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Talent mobility, or the free movement of skilled labour across national borders, is a central tenet of ASEAN’s drive toward regional economic integration. The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Vision 2025 includes facilitating the movement of investments, skilled labour, business professionals, and capital. To this end, the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint 2025 outlines initiatives such as implementing mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) for skilled professionals, strengthening commitments under the ASEAN Agreement on the Movement of Natural Persons, and reducing regulatory barriers by standardising hiring requirements and documentation.Furthermore, the ongoing negotiations on the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) include digital talent mobility as one of its nine key pillars.These commitments recognise the importance of developing, attracting, and retaining talent in accelerating ASEAN’s economic growth. As technology-driven digital transformation is reshaping the region, human expertise is more essential than ever. Skill gaps will limit the region’s ability to maximise digital opportunities. For instance, a shortage of skilled ICT professionals, including cybersecurity experts, hampers our ability to address increasingly complex cybersecurity threats.ASEAN Member States have negotiated past agreements to facilitate cross-border professional practice. Mutual recognition agreements were signed between 2005 and 2012 for sectors including engineering, nursing, architecture, medicine, dentistry, and tourism. In 2012, the Member States signed an agreement on the movement of natural persons, establishing a framework for the temporary cross-border movement of workers. ASEAN Member States also signed the ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Agreement (ACIA), which includes provisions to streamline business visa procedures for citizens within the ASEAN. These are important first steps to foster talent mobility.Read more at https://theaseanmagazine.asean.org/article/opportunities-for-talent-collaboration-in-asean-in-the-digital-ageThe ASEAN Secretariat70A Jalan Sisingamangaraja Jakarta 12110P: (+6221)7262991, 7243372F: (+6221)7398234, 7243504M: ASEAN-magazine@asean.org