On 16 October 2026, APO Secretary-General Dr. Indra Pradana Singawinata joined the high-level panel discussion event Promoting Higher Productivity through Value-added Industrial Transformation in Bangkok, held as a side event during the 2026 IMF–World Bank Group Annual Meetings.

Organized by the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI), the World Bank Group, and Indonesia’s Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas), the session explored how private capital, innovation, and policy frameworks can accelerate productivity growth, advance industrial transformation, and create quality jobs.

Dr. Indra emphasized that sustained productivity growth depends on an economy’s readiness to translate investment in technology and innovation into tangible results. He highlighted four interconnected pillars of productivity readiness: motivation to incentivize firms to invest and innovate, capabilities to strengthen workforce skills and firm-level expertise, market efficiency to channel resources toward productive investments, and stability to foster confidence in long-term business decisions. By establishing and strengthening these pillars, economies can unlock the full potential of technology and innovation, boost productivity, and create new opportunities for sustainable and inclusive growth.

The event touched on broader themes explored in the ongoing project ADBI-APO Research on Finance, Productivity, and Prosperity: Pathways for Asia’s Economic Transformation, which examines how finance can drive productivity growth and long-term prosperity across Asia. An edited volume based on this research is scheduled for publication in early 2027.