Chiba, 23 November 2023: The Research Institute Network (RIN) annual meeting, organised by the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) in cooperation with the Institute of Developing Economies-Japan External Trade Organisation (IDE-JETRO), was held in Chiba, Japan on 23 November. It was attended by 12 RIN members and two proxies.

RIN comprises research institutions from 16 East Asian Summit countries and focuses on supporting ERIA in research, capacity development, and dissemination of research outcomes, and has promoted superb studies on the economic development of ASEAN and East Asian countries. This year’s primary topic for discussion was transformation as a catalyst for result density and a sustainable economy amid geopolitical uncertainty.

Mayumi Murayama, Acting RIN Chairperson and IDE-JETRO Executive Vice President, moderated the meeting. It was opened by remarks from Professor Kyoji Fukao, IDE-JETRO President, who highlighted how the organisation played a significant role in the founding of ERIA and the launching of RIN, especially as this year’s meeting was held in Japan for the first time.

Murayama introduced three new attendees to the meeting: Christopher Nixon, Principal Economist of the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER); Dr Yeo Lay Hwee, Senior Fellow of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA); and Professor Tamat Sarmidi, Deputy Director of Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (IKMAS).

Atsusuke Kawada, President of the Bangkok Research Centre, JETRO Bangkok/IDE-JETRO, presented a report on RIN activities from the Secretariat. This was followed by a presentation by Dr Yose Rizal Damuri, Executive Director of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on Indonesia's ASEAN Chairmanship, and then Professor Sachin Chaturvedi, Director General of Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) on the G/T20 Presidency in India.

ERIA President Professor Tetsuya Watanabe also expressed gratitude for the opportunity to participate and commended the strength of the RIN network as valuable partners to ASEAN and East Asia. He acknowledged his involvement in the initial establishment of RIN and ERIA, working alongside Professor Hidetoshi Nishimura, Supreme Advisor to the President of ERIA; and Professor Fukunari Kimura, ERIA Chief Economist, and commended IDE-JETRO for its instrumental role.

The meeting covered three sessions. The first, on digital and innovation, was chaired by Prof Kimura, and Koji Hachiyama, ERIA Chief Operating Officer; Dr Wan Seok Chang, ERIA Economist; and Dr Lurong Chen, ERIA Senior Economist, all made presentations. Dr Hyung-Gon Jeong, Senior Research Fellow at the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP), urged future discussions with the ERIA Digital Innovation and Sustainable Economy Centre (E-DISC) on strategies for deploying digital technology in less developed ASEAN countries, emphasising the important role of the support for digitalisation as a critical issue in ASEAN data integration. Prof Chaturvedi also emphasised the importance of E-DISC in establishing coherence in regulations, touching upon the ongoing negotiations, and highlighting three critical dimensions: national institutions, financial arrangements, and regulations.

In the second session on sustainable economy and climate: climate-related trade and investment; Dr Aniceto C Orbeta Jr, President of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS); Dr Yasushi Ueki, Senior Researcher of Development Studies Centre, ERIA Support Office of IDE-JETRO; and Nguyen Anh Duong, Director of the Department for General Economic Studies at the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) all made presentations.

Dr Intan Murnira Ramli, ERIA Senior Policy Fellow, led this session and highlighted how despite considerable research efforts in sustainable trade investment, there remains untapped potential, notably in blue energy and mineral resources. Emphasising the existing demand and need for more comprehensive exploration in these areas, insufficient data could hinder policymakers from making informed decisions. While acknowledging and appreciating collaboration and contributions, there is an urgency for active engagement in exploring and advising on the potential of blue energy resources to drive further progress.

Latdavanh Songvilay, Director General of Macroeconomic Research Institute of the Lao Academy of Social and Economic Sciences (LASES); Souknilanh Keola, IDE-JETRO Senior Research Fellow of the Development Studies Centre; and Dr Rashesh Shrestha, ERIA Economist then made presentations in the third session on Laos’ chairmanship of ASEAN 2024, which was moderated by Salvador Buban, ERIA Senior Policy Fellow.

During the discussion, Professor Shujiro Urata, Senior Research Advisor to the President of ERIA, explained how globalisation, trade, investment, tax systems, and digitalisation could contribute to gaps in the drivers of development. He added that while digital access and skills are currently classified under developing outcomes, these aspects could potentially contribute to the widening gaps, suggesting digitalisation could be a significant factor in increasing disparities within ASEAN.

Prof Watanabe made the closing remarks, emphasising how significant and valuable the RIN network is for the region, and how ERIA would like to strengthen its partnership with RIN members.