Examining how the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) can advance a more integrated, inclusive, and future-ready digital economy in Southeast Asia.
The ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) — the world's first major region-wide digital economy agreement — has entered its two-year negotiation phase.
Keith Detros is a Programme Manager at the Tech for Good Institute, where he handles policy studies on digital economy, tech policy, and cyber resilience. He leverages nearly a decade of experience in government affairs and evidence-based policy research.
Rigorous studies and data that inform regional tech policies
ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement: Unlocking Southeast Asia’s Potential
The Institute's latest report synthesises insights from the 10th ASEAN Economic Dialogue: Unpacking ASEAN's Digital Economy Framework Agreement.
Expert analysis on regional emerging trends
Substantial Conclusion, Substantial Work for ASEAN’s Digital Economy Framework Agreement
In this article, Programme Manager Keith Detros reflects on the road ahead for ASEAN’s Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA). While significant progress has been made in reaching broad consensus on the agreement, important areas still require substantial work to ensure the DEFA is fully realised.
Can DEFA Future-Proof ASEAN’s Digital Economy?
Trade tensions in 2025 exposed ASEAN's digital vulnerabilities. In this article, Citra Nasruddin, Programme Director for Tech For Good Institute, examines how the Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) could help the region resist fragmentation and unlock long-term digital growth.
The ASEAN DEFA: Empowering Indonesia’s MSMEs
The ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) — the world's first major region-wide digital economy agreement — has entered its two-year negotiation phase. In this article, we invite OVO, Indonesia's leading e-wallet application, to share insights on DEFA's implementation, its impact on private sector operations, current challenges, and future strategies.
Dialogues connecting policymakers, researchers and industry
Indonesian Perspectives on ASEAN DEFA: Priority Areas in the Negotiating Arena
In this article, Maria Monica Wihardja, Visiting Fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the National University of Singapore, discusses the implications of the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) for Indonesia, outlining the key priority areas that the country should focus on among ASEAN DEFA's ambitious aspirations.
The ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement: A Philippine Perspective
In this article, Monchito Ibrahim, the Lead Convenor of the Alliance of Tech Innovators for the Nation (ATIN) in the Philippines, discusses the implications of the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) for the country and outlines the challenges and steps needed for its full potential.
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Programme Fellow
Mouna Aouri is an Institute Fellow at the Tech For Good Institute. As a social entrepreneur, impact investor, and engineer, her experience spans over two decades in the MENA region, South East Asia, and Japan. She is founder of Woomentum, a Singapore-based platform dedicated to supporting women entrepreneurs in APAC through skill development and access to growth capital through strategic collaborations with corporate entities, investors and government partners.
Senior Fellow & Founding Executive Director
Dr Ming Tan is Senior Fellow at the Tech for Good Institute; where she served as founding Executive Director of the non-profit focused on research and policy at the intersection of technology, society and the economy in Southeast Asia. She is concurrently a Senior Fellow at and the Centre for Governance and Sustainability at the National University of Singapore and Advisor to the Founder of the COMO Group, a Singaporean portfolio of lifestyle companies operating in 15 countries worldwide. Ming was previously Managing Director of IPOS International, part of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore. Prior to joining the public sector, she was Head of Stewardship of the COMO Group.
Ming also serves on the boards of several private companies, Singapore’s National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre, Singapore Network Information Centre (SGNIC), and on the Digital and Technology Advisory Panel for Esplanade–Theatres on the Bay, Singapore’s national performing arts centre. Her current portfolio spans philanthropy, social impact, sustainability and innovation.
