks and Cooperation Opportunities for Critical Minerals Supply in ASEAN’ at the ERIA Annex Office in Jakarta. The event convened regional experts and government officials to assess supply chain vulnerabilities and explore strategies for ASEAN-wide cooperation in the context of the energy transition.

In his opening remarks, Dr Han Phoumin, Senior Energy Economist at ERIA, underscored the strategic significance of critical minerals for the region’s decarbonisation efforts, electric mobility ambitions, and the development of the semiconductor industry. He stressed the urgency of building resilient, transparent, and sustainable supply chains across ASEAN.

The workshop featured three main sessions:

• Session 1: Dr Tetsuo Morikawa and Kei Shimogori from IEEJ presented preliminary findings from a draft report on battery technology developments in ASEAN. Their analysis identified key risks in the supply of critical battery metals, including market dependencies and regulatory shortfalls.
• Session 2: IEEJ’s second draft report highlighted opportunities for regional collaboration to ensure secure and sustainable mineral supply chains. Dr Morikawa emphasised policy alignment, infrastructure investment, and facilitation as core pillars for effective cooperation.
• Session 3: Representatives from ASEAN Member States and the ASEAN Secretariat shared national perspectives and cooperation priorities. Delegates from Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, and others outlined ongoing initiatives and expressed strong support for greater regional integration, data sharing, and policy harmonisation.

The workshop concluded with closing remarks from Dr Morikawa, reaffirming IEEJ’s commitment to supporting ERIA’s policy engagement for a sustainable energy transition in ASEAN. Participants agreed on the importance of continued dialogue and joint action to strengthen governance and resilience in the critical minerals sector.