Pacific Forum Hosts CONVERGE 2024: The Indo-Pacific Critical Technologies Forum in Tokyo
Leading Experts to Explore AI and Semiconductor Collaboration in the Indo-Pacific Region
Tokyo, Japan – October 10-11, 2024 – Pacific Forum’s Cybersecurity and Critical Technologies program, in partnership with the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Tokyo, will host CONVERGE 2024: The Indo-Pacific Critical Technologies Forum, a pivotal Track II Dialogue focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductors in the Indo-Pacific region.
Supported by the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs at the US Department of State, the two-day forum will bring together top experts, policymakers, and industry leaders from across the region to foster open, trusted, and secure collaborations on critical and emerging technologies. Participants will include representatives from the US, Japan, Australia, India, Singapore, and the Philippines.
Key Outcomes of CONVERGE 2024:
- Promote the adoption of international best practices for economic security, research and development, and AI capacity-building.
- Identify and assess regulatory barriers to cross-border partnerships in AI and semiconductors.
- Build stronger linkages between academic researchers, policy experts, and industry practitioners to bridge the gap between policy and technological deployment.
A central output of the event will be the publication of the Critical Technologies Policy Playbook, which will offer practical guidelines for fostering a secure and collaborative innovation ecosystem in the region.
Speakers and Experts Available for Interview:
The following experts will be available for interviews before, during, and after the event:
- Brad Glosserman, Senior Advisor, Pacific Forum
- Martijn Rasser, Chief Revenue Officer, Datenna
- Col. Anurag Awasthi, Vice President, India Electronics and Semiconductors Association
- Maria Monica Wihardja, Visiting Fellow, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute
- Susumu Shuto, Ph.D., Strategic Planning Division, Toshiba
- Konark Bhandari, Fellow, Carnegie India
- Mary Lyn Serdoncillo, IBM Philippines
- George Tan, President, Centre for Asia Pacific Trade Compliance and Information Security
- Mark Manantan, Pacific Forum
- Ben Scott, Senior Advisor, National Security College, Australian National University
- Manoj Harjani, RSIS Singapore
- Jeff Penrose, CEO, EarlyBird
- Merve Hickok, President and CEO, Center for AI and Digital Policy
- Hiroki Habuka, Kyoto University
- Ralph Regalado, Founder & CEO, Senti AI
- Isha Suri, Center for Internet and Society
- Chaitanya Giri, ORF-India
- Louis Alarcon, University of the Philippines
- Francis Quimba, Philippine Institute of Development Studies
- Jennifer Wong Leung, Ph.D, Data Scientist – Critical Technology Tracker, Australian Strategic Policy Institute
- Masaru Tsuchiya, Ph.D, Partner, McKinsey & Company
- Akira Igata, RCAST
- Erik Pederson, Director of Government Relations, Samsung Semiconductor
- Michiel Sweers, Vice Minister, Foreign Economic Relations, Kingdom of the Netherlands
- Sandy Kunvatanagarn, Head, Asia Pacific, Open AI
- Chester Chua, Head of Government Affairs and Public Policy, Google Cloud
- Kristi Govella, Ph.D, Adjunct fellow, Pacific Forum
- Aiko Shimizu, Director of AI National Skills, Microsoft
- Daisuke Kawai, Project Assistant Professor, RCAST
For full speaker bios, additional information, or media requests, please contact Shanna Khayat, Communications Manager at Pacific Forum, at shanna@pacforum.org.