The APEC "Tech for Good" workshop officially opened on July 8 in Qianhai, Shenzhen, bringing together more than 50 government officials, academics, business leaders, and representatives of international organizations from 17 APEC member economies. The three-day event, approved under the APEC Policy Partnership on Science, Technology and Innovation (PPSTI), is one of China's APEC events in 2026.
The workshop features 12 keynote speeches, six parallel forums, and five site visits, focusing on AI governance, the digital economy, technology ethics, and global technology governance.
Hwanil Park, Chair of the APEC PPSTI, emphasized the diversity of the Asia-Pacific region. "APEC economies are very diverse, so their levels of economic and STI development vary greatly," Park said. "Each economy has its own challenges and problems." He noted that the workshop addresses these shared challenges through solutions in science, technology, and innovation.
On defining "Tech for Good," Park acknowledged its complexity. "How to define good is really challenging, and each economy has its own definition," he said. However, he pointed to common issues, including climate change, inequality, and the digital divide, as the shared purpose technology should serve.
Sïmon Saneback, Chief Operating Officer of the Tech Diplomacy Global Institute (TDGI), praised Shenzhen's innovation ecosystem on his first visit to the city. "I'm truly impressed," he said. "We see a lot of 'Tech for Good' not just being used as a slogan here in China and the APEC economies, but actually being implemented." He described the city's speed as "truly remarkable," adding: "I think the rest of the world needs to come here and experience it with their own eyes."
Soraj Hongladarom, a philosophy professor at Thailand's Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, underscored the workshop's importance. "We are looking at how technology can do good things for society," he said, adding that the gathering of academics, businesspeople, government officials, and NGOs enables discussions on "what kind of rules, regulations, and governance structure can be in place" for AI to benefit everyone.
The workshop will produce two key deliverables: the "APEC Tech for Good Report" and the "Shenzhen Tech for Good Initiative." Hongladarom noted that "China stands in a very powerful place in the world, especially in designing how technology can do good things for society," and has "a very big role to play in tech for good discussion all over the world."
The workshop runs through July 10, with participants visiting local tech companies to observe innovations in digitalization, green energy, IoT, semiconductors, and drone logistics.
Reporter | Cai Minling
Cameraman | Huang Bin
Video editing | Mai Junyu
Zhang Yaxi also contributed to the story.
