Jakarta, 10 March 2025 – The Kickoff event of the Building High-Performance Computing (HPC) Infrastructure and HPC Capacity for ASEAN Data Utilization project was held in Indonesian National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN)’s auditorium in Jakarta. Implemented by the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI), this project is one of the five projects under the Korea-ASEAN Digital Innovation Flagship (KADIF) that aims to enhance ASEAN’s digital landscape by establishing advanced computing infrastructure and fostering capacity building in data and artificial intelligence (AI). 

With USD 10 million support from ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund (AKCF), the project will be carried out over four years from September 2024 to 2028. This project will establish essential research infrastructure and provide specialised training for 160 professionals over four years, ensuring sustainable technological development across ASEAN. 

During the event, H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, expressed that he is looking forward to the full operationalisation of the HPC Facility by early 2026, highlighting its potential to advance ASEAN’s strategic priorities in digital transformation and human capital development. He also expects to strengthen flagship HPC Schools and expand collaborative training programmes with ASEAN's key partners, building on the recently concluded Korea-ASEAN Data and AI Training Programme. 

H.E. Lee Jang-keun, Ambassador of ROK to ASEAN, acknowledged the significance of the KADIF initiative, first introduced at the 2023 ASEAN-Korea Summit, and emphasised that the establishment of the HPC infrastructure would create new avenues for digital cooperation between Korea and ASEAN, including through KADIF. 

Dr. Lee Sik, President of KISTI, also reiterated KISTI’s commitment to supporting ASEAN’s digital advancement, stating, “We hope that this will contribute to strengthening the digital capabilities of ASEAN countries through the establishment of HPC infrastructure for the use of KISTI-ASEAN data and further lay the foundation for ASEAN-Korea science and technology cooperation.”