ASEAN is taking steps to strengthen its creative economy through the proposed ASEAN Center of Excellence for Creative Industries, bringing together policymakers and international partners to shape a more connected and future-ready regional creative ecosystem.
Creativity is increasingly recognised as a powerful driver of economic growth, innovation and cultural exchange across ASEAN. On 13 August 2026, ASEAN delegates and international partners gathered at the ASEAN Headquarters in Jakarta for the Validation Workshop for the Regional Landscape Study on the Establishment of the ASEAN Center of Excellence for Creative Industries (ACE-CI), marking an important step towards strengthening the region’s creative industries.
The establishment of the ACE-CI is one of the Priority Economic Deliverables under the Philippines’ 2026 ASEAN Chairship. The proposed centre is envisioned as a regional platform that can support collaboration, knowledge-sharing and policy development across ASEAN’s diverse creative sectors, while helping unlock new opportunities for creative professionals, businesses and communities.
The workshop was opened by Assistant Secretary Nylah Rizza Bautista of the Department of Trade and Industry of the Philippines, H.E. Satvinder Singh, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for the ASEAN Economic Community, and H.E. Helen Fazey, UK Ambassador to ASEAN. Their participation highlighted the strategic importance of regional cooperation and the ASEAN-UK partnership in developing a stronger and more sustainable creative ecosystem.
Bringing together representatives from the Senior Economic Officials’ Meeting (SEOM), the Senior Officials’ Meeting on Culture and Arts (SOMCA), and the Senior Officials’ Meeting Responsible for Information (SOMRI), the workshop provided a cross-sectoral platform to discuss the future of the ACE-CI. Participants mapped out key priorities, policy frameworks and potential collaborative models to ensure that the proposed centre reflects the diverse needs of ASEAN’s creative industries.
The initiative reflects ASEAN’s broader ambition to harness creativity as a catalyst for innovation, economic opportunity and regional connectivity. By fostering closer cooperation between economic, cultural and information sectors, the ACE-CI could become a vibrant, future-ready hub that connects creative talent, strengthens regional capabilities and contributes to the continued growth of ASEAN’s creative economy.
Source: ASEAN
