ASEAN-Japan Economic Co-Creation Forum
PROGRAM

10:30-11:00 Opening Session

Greetings from Japanese and ASEAN ministers, and others.

The Kingdom of Thailand
Minister of Commerce
Pichai Naripthaphan

Personal Information

Date of Birth 29 October 1961

Spouse Mrs. Tanyatorn Naripthaphan

Education

Master of Business Administration, Chulalongkorn University

Bachelor of Economics, Chulalongkorn University

Work Experience

2024 - Minister of Commerce

2023 - Advisor to the Prime Minister

2021 - Vice Chairman of the Strategic Committee of Pheu Thai Party

2020 - Deputy Party Leader of Pheu Thai Party

2011 - Minister of Energy

2008 - Deputy Minister of Finance

Royal Orders and Decorations of the Kingdom of Thailand

2011 - Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant.

ASEAN
Secretary-General
Kao Kim Hourn

Dr. Kao Kim Hourn is the 15th Secretary-General of ASEAN. Prior to assuming his current position on 9 January 2023, Dr. Kao had served as a two-term Minister Delegate attached to the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, from 2013 to 2022, and Secretary of State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, from 2004 to 2013. Dr. Kao's career has focused on strengthening Cambodia's international relations, particularly in ASEAN, driving policy advocacy and promoting research, education, and development. He has authored dozens of books and articles on Cambodia and ASEAN. Dr. Kao received BA in Asian Studies from Baylor University, MA in Political Science and MA in International Studies from Ohio University, and PhD in Political Science from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
The Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Chairman
Ken Kobayashi

After serving as president and chairman of Mitsubishi Corporation and chairman of the Japan Foreign Trade Council, he was appointed chairman of the Japan-Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry in November 2022. In addition to corporate management, he is a member of the GX Executive Committee, the New Capitalism Realization Committee, and the Children's Future Strategy Committee, as well as chairman of the ASEAN-Japan Economic Council Japan Committee (AJBC). It is also actively promoting private economic diplomacy.

11:00-11:40 Keynote Panel

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of their friendship last year, Japan and ASEAN formulated the “ASEAN-Japan Economic Co-Creation Vision” to create the future together. As the ASEAN region continues to grow and transform into a center of economic activity in the world, experts from industry, government, and academia in Japan and ASEAN countries will discuss the challenges ASEAN countries face for further development and how Japan is expected to help solve these challenges.

Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)
President
Tetsuya Watanabe

He is President of ERIA, an international organization located in Jakarta, where he is engaged in policy research and recommendation, working together with governments and business in ASEAN and East Asia and ASEAN Secretariat, focusing on supply chains, decarbonization, digital economy, startups, public health and human resource development. Before joining ERIA in 2023, he was the Special Advisor to the Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry.
RIETI
Chairman Emeritus and Distinguished Senior Fellow (specially appointed)
Shujiro Urata

After earning a Ph.D. in Economics, he engaged in research at the Brookings Institution and the World Bank. Subsequently, he taught at the School of Social Sciences and the Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies at Waseda University. Later, he served as the Chairman of the Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI). His areas of expertise include international economics and development economics.

14:10-15:10 Session1 -Next Generation Vehicle-

ASEAN's automotive industry is assumed to play an important role in achieving the carbon neutrality goals set by ASEAN member states. Estimates by the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) suggest that a 27% reduction of energy use by 2050 will be required for the transportation sector in the ASEAN region. Public- and private-sector automotive industry experts from Japan and ASEAN will discuss how Japan and ASEAN can cooperate to ensure that ASEAN's automotive industry, a growth sector, can maintain its position as a production and export hub while achieving decarbonization at the same time.

Arthur D. Little Ltd. (Thailand)
Partner, Head of Thailand, Head of Automotive & Manufacturing practice in Southeast Asia, Partner in charge of Japanese manufacturing companies in India
Hirotaka Uchida

After working for a global consulting firm and a consulting arm of an accounting firm, he joined ADL. He has provided support for strategic planning, new business planning, research and analysis, company-wide transformation, and DX implementation, focusing on the mobility industry, including passenger / commercial vehicles, construction / agricultural machinery, and logistics. In recent years, he has also supported G2G collaboration and individual company strategy planning related to decarbonization and carbon neutrality, as well as strategy planning, local partner search, and due diligence in a wide range of areas such as electrification, storage battery utilization, and introduction of renewable and new energy sources. He has about 12 years of overseas experience, including Thailand, Singapore, and China.
Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)
Energy economist
Alloysius Joko Purwanto

Mr. Alloysius Joko Purwanto is since 2018 an energy economist at ERIA, based in Jakarta. He is working on the issues of energy transition in Southeast Asia region. Prior to joining ERIA he worked in Europe for more than ten years the research domains of energy, mobility, and transportation. He obtained his master and doctoral degrees in transport economics in France and his civil engineering degree from University of Indonesia
Thai Auto-Parts Manufacturers Association (TAPMA)
Vice President
Parinya Ketkam

Mr. Parinya Ketkam is a seasoned professional in the automotive industry. He currently serves as the Vice President of the Thai Auto-Parts Manufacturers Association (TAPMA) in the Economy and Taxes Division. He brings extensive experience in Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and automotive policy to this role.

Mr. Ketkam played a pivotal role in supporting the Thai Government and TAPMA in successfully concluding the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) negotiations. This achievement underscores his profound expertise in navigating complex international trade agreements, which are essential for economic integration and enhancing trade flows.
In addition to his FTA expertise, Mr. Ketkam possesses specialized knowledge in automotive policy and Thailand's tax structure. He recently contributed to the development of a new Excise tax framework in collaboration with the Thai Government. This framework aims to create a fairer taxation environment that fosters industry growth.

Mr. Ketkam also holds the position of General Manager of Regional Business Affairs at DENSO International Asia.
Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (PERODUA)
President and Chief Executive Officer
Dato' Sri Zainal Abidin Ahmad

DATO' SRI ZAINAL ABIDIN AHMAD is an accomplished professional with extensive experience in corporate finance, human resource, brand management, secretarial and legal, etc., he has been responsible for the overall Perodua Group operations, a Malaysian national car company since 2019. With more than 29 years of experience in the automotive industry, he regularly deals with and is being consulted by various Malaysian government bodies including MITI, MARii, MOF, MIDA, and other government agencies. He was actively involved in the formulation of the Malaysia's National Automotive Policy and its subsequent development.
Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, Inc. (JAMA)
Vice president and Director General, General Policy Affairs Division
Shinichiro Oka

He is an accomplished professional with extensive experience in market survey, statistics, international trade, supply chain, safety, environment and overseas offices (Singapore, Brussels). Currently serving as Vice President and Director General of General Policy Affairs Division / Carbon Neutrality at JAMA, he has been instrumental in the field of planning, global issues, taxation, human resources, public relations and supply chain. With a strong background in the field of economic partnership agreement negotiations and industrial cooperation, Shinichiro OKA has contributed significantly to carbon neutrality of automotive sector.

15:20-16:20 Session2 -AI-

The world is standing at the beginning of an era in which AI increases business productivity and added value and creates new business opportunities, and the use of AI in business is becoming a source of growth as the economy is digitalized. On the other hand, it is necessary to address the risks on the flip side of this potential to establish safe, secure, and reliable AI. Public- and private-sector AI experts from Japan and ASEAN will discuss possible cooperation between Japan and ASEAN to concretize the “AI Innovation Co-Creation Roadmap” formulated by the ASEAN-Japan Economic Minister's Meeting.

Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)
Managing Director for Policy Design and Operations
Aladdin D. Rillo

Dr. Rillo holds PhD and MA degrees in economics from the University of Hawaii, and a BA in economics from the Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines.
He is currently serving as Managing Director for Policy Design and Operations for ERIA. He has worked at the ASEAN Secretariat for many years. During this period, he provided the overall leadership in the implementation of the AEC Blueprint 2025 and ASEAN's economic integration agenda. He also held positions at the Asian Development Bank Institute in Tokyo and PricewaterhouseCoopers in Toronto.
Kotoba Technologies
Co-founder & CEO
Noriyuki Kojima

He graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.S. in Computer Science and earned a Ph.D. in Generative AI at Cornell University, winning the EMNLP 2022 Best Paper Award. In 2022, he launched the Fugaku-LLM project to train Japanese large language models on Fugaku, once the world's fastest supercomputer. In 2023, he co-founded Kotoba Technologies, where he serves as CEO, developing speech generation AI for Japan and Asia. Kotoba was selected for METI and NEDO's GENIAC program, and its models have over 300,000 downloads on HuggingFace.
CLNR.inc
CXO
Tatsuki Iwasawa

He is an experienced professional specializing in AI and digital transformation. While studying at the University of Tokyo, he worked as a data scientist, developing pricing algorithms and optimizing call campaign strategies. Later, he supported business transformation projects across finance, infrastructure, and pharmaceuticals at a consulting firm. Currently, as Chief Transformation Officer (CXO) at Collineer Inc., he leads corporate DX and AI-X initiatives. He also contribute to the autoBI® project, aiming to empower anyone to drive business with data, as easy as a search.
MyDIGITAL Corporation
Director, Malaysia Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Calvin Woo Yoong Shen

Calvin Woo is the Director at the Malaysia Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution established in partnership with the World Economic Forum, at MyDIGITAL Corporation leading both the digital transformation and energy transition workstreams. With a strong background in policy and tech, he was part of the working committee which drafted Malaysia's National Guidelines on AI Governance and Ethics.
Prior to his current role, he was the Head of Ecosystem, Partnerships, and Innovation Labs at Hong Leong Bank, and Senior Trade Manager-Technology at the British High Commission in Malaysia.
He holds an MBA from the Asia School of Business in collaboration with MIT Sloan of Management.
NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION (NTT)
Director
Yasunori Kinebuchi

He is an accomplished professional with extensive experience in IT / Telecom sector. Currently serving as Director at NTT Holdings, he has been instrumental in leading a group-wide open innovation initiative, "NTT Startup Challenge". With a strong background in open innovation and corporate finance, Yasunori Kinebuchi has contributed significantly to the collaborations between NTT operating companies and startups in SEA.
TOY EIGHT HOLDINGS Inc.
Co-Founder & CEO
Masaki Ishibashi

Masaki is the entrepreneur and CEO of TOYEIGHT. After working as a bureau chief of a business news wire, he joined a consulting firm where he successfully exported, developed, modified, and fine-tuned various Japanese businesses, including fashion, beauty, entertainment, and education businesses in Hong Kong, Macau, Guangdong in China, Singapore, and Malaysia. His extensive background includes noteworthy roles as a researcher on education in Southeast Asia for an affiliated organisation of the MOE and as a business advisor for JETRO Kuala Lumpur.

16:30-17:30 Session3 -GX-

While Japan and the ASEAN member states have set individual carbon neutrality goals, there are also decarbonization efforts by ASEAN, including the formulation of a carbon neutrality strategy. The concept of the “Asian Zero Emission Community” is also being promoted. Its principle is to achieve net zero, decarbonization, economic growth, and energy security in a variety of ways at the same time. Public- and private-sector GX industry experts from Japan and ASEAN will discuss the opportunities and challenges faced by Japan and ASEAN in attracting investment to the decarbonization market to achieve substantial progress in the decarbonization of the region.

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)
Director General for International Policy on Carbon Neutrality
Shinichi Kihara

Shinichi Kihara was appointed in July 2023 as the Director-General for International Policy on Carbon Neutrality.

Mr. Kihara has rich experience in the area of international energy / climate policy. He served as Deputy Director-General for Environmental Affairs in 2021, and took the lead for the G7 Ministers' Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment in Sapporo. He served as Deputy Commissioner for International Affairs at Agency for Natural Resources and Energy (ANRE) in 2020. He served as Director for International Affairs at ANRE in 2012, when he led the work for the G7 Kitakyushu Energy Ministerial in 2016. He was also involved in energy related work including the International Affairs Division in 2004 and Nuclear Power Safety Administration Division in 1998.

Mr. Kihara served as Senior Energy Analyst at the International Energy Agency (IEA) in Paris in 2009. He contributed to the flagship publication, World Energy Outlook.

Mr. Kihara joined METI in 1993, He has diverse experience serving various offices in the METI, including Director for Policy Planning and Coordination Division of Trade Policy Bureau, Director for Middle East and Africa Division and Americas Division. His experience also covers the area of economic cooperation, export control and others.

Mr. Kihara earned a Bachelor of Economics from University of Tokyo in 1993. He earned a MBA in 1998 from Cornell University, USA.
Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC)
Director General for Infrastructure and Environment Finance Group, New Energy and Power Finance Department II
Ryuta Suzuki

He has nearly 30 years professional experience in the international development finance. Currently serving as Director General of New Energy and Power Finance Dept II. of Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), he is leading JBIC's AZEC / GX Task Group. With a strong background in power sector and decarbonization activities, he has contributed significantly to launch a financial framework to support energy efficiency projects.
Sustainable Business Promotion Department, Mizuho Financial Group, Inc.
Operating Officer & General Manager
Shinichi Tsunoda

He has dedicated over 25 years to corporate finance and advisory services for Japan, EMEA and ASEAN region, and corporate advisory services for local companies in ASEAN region. He has currently served as Operating Officer and General Manager of Sustainable Business Promotion Department at Mizuho Financial Group, Inc.. Additionally, Shinichi has contributed significantly to several global projects in the region.
BRG Group
Chairwoman
Nguyen Thi Nga

She is an outstanding leader with over 30 years of experience in management and governance, currently holding the position of Chairwoman of BRG Group, a leading multi-industry conglomerate in Vietnam and the Permanent Vice Chairwoman of SeABank.
Additionally, she also acts as the Vice Chairman and CEO of North Hanoi Smart City Development Corporation, a joint venture between BRG Group and Sumitomo Corporation.
She has received numerous prestigious awards, including the "First-Class Labor Medal" and "Top 10 Most Outstanding Entrepreneurs in Vietnam".
Managing Director, Sales & Business Development Division Zeroboard Inc. / Managing Director, Zeroboard（Thailand）Co.,Ltd.
Taiji Ono

After graduating from university, he joined Toyota Motor Corporation. In the sales division, he promoted new vehicle planning, marketing, and mobility planning. Subsequently, he served as a dedicated member and Deputy Executive Committee Chair of the labor union, driving company-wide policy development with a focus on digital transformation and carbon neutrality. Later, he joined the top executive support and public affairs team, where he was extensively involved in global BEV business planning and public affairs activities with organizations such as the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) and METI. In 2022, he joined Zeroboard Inc., overseeing a wide range of areas, including sales, business development, international expansion, and government relations.

17:40-18:10 Closing Session

Greetings from leaders or executives of the Japanese business world and related organizations.

Keidanren
Vice Chairs of the Board of Councillors and Chair of Committee on Asia and Oceania
Noriyuki Hara

He is currently the Chairman of the Board in Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co., Ltd., which operates MSIG, a leading insurance group in ASEAN. As Vice Chairs of the Board of Councillors and Chair of Committee on Asia and Oceania, Keidanren, he is engaged in promoting cooperation and co-creation between Japan and ASEAN in the areas of green, digital, and human resource development through policy dialogue with ASEAN governments and business communities.
ASEAN-JAPAN CENTRE
Secretary General
Kunihiko Hirabayashi

Dr. Kunihiko Chris Hirabayashi is the Secretary-General of the ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC) since September 2021, committed on strengthening Japan-ASEAN ties, especially in the areas of trade, investment, tourism, and people exchange. Previously, he served as Regional Chief of Health at UNICEF's East Asia and Pacific Regional Office in Bangkok for over 18 years. Prior to that, he also provided technical support to hospitals in developing countries for about 10 years. He holds a Ph.D. in Physiology and Medicine from the University of Tsukuba, Japan.
KEIZAI DOYUKAI (Japan Association of Corporate Executives)
Chairperson of Japan-Asia Relations Committee
Seiji Imai

He is an accomplished professional with extensive experience in the financial industry. Currently serving as the Chairman of Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. he has been instrumental in the management of Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. Mr. Imai has a strong background in overseas operations, particularly in Asia and Oceania, and has extensive experience and expertise as the head of corporate banking both domestically and internationally.
Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)
President
Susumu Kataoka

Mr. Kataoka joined the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (currently the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) in 1991, later serving as Counsellor of the Embassy of Japan in France, and Counsellor of the Cabinet Secretariat for Revitalization of Japanese Economy, as well as Director General of JETRO (Japan External Trade Paris office). In 2020, served as Director General for Policy coordination and making at Consumer Affairs Agency. In October 2023, he was appointed as President of JETRO.
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)
Vice-Minister for International Affairs
Takehiko Matsuo

36 years of experience working for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) as well as Cabinet Office and other agencies.

Mr. Matsuo Takehiko has been serving as Vice Minister for International Affairs at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) since July 2024. He leads all of METI's international policy operations and represents the ministry in cross-border economic dialogues and negotiations.

Prior to his current position, Mr. Matsuo served as Director-General, Trade Policy Bureau in July 2021, responsible for METI's trade policy and international economic cooperation. He played a leading role in various policy agendas, including the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF), and WTO reform.

He served as Director General, National Space Policy Secretariat (NSPS) of the Cabinet Office (CAO) from 2019 to 2021. He played a leading role in creating the 4th Basic Plan on Space Policy of the Japanese, which was decided by the cabinet in June 2020, and establishing a new framework of relevant ministries to coordinate the government's dual-use satellite technology R&D projects.

He served as Director General for Trade Policy at the Trade Policy Bureau of METI from 2017 to 2019. He made a contribution to finalizing Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement as the METI's chief negotiator and advanced the G20 Osaka process as a co-chair of the Trade and Investment Working Group.
He served as Secretary General of the Electricity and Gas Market Surveillance Commission (EGC) since its establishment in September 2015 and led the secretariat to contribute to the successful and full liberalization of the electricity and gas retail markets in Japan, and to the launch of transmission and distribution charge system reform.

He also served as Director, General Policy Division of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy and contributed to METI's decision-making regarding the Energy Supply and Demand Outlook for 2030, which provided fundamental mid-term policy guidance for Japan's energy policies.

From 2013 to 2014, as Director of the Budget and Accounts Division, he drafted METI's budget.

Previously, he held the position of Counsellor of the Cabinet Secretariat from 2010 to 2012 and oversaw the Japanese government's decision to start negotiations with TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement) member countries regarding joining the TPP. In addition, he supervised the adjustment of electricity supply and demand in eastern Japan in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011.

From 2008 to 2010 he served as Special Advisor to the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) in Paris and contributed to the IEA's input to the G8 Summit in 2008.

Mr. Matsuo graduated from the University of Tokyo with a degree in law and from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University, with a master's in international public policy.

Apr. 2021 - Present	Minister of Industry and Trade
May 2020 - Apr. 2021	Deputy Head of the Communications and Education Commission of the Party Central Committee; Vice President of the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations - VUSTA (from February 2021).
Aug. 2018 - Apr. 2020	Secretary of Thai Binh Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of Thai Binh People's Council.
May 2018 – Jul. 2018	Secretary of Thai Binh Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of Thai Binh People's Committee.
Mar. 2015 - Apr. 2018	Deputy Secretary of Thai Binh Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of Thai Binh People's Committee; member of the Finance and Budget Committee of the National Assembly (from June 2016 to present).
Feb. 2007 - Mar. 2015	Member of Standing Committee of Thai Binh Provincial Party Committee, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee (since October 2010); Chairman of the Provincial People's Council (since June 2011).
Mar. 2003 - Feb. 2007	Member of Vu Thu District Party Committee; Chairman of Vu Thu District People's Council, Member of the Standing Committee of Thai Binh Provincial Party Committee (since October 2005).
Dec. 2000 - Mar. 2003	Member of Thai Binh Provincial Party Committee; Chief of the Office of Thai Binh Provincial Party Committee.
May 1992 - Dec. 2000	Standing Deputy Secretary of Thai Binh Provincial Youth Union (since May 1992). From February 1996: Member of Thai Binh Provincial Party Committee; Secretary of Thai Binh Provincial Youth Union; Member of the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union; Member of the Committee of the Viet Nam Youth Union; Chairman of the Viet Nam Youth Union of Thai Binh province.
Sept. 1991 - Oct. 1991	Officer of the Organization Committee of the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union.
Jul. 1982 - Jul. 1985	Secretary of Tinh Xuyen Hamlet Youth Union, Vice Secretary of Hong Minh Commune Youth Union, Member of Hung Ha District Youth Union Committee, Member of Thai Binh Provincial Youth Union Committee

ASEAN-Japan Economic Co-Creation Forum PROGRAM

ASEAN-Japan Economic Co-Creation Forum
PROGRAM