New Report Series from SEAPPI Explores Southeast Asia Tech Stack Sovereignty
Bangkok, April 2026 – The Southeast Asia Public Policy Institute (SEAPPI) has launched a new research series, Southeast Asia Tech Stack Sovereignty. The series examines how countries in Southeast Asia are positioned across the modern technology stack, from foundational inputs such as critical minerals to more advanced sectors such as electric technologies and artificial intelligence. It also seeks to explain how the concept of sovereignty can be understood and applied across different strategic sectors that are increasingly shaping the region’s economic and technological future.
The full series will include:
- Part 1: An Analytical Framework for Understanding Technology Sovereignty
- Part 2: Critical Mineral Stack
- Part 3: Electric Tech Stack
- Part 4: Artificial Intelligence Stack
At the center of the series are two core ideas: the “tech stack” and the “layers of sovereignty.” The concept of the tech stack is used to describe the interconnected building blocks of technological development across the supply chain, from upstream inputs to downstream systems and applications. Viewing technology through this lens helps reveal that countries do not participate equally across the chain. Some hold greater control over resources, some over industrial capabilities, and others over the rules and standards that shape how systems operate.
To assess these differences, the series applies a common framework built around three interconnected dimensions of sovereignty: access, capability, and governance. Together, these dimensions provide a practical way to assess strengths, identify vulnerabilities, and understand where deeper policy action may be needed.
Across the four papers, this framework will be applied to strategic sectors that sit at different layers of Southeast Asia’s technology ecosystem. The goal is not only to understand where the region stands today, but also to support a more grounded discussion on how Southeast Asian countries can build stronger and more credible sovereignty in an increasingly competitive global landscape.
About the Southeast Asia Public Policy Institute
The Southeast Asia Public Policy Institute is a research institute based in Bangkok and Singapore, working across the region. The Institute’s mission is to support the development of solutions to the most pressing public policy challenges facing Southeast Asia in the 21st century. The Institute works on a range of issues across sustainability, technology, public health, trade, and governance. It convenes dialogues with stakeholders and decision makers to drive discussion on the challenges and opportunities facing markets in the region. The Institute draws on a network of in-market researchers, advisors, and partners to provide insights and recommendations for governments, policymakers, and businesses.
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