(Bandar Seri Begawan, 22nd) Brunei’s Minister of Transport and Infocommunications, Pengiran Shamhary, stated that Brunei recognizes the importance of scientific research cooperation in seeking solutions and supporting regional development, and reiterated Brunei’s firm commitment to regional technological innovation collaboration.
"Brunei is aligning its national priorities with the ASEAN Plan of Action on Science, Technology and Innovation 2026–2035 (APASTI) to ensure policy coordination and complementarity."
He made the above remarks while attending the 21st ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Science, Technology, and Innovation (AMMSTI-21), the 87th Meeting of the ASEAN Committee on Science, Technology, and Innovation (COSTI-87), and related meetings recently held in Jakarta, Indonesia, expressing his ongoing commitment to advancing the ASEAN science and technology innovation agenda.
At the AMMSTI-21 meeting on June 20, the Brunei delegation was led by Minister Pengiran Shamhary, accompanied by senior officials from the ministry.
This meeting was chaired by Dr. Laksana Tri Handoko, Director of Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), and attended by representatives from all ASEAN member states, Timor-Leste, and the ASEAN Secretary-General.
A major outcome of the meeting was the adoption and launch of the ASEAN Plan of Action on Science, Technology and Innovation 2026–2035 (APASTI), aimed at realizing a unified, innovative, and resilient ASEAN.
The new action plan focuses on areas such as health, energy, food and agriculture, technology transfer, blue economy, space development, and talent mobility, while striving to enhance equitable access to innovation infrastructure and develop human capital.
Brunei welcomed the adoption of this action plan.
The Minister noted that Brunei is concurrently formulating its National Science and Technology Innovation Strategy as a long-term roadmap to identify priority areas, strengthen national capability, and ensure the technology innovation ecosystem serves both national and regional objectives.
The AMMSTI-21 meeting also approved the COSTI-87 work report, showcasing progress on the 2025 Annual Priorities (APs) and Priority Economic Deliverables (PEDs), including: Brunei’s leadership on integrating artificial intelligence into the ASEAN Journal of Science and Technology for Development (AJSTD); Indonesia’s initiative to develop ASEAN high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure to support advanced computational research; Malaysia’s spearheading of the “ASEAN Science Tech Startups Ignition Programme”; Singapore’s leadership on the “ASEAN Battery Safety Network” project to improve battery safety during the energy transition.
The meeting also emphasized regional cooperation on nuclear safety and risk assessment, and community building under Thailand’s leadership of the “ASEAN Talent Mobility (ATM)” program.
Additionally, the meeting adopted two new PEDs for 2026: the “Regional AI Innovation Framework for Health” and the “ASEAN Declaration on Sustainable Outer Space (ADSOS)”.
The Minister also reiterated Brunei’s leadership in managing the AJSTD journal, which is implemented by Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), and noted ongoing efforts to use AI to enhance the journal’s visibility and analytics capabilities.
Brunei also expressed readiness for the commencement of the ASEAN Centre for Climate Change (ACCC), to be located in Brunei. The Minister welcomed support from ASEAN member states and hoped the center would play a key role in advancing climate science, promoting cooperation, and addressing regional climate challenges through innovation and knowledge sharing.
Prior to the AMMSTI-21 Ministerial Meeting, the 87th ASEAN COSTI meeting and related discussions were held from June 16 to 19, where Brunei was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications, Nazri, who attended as the Chair of ASEAN COSTI. The meeting was chaired by Dr. Budhiastuti Ontowirjo, Deputy Director for Research and Innovation Policy at BRIN.
"Brunei is aligning its national priorities with the ASEAN Plan of Action on Science, Technology and Innovation 2026–2035 (APASTI) to ensure policy coordination and complementarity."
He made the above remarks while attending the 21st ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Science, Technology, and Innovation (AMMSTI-21), the 87th Meeting of the ASEAN Committee on Science, Technology, and Innovation (COSTI-87), and related meetings recently held in Jakarta, Indonesia, expressing his ongoing commitment to advancing the ASEAN science and technology innovation agenda.
At the AMMSTI-21 meeting on June 20, the Brunei delegation was led by Minister Pengiran Shamhary, accompanied by senior officials from the ministry.
This meeting was chaired by Dr. Laksana Tri Handoko, Director of Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), and attended by representatives from all ASEAN member states, Timor-Leste, and the ASEAN Secretary-General.
A major outcome of the meeting was the adoption and launch of the ASEAN Plan of Action on Science, Technology and Innovation 2026–2035 (APASTI), aimed at realizing a unified, innovative, and resilient ASEAN.
The new action plan focuses on areas such as health, energy, food and agriculture, technology transfer, blue economy, space development, and talent mobility, while striving to enhance equitable access to innovation infrastructure and develop human capital.
Brunei welcomed the adoption of this action plan.
The Minister noted that Brunei is concurrently formulating its National Science and Technology Innovation Strategy as a long-term roadmap to identify priority areas, strengthen national capability, and ensure the technology innovation ecosystem serves both national and regional objectives.
The AMMSTI-21 meeting also approved the COSTI-87 work report, showcasing progress on the 2025 Annual Priorities (APs) and Priority Economic Deliverables (PEDs), including: Brunei’s leadership on integrating artificial intelligence into the ASEAN Journal of Science and Technology for Development (AJSTD); Indonesia’s initiative to develop ASEAN high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure to support advanced computational research; Malaysia’s spearheading of the “ASEAN Science Tech Startups Ignition Programme”; Singapore’s leadership on the “ASEAN Battery Safety Network” project to improve battery safety during the energy transition.
The meeting also emphasized regional cooperation on nuclear safety and risk assessment, and community building under Thailand’s leadership of the “ASEAN Talent Mobility (ATM)” program.
Additionally, the meeting adopted two new PEDs for 2026: the “Regional AI Innovation Framework for Health” and the “ASEAN Declaration on Sustainable Outer Space (ADSOS)”.
The Minister also reiterated Brunei’s leadership in managing the AJSTD journal, which is implemented by Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), and noted ongoing efforts to use AI to enhance the journal’s visibility and analytics capabilities.
Brunei also expressed readiness for the commencement of the ASEAN Centre for Climate Change (ACCC), to be located in Brunei. The Minister welcomed support from ASEAN member states and hoped the center would play a key role in advancing climate science, promoting cooperation, and addressing regional climate challenges through innovation and knowledge sharing.
Prior to the AMMSTI-21 Ministerial Meeting, the 87th ASEAN COSTI meeting and related discussions were held from June 16 to 19, where Brunei was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications, Nazri, who attended as the Chair of ASEAN COSTI. The meeting was chaired by Dr. Budhiastuti Ontowirjo, Deputy Director for Research and Innovation Policy at BRIN.