Jakarta, 10 December 2025: On 9–10 December, the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) launched its multi-year flagship initiative, Shaping Asia’s Future Prosperity with Quality Growth, through a 2-day policy dialogue hosted by ERIA in Jakarta.

While many developing economies in Asia have achieved rapid economic progress, they continue to face the complex challenge of transitioning to high-income status in ways that are inclusive, resilient, and sustainable.

To address this challenge, ADBI co-hosted the inaugural event of the programme with ERIA, the World Bank Group’s Institute for Economic Development, the Korea Development Institute, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The dialogue brought together around 60 participants from across the globe, including policymakers, researchers, think tanks, and representatives of multilateral development banks.

Prof. Bambang Brodjonegoro, Dean and Chief Executive Officer of ADBI, described the event as an important first step in the organisation’s new flagship programme, which seeks to address a central question facing developing Asia today.

‘How can countries sustain economic progress and successfully transition to high-income status while ensuring that growth remains inclusive, resilient, and sustainable? Addressing this challenge requires integrated, cross-sectoral, and evidence-based approaches. By bringing together knowledge and expertise from Asia and the rest of the world, we can identify new pathways for economies in the region to escape – and avoid – the so-called middle-income trap, ’ Prof. Brodjonegoro said.

In his remarks, ERIA President Tetsuya Watanabe emphasised the urgency of preparing for the region’s next phase of growth.

‘If the region is to sustain its role as one of the world’s centres of growth, it must think ahead about how to shift from demographic advantage to productivity advantage. This requires action across multiple fronts that directly shape competitiveness and long-term growth, ’ President Watanabe noted.

A keynote presentation was also delivered by Prof. Suahasil Nazara, Vice Minister of Finance of Indonesia.

Across multiple sessions, participants examined the key drivers shaping development trajectories in lower-middle- and upper-middle-income economies across Asia and explored potential policy solutions. The opening session highlighted the role of sound policy design and national development strategies, alongside discussions on education and digitalisation as foundations for inclusive and resilient societies.

Subsequent sessions featured representatives from India, Uzbekistan, and the Philippines, who shared national experiences and policy approaches, while development success stories from Poland, Chile, and the Republic of Korea were presented as potential models adaptable to Asian contexts. The dialogue concluded with a forward-looking discussion involving local think tanks from Asia and representatives of international organisations.

The discussions were aligned with the five pillars of ADBI’s Shaping Asia’s Future Prosperity with Quality Growth programme: macroeconomic stability and international finance; regional integration, trade, and industrial policy; innovation and digital transformation; quality and inclusive development; and sustainable infrastructure and climate resilience.

Further policy dialogues under the programme are planned for 2026 and 2027, with the publication of the final study scheduled for May 2027.