The APO and the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) jointly convened the Conference and Policy Dialogue on Finance, Productivity, and Prosperity: Pathways for Asia’s Economic Transformation on 9 and 10 November 2026 in Tokyo. The two-day event brought together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to examine how financial systems can better support productivity growth and Asian economies’ transition toward higher-income status.

Opening the conference, Dr. Bambang Brodjonegoro, ADBI Dean and Chief Executive Officer, and APO Secretary-General Dr. Indra Pradana Singawinata highlighted the importance of linking finance and investment with stronger productivity performance. Dr. Indra emphasized that technology and capital alone are insufficient, noting the importance of workforce skills, management capabilities, infrastructure, and organizational readiness in translating innovation into productivity gains.

The opening program also featured a plenary presentation by Professor Robert Breunig of the Australian National University on productivity readiness in the age of AI and digital finance. Drawing on the APO Productivity Readiness 2025 report, he explained the importance of motivation, capabilities, market efficiency, and stability in creating conditions for firms and individuals to adopt new technologies and improve productivity.

On the second day, Professor Anwar Sanusi, APO Chair for 2026–27 and Head of the Employment Planning and Development Agency of the Ministry of Manpower, Indonesia, joined the policy dialogue on Asia’s next productivity frontier. Chaired by Byungsik Jung, Deputy Dean of the ADBI, the panel also featured Dr. Tsutomu Miyagawa, Director of the Productivity Research Center at the Japan Productivity Center; Filianingsih Hendarta, Deputy Governor of Bank Indonesia; Dr. Vincent Charles, Professor at Queen’s University Belfast; and Takehiko Nakao, Adviser at Sumitomo Corporation and Chairman of the Center for International Economy and Strategy, Japan. The discussion examined how technology, skills, finance, and institutional reforms can support higher productivity and better-quality employment across Asian economies.

The conference also featured eight research presentations by researchers from APO and ADB member economies, exploring the relationship between finance, productivity, and economic transformation in Asia. The research findings will be compiled into an edited volume.