Indonesia calls for stronger ASEAN semiconductor ecosystem

Photo caption: Indonesian Deputy Trade Minister Dyah Roro Esti Widya Putri (in white veil) attends the 58th ASEAN Economic Ministers' Meeting in Manila, the Philippines, on Saturday (Sept. 19, 2026). (ANTARA/HO-Trade Ministry)

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Trade Minister Dyah Roro Esti Widya Putri underscored Indonesia's call to strengthen Southeast Asia's semiconductor ecosystem by advancing the development of the ASEAN Semiconductor Roadmap.

"The development of the roadmap serves as an effort to strengthen ASEAN's semiconductor ecosystem," she said during the 58th ASEAN Economic Ministers' Meeting in Manila, the Philippines, according to a statement received in Jakarta on Monday.

Dyah added that the initiative is also crucial for enhancing the region's competitiveness in global supply chains.

As a country with a strong industrial foundation for excelling in global semiconductor supply chains, Indonesia believes ASEAN needs to take a series of strategic measures to reinforce its semiconductor ecosystem, she noted.

These measures include expanding academic participation in semiconductor research and improving the facilities and infrastructure needed to secure resilient supply chains for the critical minerals used in semiconductor manufacturing.

The deputy minister also advocated applying the principle of investment complementarity and harmonizing incentives across ASEAN member states.

This approach, she explained, is essential to developing a complementary industrial ecosystem and avoiding the risk of Southeast Asian countries becoming locked in intense competition to attract investment to their semiconductor industries.

Dyah highlighted the ASEAN Semiconductor Roadmap as one of the Priority Economic Deliverables (PEDs) under the Philippines' ASEAN chairmanship this year.

ASEAN member states are currently finalizing the roadmap alongside several other PEDs, including the Cross-Border Movement of Digital Workers initiative and the ASEAN Centre of Excellence for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises.

In this regard, she expressed Indonesia's appreciation for the completion of another PED, titled "Driving Financial Health Forward: Unlocking the Next Frontier of Financial Inclusion."