At the 2nd Annual Advanced Innovation & Manufacturing (AIM) Asia Week 2025, the final panel brought the day to a compelling close with the theme “Exploring Cross-Border Exchange of Knowledge, Talent and Technologies to Propel ASEAN’s Growth.” Moderated by Dr James Ong, Founder & Managing Director, Artificial Intelligence International Institute (AIII), the discussion featured:
- Vellu Mahadaven, Country HR Director, Micron Technology Malaysia
- Ts. Dr Shahrul Yazid Yahaya, Vice President, Market and Industry Development, CREST
- Stephen Lai, Chairman, the Malaysia-China (Greater Bay Area) Science-Tech Innovation Alliance
- Dato’ J. Palaniappan, Executive Chairman, ASEAN Future Workforce Council
Some of the topics covered in this discussion included:
1. Building ASEAN Bridges through Collaboration
Opening the session, Stephen Lai underscored that ASEAN cannot grow in isolation. Drawing from his experience connecting businesses across Asia, he stressed the need to build bridges of knowledge, talent and technology, particularly with China and the Greater Bay Area, to enhance ASEAN’s competitiveness. A united regional approach, he said, gives ASEAN greater leverage in global partnerships and investment opportunities.
2. Aligning Aspirations between Governments and Industry
Ts. Dr Shahrul Yazid Yahaya highlighted that while multinational corporations already operate seamlessly across borders, governments must now work to harmonise incentives and policies that enable regional integration. He cautioned that without shared aspirations, nations risk “racing to the bottom” through excessive competition for investment. Instead, ASEAN should compete through productivity, innovation and education quality, areas that benefit both the public and private sectors.
3. From Brain Drain to Brain Circulation
Representing the regional workforce agenda, Dato’ J. Palaniappan described talent mobility not as a risk but as a regional advantage. ASEAN, he said, should embrace brain circulation, the continual movement of skills, knowledge and ideas within the bloc, to raise productivity and innovation capacity. With ASEAN’s USD 4.7 trillion economy and diverse stages of development, he called for a common talent framework that transforms the region into a shared talent ecosystem rather than ten competing labour markets.
4. Enabling Talent Mobility and Policy Flexibility
From the corporate lens, Vellu Mahadaven shared how Micron nurtures local talent through university collaborations and global career mobility. Employees who work abroad often return with valuable experience and perspective, transforming “brain drain” into “brain gain.” He emphasised that loosening mobility policies across ASEAN would strengthen workforce agility and collective growth, while balancing each nation’s responsibility to protect local employment opportunities.
5. Accelerating Malaysia’s Role within ASEAN
In the Malaysian context, panellists noted the country’s strategic position and rising global confidence in its semiconductor and advanced-manufacturing ecosystem. Stephen Lai and Vellu Mahadaven both urged faster policy implementation and improved immigration frameworks to sustain Malaysia’s momentum. Dr Shahrul Yazid added that organisations such as CREST are already demonstrating the power of collaborative R&D to advance regional innovation, while Dato’ J. Palaniappan called for rapid reskilling and industry-academia partnerships to close existing skills gaps.
Charting a Shared Future
The panellists concluded that ASEAN’s true strength lies in its diversity. By aligning policy, fostering talent mobility and accelerating collaborative research, the region can position itself as a united innovation hub ready to lead Industry 5.0. As Dr James Ong summed up, the task ahead is to turn conversation into coordinated action, transforming ASEAN from a collection of markets into a connected community of innovation.
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Save the Date: 3rd Annual AIM Asia Week 2026, September 2026 | Penang, Malaysia. Stay tuned for more details