ASIA-PACIFIC

AUSTRALIA

ARENA backs domestic electrolyser manufacturing

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has committed up to A$49 million to Hysata to establish an electrolyser manufacturing facility at Port Kembla, New South Wales. The A$98 million project, matched by private capital, is supported through ARENA’s Future Made in Australia Innovation Fund.

The 8,500-square-metre facility will produce electrolysers and core components, including membranes and electrodes, with an initial capacity of 50 megawatts a year, scalable to 200 megawatts with round-the-clock operation. Hysata’s capillary-fed electrolyser requires 41.5 kilowatt-hours of electricity per kilogram of green hydrogen, which the company reports is about 20 per cent more efficient than competing technologies.

Source: pv-magazine-australia.com

CHINA

Renewable energy plan targets 2030 expansion

The National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration released the 15th Five-Year Plan for Renewable Energy Development on 23 July 2026. The plan targets about 3.5 billion kilowatts of installed renewable capacity by 2030, including more than 2.8 billion kilowatts of wind and solar, with wind and solar supplying 30 per cent of national power generation.

At least 370 gigawatts of new capacity is to be built across seven major wind and solar bases in northern China between 2026 and 2030. Supporting measures include grid-forming inverters for new projects, concentrated solar power as long-duration storage, hybrid wind-solar-storage configurations and expanded inter-provincial transmission. Third-party estimates put industrial investment across the value chain at more than RMB 5 trillion (about $730 billion).

Source: pv-tech.org

INDIA

Cabinet approves Semicon 2.0 programme

The Union Cabinet approved Semicon 2.0 on 15 July 2026 with an outlay of Rs 1,27,500 crore, providing long-term policy support for the country’s semiconductor sector. The programme has six components: chip design and intellectual property, semiconductor equipment and materials, fabrication plants (silicon, compound semiconductor and display), assembly, testing and packaging, research and development towards more advanced nodes, and talent development.

Under the first phase of the India Semiconductor Mission, 12 manufacturing units with a cumulative investment of Rs 1.64 lakh crore and 24 chip design projects have been approved, with the first fabrication plant expected to be commissioned in 2028. Training programmes have now reached 315 universities.

Source: pmindia.gov.in

INDONESIA

Five-layer strategy to build AI capacity

Indonesia aims to become a developer of artificial intelligence rather than merely a user, Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Nezar Patria said in Yogyakarta on 13 August 2026. He outlined a

five-layer approach to developing the national AI ecosystem covering energy, infrastructure, chips, talent and applications.

In the near term, the country is focusing on the application layer, adapting existing open-source foundation models through post-training to deliver solutions in health, agriculture and education. Over the longer term, Indonesia intends to use its critical mineral reserves and industrial down streaming to integrate into global semiconductor supply chains. The ministry is drafting a National Roadmap for AI Development to strengthen regulation, encourage cross-sector collaboration and attract investment across all five layers.

Source: en.antaranews.com

JAPAN

Plan for sovereign AI and robots

The Government of Japan has adopted a strategy to develop a home-grown AI model and deploy 10 million AI-equipped robots across 18 sectors by 2040, as part of efforts to address labour shortages caused by an ageing and shrinking population. Around $6 billion will be directed to developing a domestic AI model through Noetra, a consortium that includes SoftBank and Sony, with about 44 companies expected to participate.

The strategy focuses on ‘physical AI’ — the application of AI in autonomous vehicles, factory robots and service robots — across sectors ranging from automotive and electronics to logistics, food manufacturing and medical services.

Source: thestar.com.my

MALAYSIA

Solar tender mandates battery storage

The Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation launched the sixth round of the Large Scale Solar programme (LSS6), seeking 2.65 gigawatts of solar photovoltaic capacity, of which 2.5 gigawatts is to be co-located with 1.25 gigawatts of battery energy storage. The tender is divided into three packages, with bidding held in July and August 2026 and commercial operation required by the end of 2029.

Source: energy-storage.news

PAKISTAN

Space Centre advances, security framework approved

Pakistan’s Central Development Working Party cleared the Rs 37 billion Pakistan Space Centre project on 6 August 2026 and referred it to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for final approval. The Centre aims to build domestic capacity for satellite design, assembly, integration and testing.

In August, the federal cabinet approved the Pakistan Information Security Framework 2026, establishing unified baseline security standards with central oversight. The Minister for Information Technology also announced a target of $25.1 billion in information and communications technology exports by 2030.

Source: fnpk.org

PHILIPPINES

First offshore wind auction rescheduled

The Department of Energy has set a new timeline for the country’s first offshore wind auction, the fifth round of the Green Energy Auction Programme (GEA-5), which offers 3.3 gigawatts of fixed-bottom

offshore wind capacity. The auction was suspended on 4 July 2026 and is now indicatively scheduled for 1 December 2026, with post-auction processes to be completed by 30 June 2027.

The recalibration aims to align the auction framework with infrastructure readiness, permitting requirements, port and environmental costs, grid connection and potential supply chain disruptions. Projects are expected to begin operations between 2028 and 2030.

Source: offshorewind.biz

REPUBLIC OF KOREA

Fund to build sovereign frontier AI

The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on 8 September 2026 that it will invest 4.7 trillion won ($3.49 billion) to develop a domestically built frontier AI model comparable to leading global systems. The investment will be managed through an independent fund and will form part of the ministry’s 9.4 trillion won AI budget request for 2027.

Minister Bae Kyung-hoon stressed the need for a sovereign frontier model to preserve technological independence amid intensifying global competition in AI. Detailed project arrangements are yet to be finalised.

Source: koreaherald.com

THAILAND

Committee to govern data centre growth

The Cabinet approved the establishment of a Data Centre Business Policy Committee on 5 August 2026. The committee will propose policies, standards and approval frameworks for data centre operations and assess their impact, taking into account the economy, clean energy use, energy security, electricity and water efficiency, urban planning and public safety.

Thailand currently has no dedicated data centre legislation, and the new committee signals closer government oversight of a sector that has attracted substantial investment amid rising demand for AI computing.

Source: bakermckenzie.com

VIET NAM

Digital transformation laws take effect

Three laws governing the digital economy entered into force on 1 July 2026. The Law on Digital Transformation provides the legal foundation for digital infrastructure, data governance, AI adoption and digital government. The Law on Cybersecurity, which consolidates and replaces two earlier laws, strengthens security and data governance obligations for organisations operating digital systems and online services.

The new Law on E-commerce updates rules for online marketplaces, cross-border digital trade, platform responsibilities and consumer protection, providing greater regulatory certainty for technology businesses operating in the country.

Source: vietnam-briefing.com