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| Asia Competitiveness Institute | |
|---|---|
| Name | Asia Competitiveness Institute |
| Established | 2006 |
| Type | Research institute |
| Location | Singapore |
| Parent institution | Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy |
| Director | Tanmoyee Bhattacharya |
Asia Competitiveness Institute is a research institute based in Singapore that focuses on competitiveness, productivity, and development across Asia. It conducts empirical analysis and policy advice relevant to Association of Southeast Asian Nations, People's Republic of China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea and other regional economies. The institute engages with multilateral organizations, national ministries, and private sector institutions to inform strategic planning and benchmarking.
The institute produces comparative studies covering national and subnational performance across indicators used by World Bank, International Monetary Fund, World Economic Forum, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and United Nations Development Programme. Its staff includes scholars trained at London School of Economics, Harvard University, Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and University of Oxford, and it leverages data from sources such as Penn World Table, Global Competitiveness Report, and Doing Business datasets. The institute situates its work within regional initiatives like the Asian Development Bank strategies, the Belt and Road Initiative, and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership dynamics.
Founded in 2006 within the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at National University of Singapore, the institute emerged amid policy debates shaped by the Asian Financial Crisis aftermath and the rise of China as a global trader. Early projects referenced frameworks from Michael Porter and interacted with agencies such as the Singapore Economic Development Board and the Ministry of Trade and Industry (Singapore). Over time the institute expanded its remit to cover city competitiveness tied to cases like Shanghai, Shenzhen, Jakarta, Bangkok, and Ho Chi Minh City while responding to shocks exemplified by the Global Financial Crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The institute publishes working papers, policy briefs, and peer-reviewed articles that draw on econometric methods used in studies from National Bureau of Economic Research, European Central Bank, and International Labour Organization research. Topics include productivity decomposition referencing the Solow growth model, sectoral analyses comparing manufacturing clusters in Vietnam and Thailand, and innovation system studies invoking the Triple Helix model. Publications often cite datasets compiled by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, UNCTAD, World Intellectual Property Organization, and International Telecommunication Union. Collaborative outputs have been presented at conferences organized by Asian Development Bank Institute, Brookings Institution, Chatham House, and Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
The institute develops indices for subnational competitiveness and conducts rankings that complement indices from Global Innovation Index, Ease of Doing Business, Human Development Index, and IMD World Competitiveness Ranking. Its methodologies draw on statistical techniques used by researchers at University of California, Berkeley, Yale University, and Princeton University and are benchmarked against standards maintained by International Organization for Standardization. Published rankings inform policy dialogues in capitals including Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, New Delhi, and Tokyo.
Through workshops and advisory missions, the institute interacts with ministries such as Ministry of Finance (Singapore), Ministry of Trade and Industry (India), and provincial administrations in Guangdong, Jiangsu, and Gujarat. It has briefed delegations from the World Bank Group, Asian Development Bank, and United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. Impactful recommendations have shaped regional programmes linked to ASEAN Economic Community integration, industrial policy dialogues inspired by Made in China 2025, and urban competitiveness strategies comparable to initiatives in Seoul Metropolitan Government and New York City.
The institute partners with academic units such as Nanyang Technological University, Columbia University, University of Cambridge, and Peking University, and collaborates with policy organizations including McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Project funding and joint research have involved the Asian Development Bank, International Finance Corporation, Temasek Holdings, and foundations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It has hosted visiting fellows from institutions including Australian National University, University of Tokyo, and Seoul National University.
Administratively situated within the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, the institute is led by a director and an advisory board comprised of former ministers, central bankers, and academics with affiliations to International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Bank of England, and regional central banks. Funding sources include research grants from multilateral agencies, commissioned studies for ministries and corporations, and philanthropic support from entities such as Temasek Foundation and corporate sponsors from the Singapore Exchange. Governance follows practices similar to think tanks like Chatham House and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Category:Think tanks based in Singapore Category:Research institutes established in 2006