Regional Innovation & Digital in Asia-Pacific

A key point in @StanfordHAI's #AI index is on #sovereignty: National AI strategies & state-backed investments in supercomputing are rising. Open-source models from the global majority are now outpacing Europe and approaching the US on GitHub, leading to more diverse models.

The relevance of 'stack thinking' to the work of governments and other organisations. 60 years since the Internet was created many of its design principles are still poorly understood. This piece describes their relevance for everything from AI to law and education, the role of centres of governments to regulation. Most public institutions are still stuck in late 19th-century silo structures: these are some of the alternatives. geoffmulgan.substack.com/p/stack-thinki…

Startups in India and Indonesia are bypassing expensive Silicon Valley chips to build "frugal AI" models that run on low-end devices and offline hardware restofworld.org/2026/frugal-ai…

Systems change doesn't behave neatly and scalable. Tanya Kak from @RNP_Foundation asks: Where does “scale thinking” make sense, and where must we re-imagine our way of thinking about progress and innovation? And how might philanthropic orgs engage? ssir.org/articles/entry…

Engineers and physicists studied how to coordinate networks of researchers around Grand Challenges and found: you need top-down mission framing; bottom-up R&D and system-level support that connects political priorities with technical realities. issues.org/grand-challeng…

"From Delhi, [AI for social] impact looks neat. It fits into slides, metrics, and carefully chosen words. In interior Meghalaya, it looks nothing like that." A view on transformation of public services outside of capitals and headquarters by @WadhwaniAI @social_17543/impact-quietly-at-work-f6a2454a6b71" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">medium.com/@social_17543/…

Post #IndiaAIImpactSummit2026, @KapoorAstha looks at AI governance & how it must move beyond state-centric oversight & corporate self-regulation. She lays out new forms of sovereignty defined by the communities that build, use and are affected by AI. thewire.in/tech/ai-sovere…

The rise of #plastic is not simply a waste problem. It is an oil growth strategy. Yet regulation remains focused on the downstream (litter, recycling, waste). No recycling target can neutralise exponential production growth. @Gardiner_Beth theguardian.com/environment/20…

This heat map shows: Democratic city governments in Europe innovate for solutions and orchestration toward #green #transitions. What is missing, however, is phasing out unsustainable systems that come with a political cost. shorturl.at/F3jay

Great resource about the different levels of #systems change and their practical implications for different societal challenges. @Tamarack_Inst tamarackcommunity.ca/guides/transfo…

At the @OfficialINDIAai Summit?Join me today as I moderate this panel with rich experience and insights on Open AI Platforms with Pradeep Gupta @nvidia,Tanvi Lal @PeoplePlusAI, Vineet Singh @digitalgreenorg Trust, Sravanath Aluru Avataar.ai & Jibu Elias @mozilla foundation.

Happening at 11:30am-12:30 pm IST today #IndiaAIImpactSummit2026 --- ⁉️How do sandboxes provide controlled settings to test new technologies while involving diverse stakeholders and build trust? 👉🏼Follow the livestream on @indiaai" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">youtube.com/@indiaai

🤖It’s #IndiaAIImpactSummit2026 week in New Delhi! As we gear up for this global summit, India continues to demonstrate what’s possible when digital infrastructure, skills, and governance advance together with a human-centric lens. Insights and analysis in @UNDPasiapac Next Great Divergence report amplifies main message: turning AI adoption into people-centered development outcomes is a winning strategy to make sure many more millions benefit and prosper! Read the @UNDP report: go.undp.org/5Ak #IndiaAIImpactSummit #AIforDevelopmentlead

📍At the #IndiaAISummit this week to discuss - how #sandboxes can support accountable AI adoption in DPI systems - what AI frameworks enable #interoperability in India & the Global South All sessions are livestreamed here: @indiaai" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">youtube.com/@indiaai @AlexOprunenco @afreenundp

Driving a Green Transition in Dhangadhi @UNDPNepal, together with Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City, has implemented a Green Transition Portfolio to advance sustainable, circular, and resilient urban development. The portfolio brings together interventions across waste circularity, nature-based solutions, green skills, and inclusive governance—creating green jobs and strengthening local institutions. 📍This week’s learning workshop created space for collective reflection on early results—documenting lessons, identifying gaps, and refining pathways to scale, replicate, and integrate successful initiatives into policy and practice. Speaking at the event, Mayor of Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City, Gopal Hamal, stated “Working together under @UNDP’s Green Transition portfolio, we are taking forward efforts to make Dhangadhi a more sustainable city. By introducing the concept of 'Upcycling', UNDP is covering areas from creating green jobs to strengthening sustainable waste management. Additionally, through initiatives that are training representatives from 84 palikas on circular and green economy practices, Dhangadhi is now emerging as a pilot model for the province and for Nepal.” Similarly UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, Julien Chevillard added “UNDP’s Green Transition portfolio is supporting Dhangadhi with a range of interventions such as e-waste management, green restoration, green skills development, and energy-efficient buildings amongst many others. Through this workshop, we are reviewing the impact of these initiatives and making necessary adjustments to enhance their effectiveness and efficiency. I thank the Mayor for his leadership in creating an enabling space for collaboration, and for positioning Dhangadhi as a model from which other cities can learn, contributing to a more sustainable Nepal.” Together with the local government, communities, youth, women, and the private sector, we are accelerating a green transition that works for people, planet, and prosperity.

5 yrs into our #portfolios for #systems change journey, we’ve learned: deeper change requires the right organizational and political conditions. In her latest piece, @ElaMi5, Dep. Dir. of @UNDPDigital, outlines the components of a #transformation stack. shorturl.at/ImGtQ

Proud of our team member @afreenundp who drives systems change on multiple fronts and has been recognized by @RockefellerFdn as a #BigBets Fellow. Here, she outlines @ourcommonair's approach to move from calls to action to policies, research and clear commitments for clean air.

Can government be a companion? i.e. offer services that are personal, pro-active and anticipatory Examples in @geoffmulgan 's piece range from how #AI agents are applied in the - #health sector - #job market - public #finance - planning of #places geoffmulgan.substack.com/p/the-companio…

Catch the recording of this learning session here 🔗youtube.com/watch?v=VaOhtk…

We look forward to continue engaging with you on inclusive AI in government and learning through hands on case studies and sandboxes in 2026 🎇

AI is not a magical solution, but an enabler for #development. In our last learning session of 2025, our team and partners @LIRNEasia @CarnegieMellon @UNDPPH looked at how #AI is used to generate analytics that can inform decision-making for #policymakers.⬇️are our5️⃣key lessons