Driving regional cooperation at APEC SOM3 2025 in Incheon
From 29 July to 15 August, APEC SOM3 2025 (Third Senior Officials’ Meeting) in Incheon, Korea brought together senior policymakers, industry leaders, and subject-matter experts from across the Asia-Pacific to advance collaborative solutions to some of the region’s most urgent priorities.
Over three weeks, high-level gatherings — including the Digital & AI Ministerial, Food Security Ministerial, Women and the Economy Forum, and the High-Level Dialogue on Anti-Corruption Cooperation — took place alongside working-level meetings and workshops on health, supply chains, sustainability, and other topics. Together, these events gave the private sector a platform to shape policy development and encourage regulatory alignment.
The discussions reaffirmed APEC’s position as a catalyst for actionable cooperation, where innovation is matched with tangible outcomes that strengthen resilience and economic prosperity for all APEC Member Economies.
Harnessing digital transformation and AI
Member Economies committed to harnessing the transformative potential of artificial intelligence, with the recognition that doing so requires good governance and well-designed regulatory frameworks based on evidence and cost-benefit analysis. Members also advanced an agenda of inclusive digital transformation that included expanded internet access, enhanced digital trade, and empowerment of MSMEs. Commitments included enhancing cross-border data flows, strengthening trust in digital transactions, and developing a new post-2025 framework to advance the APEC Internet and Digital Economy Roadmap. The statement reinforced the private sector’s role in shaping standards, deploying infrastructure, and delivering innovation across the region.
Advancing healthcare standards
Economies made progress toward regulatory convergence for medical products, with updated Key Performance Indicators showing stronger alignment with international standards as well as policy dialogues on multi-regional clinical trials, simultaneous access, and rare disease therapies.
APEC members, with the support of businesses from across the healthcare sector, worked on policy dialogues focused on ending the HIV epidemic, advancing influenza and shingles prevention though life-course vaccination to support healthy aging, and launching a new initiative to promote cooperation on health data sharing, among other projects.
Strengthening supply chains and the circular economy
APEC members in partnership with industry leaders discussed how to strengthen chemical supply chains and agreed to develop an “Emerging Best Practices” document. In parallel, economies called for harmonised recycling standards and capacity building to develop national recycling plans. These initiatives create opportunities for private sector engagement in standards-setting, risk management, and circular economy innovation.
Upcoming APEC 2025 meetings
- 26–28 Aug: High-Level Dialogue on Cultural & Creative Industries (Gyeongju)
- 27–28 Aug: Energy Ministerial Meeting (Busan)
- 1–5 Sept: Small & Medium Enterprises Ministerial Meeting (Jeju)
- 15–16 Sept: High-Level Meeting on Health & the Economy (Seoul)
- 21–22 Oct: Finance Ministerial Meeting (Incheon)
- 22–23 Oct: Structural Reform Ministerial Meeting (Incheon)
- 27 Oct–1 Nov: APEC Economic Leaders’ Week & CEO Summit (Gyeongju)
At Access Partnership, our strong network across APEC, spanning both the public and private sectors, enables us to connect clients with the right decision-makers, shape emerging policy, and identify opportunities in fast-moving priority areas such as digital transformation, health, sustainability, and supply chain resilience.
If your organisation is looking to engage in the next phase of APEC’s 2025 agenda and position for impact ahead of China’s host year, contact us to explore how we can support your objectives.
