We would like to invite abstract submissions for the upcoming “Governing Critical Digital Infrastructures in the Indo-Pacific: Pathways of Small and Middle Power Agency” workshop, organised by the Centre on Asia and Globalisation (CAG), Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP), National University of Singapore. The workshop will be held in Singapore on 4-5 March 2027 and will be chaired and moderated by Dr Miguel Gomez and Dr Barbora Valockova.
Undersea cables, data centres, satellite systems, and cross-border power grids form the connective tissue of modern economies in the Indo-Pacific. They are interdependent, shaped by complex public-private ownership and governance arrangements, and governed by overlapping rules across many jurisdictions, making them a paradigmatic case of regime complexity. Recent cable disruptions, the energy and water pressures of AI-driven data centre expansion, and competition among satellite constellations have drawn attention to their vulnerability. These infrastructures have also become part of US-China strategic competition, which can lend strategic significance to decisions on cable routing, vendor selection, and infrastructure financing. Governments increasingly treat these infrastructures as matters of national and economic security, which can strengthen protection but also raise costs, narrow supplier choice, and make cross-border cooperation harder.
The workshop asks how, and under what conditions, small and middle powers in the Indo-Pacific exercise agency in critical digital infrastructure governance. It addresses three gaps: cables, data centres, satellites, and power grids are usually studied in separate silos despite their interdependence; critical infrastructure research has largely been shaped by great-power and European perspectives; and the frameworks that regional governments and institutions are now building for cable protection, data centres, and energy interconnection have received little comparative analysis.
Because the papers are intended for publication as a single journal forum, all contributions should address the following three questions, applied to the infrastructure domain or case of the author’s choice:
- What are the most significant recent developments that have turned critical digital infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific into a matter of strategic competition and security concern, in the domain you study?
- What can small and middle powers in the region actually do to shape how these infrastructures are governed, and what are some clear examples of them doing so?
- When do these efforts succeed in making the region more resilient and less dependent, and when do they fail? Why?
We seek submissions in the following domains:
- Undersea Cables and Digital Connectivity: securitisation of subsea cable systems; cable protection, licensing, routing, and repair regimes; the role of consortia and trusted-vendor frameworks.
- Data Centres, Cloud Services, and Digital Sovereignty: data localisation, data centre hubs, cloud dependencies, and the energy and water pressures of AI-driven demand.
- Satellite Systems and Space-Based Infrastructure: competition among low-Earth-orbit constellations, dual-use space infrastructure, and emerging regional space governance.
- Cross-Border Power Grids and Energy Interconnection: initiatives such as the ASEAN Power Grid and subsea electricity interconnectors, and the trade-offs between integration, resilience, and control.
Scholars at all career stages are welcome to apply. Contributions from researchers based in the Indo-Pacific are particularly encouraged, and carefully selected comparative cases from other regions are welcome where they illuminate regional choices or alternative governance models.
Please submit abstracts of 200-300 words, together with a short bio, as either .pdf or .doc files via email to decb64_YmFyYm9yYXZAbnVzLmVkdS5zZw==_decb64 by 6 November 2026. Kindly indicate in the subject line of your submission, “CAG Digital Infrastructure Workshop”.
We will communicate accepted submissions by 20 November 2026. Short, argument-driven papers of 3,000-4,000 words will be due 18 February 2027 and will be shared with all participants before the workshop. Each paper will receive feedback from a designated discussant and the wider group, and each contributor will serve as discussant for one other paper, so participants are expected to attend both days. Following the workshop, contributors will be asked to revise their papers for submission as a journal forum, with policy commentaries to follow.
Kindly note that the CAG will provide economy-class airfare to and from Singapore, accommodation for up to three nights, and an honorarium for accepted participants.