ASIAN THINK TANK NETWORK
“I would recommend the workshop to scholars everywhere as the process of developing and nurturing the paper with a discussant reviewing it multiple times adds a lot of value to the work. This aspect of the Forum is one of a kind. The Forum allowed scholars to discuss aspects which are at the center of policy decisions in the country. It provides an important Forum for discussing questions which might not typically be at the core of other Econ conferences or workshops.”
“What impacted me the most was how the Forum brought together experts from digitalization, finance, and innovation. Their diverse presentation on high-quality data, approaches, and insights helped reshape my understanding of how to make my research more reproducible and applicable to real-world challenges. My mentor provided incredibly insightful feedback that guided my work. The Forum was interactive discussions, and constructive conversations truly deepened my analytical skills.”
“The insights gained have been invaluable in drafting my chapter, “Digitalising Sri Lanka’s Public Services,” for my institution’s annual publication Sri Lanka: State of the Economy 2025, under the theme “Technology for Change: Driving the Digital Economy.” They are also informing a second paper currently in progress, “Digitalising Public Services for Inclusive Economic Development.”
“The mentoring process was particularly valuable, as it provided me with expert guidance and new perspectives in refining my paper. My discussions with my mentor helped me approach my research with greater clarity and a stronger focus on its policy implications for a broader international audience.”
“My participation in the ATTN Forum deepened my understanding of digitalization as a complex and multifaceted driver of inclusive growth. I have found there are nuances in digitalization that are sometimes overlooked in the literature. My participation in the Forum helped me understand these nuances better, and I hope to use them in my future research work. The exchange of ideas with fellow researchers and practitioners also broadened my perspective on how digitalization can bridge, rather than widen, development gaps.”
Activities
ATTN Forum 2025
Enabling Accessibility and Inclusion Through Digital Trade and
28–30 October 2025
The ADB, in collaboration with the ADBI, and ESCAP, is organizing the ATTN Forum 2025. The objective is to narrow the knowledge gap with respect to the role of digital trade in enabling inclusion and to enhance the capacity of researchers and think tanks in developing countries to conduct research in emerging areas concerning the digital economy. The project looks at digital trade and particularly cross-border e-commerce in three perspectives: (a) trend of cross-border e-commerce at regional and sub-regional levels; (b) impact (or potential impact) of cross-border e-commerce (goods and/or services) on inclusion and accessibility outcomes; and (c) regulatory gaps at national and regional levels to facilitate cross-border e-commerce.
See ATTN Forum 2025 agenda
See past forums
Journal Publication
The second issue of Asia-Pacific Sustainable Development Journal explores how economies can harness digital transformation to foster inclusive, sustainable, and resilient growth. This edition’s special theme, “Digitalization as an Opportunity for Inclusive Growth,” presents insights from a collaborative research and capacity-building initiative led by the Asian Think Tank Network (ATTN) of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Asia-Pacific Research and Training Network (ARTNeT) at ESCAP, and the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI). The articles build on discussions from the 2024 ATTN Forum, highlighting how countries in the region can leverage digitalization to unlock new opportunities while addressing emerging challenges.
Download here
Get Involved
The Asian Think Tank Network (ATTN) (formerly ADB-Asian Think Tank Network) is a network of think tanks and research centers actively engaged in the study of sustainable economic growth and inclusive development in Asia and the Pacific region. The network, led by ADB in partnership with the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI), undertakes collaborative policy-relevant research activity on a wide array of socio-economic themes while pursuing three goals: read more
Network Members
Secretariat
ADB serves as network organizer and secretariat through the Regional Cooperation and Integration Division of the Economic Research and Development Impact Department.
attn-secretariat@adb.org
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