Programs
Pacific Forum’s Critical and Emerging Technologies Program examines how strategic technologies and industrial capabilities shape national power, economic security, and geopolitical competition in the Indo-Pacific.
The program places particular emphasis on supply chain resilience, export controls, and the security of critical inputs underpinning advanced manufacturing, including semiconductors and critical minerals.
A core pillar of the program is PAX Silica–inspired by the U.S. State Department’s visionary approach to securing the broader AI supply chain, this is Pacific Forum’s initiative that is focused on semiconductor supply chains, industrial policy coordination, and trusted technology partnerships among like-minded economies.
Through Track 1.5 dialogues, industry–government engagement, and policy research, the program explores vulnerabilities and chokepoints across the semiconductor value chain—from materials and fabrication to equipment and talent—as well as the geopolitical implications of technology restrictions and resource nationalism.
The program also analyzes the strategic competition surrounding critical minerals essential to energy transition technologies and advanced electronics, assessing diversification strategies, stockpiling, friend-shoring, and international cooperation.
By convening policymakers, industry leaders, and technical experts, Pacific Forum provides a neutral platform to align export control regimes, strengthen supply chain transparency, and promote resilient, secure, and sustainable technology ecosystems across the Indo-Pacific.
