Resilient Together: ASEAN's Path Forward for Sustainable and Competitive Global Value Chains
2025
Context and Opportunity
ASEAN’s economic prosperity and security depends heavily on the resilience of its Global Value Chains (GVCs). Nine critical GVCs account for 60% of the region’s exports, 75% of employment, and 67% of female employment. These critical GVC sectors, semiconductors, agribusiness, automotive, healthcare, metals and mining, chemicals and energy, utilities, logistics, and financial services, are being profoundly shaped by six key megatrends: a multipolar world, shifts in global trade flows, technological advancement, accelerated climate change, demographic shifts, and unexpected global shocks.
To address these challenges, ASEAN needs to identify a clear set of strategic actions to ensure GVC resilience becomes a cornerstone of the region’s future growth.
Key Impact Highlights
Net economic value
£375B
Estimated uplift in ASEAN’s annual exports
Job creation
12M
Potential new job creation
from growth in current and future sectors
Opportunity size
£675B
Estimated opportunity size for UK private sector firms by 2030
Growth Gateway developed a report setting out 32 strategic actions for ASEAN to strengthen GVC resilience and enhance regional competitiveness over the next five years. Following engagement with the ASEAN Secretariat and ASEAN’s Focal Group on GCV, the finalised report provided a technical foundation for the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) to develop a practical workplan for ASEAN.
The intervention also identified opportunities for UK businesses to expand participation in regional value chains, strategically positioning the UK to benefit from ASEAN’s future growth.
Support Provided
Shaped ASEAN’s upcoming 5-year global value chain workplan
Developed 32 GVC-level strategic actions to guide ASEAN’s next 5-year plan, along with a sector- agnostic mechanism to strengthen regional collaboration and decision making. Engagements included:
- The ASEAN-UK Forum on Global Value Chains held at the 56th ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting
- A presentation at the 3rd ASEAN Focal Group on GCV Meeting
- Shared findings with the Economic Research Institute of ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)
These ASEAN-UK engagements elevated the UK’s presence in shaping ASEAN’s industrial growth.
Identified priority opportunities and challenges for UK participation in ASEAN’s 9 critical GVCs
Analysed new revenue opportunities for private sector firms and identified British firms well placed to capitalise on these opportunities.
Identified key market access barriers for UK firms in ASEAN through policy analysis and private sector interviews, providing insight into challenges faced when setting up, operating and expanding within the region.
Long list of UK firms well-positioned to capitalise on these opportunities
Identified list of 84 UK businesses to participate in the 32 strategic actions across 9 GVCs to enhance GVC resilience.
This list was shared with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Department of Business and Trade (DBT). Subsequently, the UK should start to engage with these companies to introduce them to the potential of the ASEAN markets and the opportunities arising from ASEAN’s plans to strengthen GVC resilience.
Impact Achieved
Key input to ASEAN’s upcoming workplan to 2030
Due to strong ASEAN buy-in from the recommendations at the FG-GVC meeting
84
UK firms that are well positioned to capitalise on the opportunities from the recommendations
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