Asia is emerging as a global leader in innovation, leveraging advancements in AI, climate technology, and deep tech to drive sustainability and reshape industries. Innovation ecosystems across the continent are fostering tech-driven solutions through collaboration, financial innovation, and policy alignment. This approach serves as a model for other regions, with governments, mission-driven organizations, and entrepreneurs working together to scale innovation.
With a population of 4.8 billion, Asia accounts for nearly 60% of the global population. Many Asian countries rank among the top 40 in the Global Innovation Index (GII), reflecting their leadership in innovation. Across the region, innovation is seen as a strategic tool to unlock economic growth, accelerate transitions, and shape new markets. Examples include policy labs in Thailand, clean energy corridors in China, and deep tech clusters in Singapore and Tokyo.
While Asia’s economic growth is expected to ease slightly from 4.6% in 2024 to 4.4% in 2025, the region remains a major driver of global expansion despite geopolitical tensions and policy uncertainties. Sectors tied to the energy transition are particularly prominent. Advancements in renewable energy, efficiency upgrades in construction, mobility, agriculture, and circular approaches in manufacturing could unlock up to $4.3 trillion in revenue by 2030.
As we enter the Intelligent Age, AI is enabling Asia to leapfrog into a new era of innovation, reshaping industries, labor markets, and investment flows at unprecedented speed. Startups are reimagining solutions tailored for local resilience with global relevance, from AI-enabled logistics to predictive climate technologies.
— News Original —
How Asia’s innovation economy is driving productive growth
Asia is emerging as a global innovation leader, leveraging AI, climate tech and deep tech to drive sustainability and reshape industries.
Innovation ecosystems across Asia are enabling tech-driven solutions through collaboration, financial innovation and policy alignment.
The Asian approach can serve as an example, with governments, mission-driven organizations and innovative entrepreneurs working together to scale innovation.
With an estimated population of 4.8 billion people, Asia accounts for nearly 60% of the global population. It is no surprise that many Asian countries count as world leaders in innovation, with several ranking in the top 40 of the Global Innovation Index (GII).
Across the continent, innovation is seen as a strategic lever to unlock economic growth, accelerate transitions and shape new markets. Whether it ‘s policy labs in Thailand, clean energy corridors in China or deep tech clusters in Singapore and Tokyo, innovation is now firmly embedded in Asia’s economic development story.
While Asia’s economic growth is expected to ease slightly from 4.6% in 2024 to 4.4% in 2025, the region remains a major driver of global expansion even amid geopolitical tensions and policy uncertainties. The momentum is particularly prominent in sectors tied to the energy transition. Advancements in renewable energy, efficiency upgrades in construction and the built environment, mobility and agriculture, as well as circular approaches in manufacturing, could unlock up to $4.3 trillion in revenue by 2030.
As we enter the Intelligent Age, the wave of AI is allowing Asia’s leapfrog into a new era of innovation, reshaping industries, labour markets and investment flows at unprecedented speed. From AI-enabled logistics to predictive climate technologies, we’re seeing startups reimagine solutions tailored for local resilience with global relevance.
— news from The World Economic Forum