28 November 2025, Bangkok, Thailand – The APEC Center for Technology Foresight (APEC CTF), under the Office of National Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Policy Council (NXPO), and the APEC Research Center for Advanced Biohydrogen Technology (APEC-ACABT) held a joint discussion to explore an APEC Centers Joint Project and preparations for the 2026 APEC Young Entrepreneur and Scientist (YES) Challenge.

The meeting took place at the NXPO / APEC-CTF Office. The session aimed to strengthen collaboration between the two APEC centers, align activities under a shared project framework, and enhance youth engagement in science, technology, and innovation across the APEC region.

This was started by a session on the 2026 APEC YES Challenge, presented by APEC-ACABT as an integral component of the joint project. APEC-ACABT shared initial ideas on event planning and budget allocation, emphasizing opportunities to empower young researchers and entrepreneurs, particularly in areas related to advanced biohydrogen technology and green innovation.

This collaboration further builds on APEC CTF’s participation in the signing of the Declaration on APEC Centers Partnership for Science and Innovation on 22 August 2025, alongside three APEC centers of excellence: the Asia Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics (APCTP), the APEC Mentoring Center for the Gifted in Science (AMGS), and the APEC Research Center for Advanced Biohydrogen Technology (APEC-ACABT). The declaration sets forth a shared commitment to develop joint programs for capacity building, organize co-branded events and knowledge exchange, promote science-based policy engagement, support public lectures and outreach, and explore further mechanisms for enhanced collaboration among APEC centers.