Geopolitics in the Cyber Frontier: Building Digital Resilience in A Fragmented World

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To secure a resilient, sovereign, and well-governed digital future, Thailand must strategically navigate the shifting geopolitical forces that shape today’s global digital ecosystem.

Technology, data, and innovation have become central instruments of strategic competition among major powers. A defining feature of this evolving landscape is the global “Chip War,” in which semiconductors have emerged as the most critical geoeconomic asset of the digital age, fueling intense competition for strategic control over supply chains. Another arena of escalating rivalry lies in surveillance technologies, IoT ecosystems, and digital platforms.

The rapid development and proliferation of AI-enabled surveillance systems, digital identity tools, and real-time data analytics has sparked renewed debates on civil liberties, privacy, and cyber risks. Data now functions simultaneously as a key driver of economic growth and a major security vulnerability, heightening the need for robust data governance and protection.

Major powers such as the United States, China, and the European Union continue to advance their distinct models of digital governance. The U.S. emphasises open yet strategically controlled innovation; China prioritises technological self-sufficiency and digital sovereignty; and the EU promotes data privacy and trusted digital ecosystems through regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and initiatives like GAIA-X. These approaches increasingly influence global norms, investment flows, and technological alliances.

For emerging economies such as Thailand, this fragmented and rapidly evolving global environment presents both opportunities and challenges. Thailand’s ambitions under the Digital Economy and Society Development Plan and the Thailand 4.0 agenda require deeper integration into global innovation and supply chains; however, this integration also exposes the country to new geopolitical vulnerabilities from dependency on imported chips and network infrastructure to heightened exposure to cybersecurity risks and evolving international data governance standards.

To provide a platform for policymakers and experts to reflect on Thailand’s strategic challenges and formulate actionable policy recommendations, the Institute of Democratization Studies (iDS), with support from the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Thailand, is organising a seminar titled, “Geopolitics in the Cyber Frontier: Building Digital Resilience in a Fragmented World”, to be held at Gaysorn Urban Resort, Bangkok. The seminar will be conducted in a closed-door format under the Chatham House Rule, ensuring a safe and trusted environment for discussing sensitive issues and debating diverse perspectives constructively.

Participation will be by invitation only, limited to approximately 20–25 individuals to preserve the quality and depth of the dialogue. The group will include policymakers from parliament and government ministries, senior officials from relevant agencies, leading academics, and selected representatives from civil society and the private sector. Attention will be given to ensuring a diversity of expertise and viewpoints while maintaining a strong focus on practical policy relevance.

The expected outcome is a comprehensive policy brief detailing strategies to enhance Thailand’s cyber resilience, digital sovereignty and governance, and competitiveness in the global digital economy, while also promoting strategic awareness, knowledge integration, and collaborative networks.