Registration for kick-off webinar is now open

AMEICC/DISG Newsletter Vol.2
Oct 22th (THU), 2020

Kick-off Webinar - Acceleration of Digital Innovation -

On Oct 28th (WED), kick-off webinar of DISG, the “Acceleration of Digital Innovation in ASEAN and Japan’s Contribution” is going to be held. Public and private sector representatives from ASEAN and Japan, including ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN-BAC, JETRO, and ERIA will discuss how to accelerate digital innovation in ASEAN to overcome current economic crisis and achieve further prosperity beyond it. They will also discuss what ASEAN can expect from Japan in promoting digital innovation and how Japanese public and private sectors should respond to it. Click here to register to our kick-off webinar.

Expectation for DISG from ASEAN-BAC, JCCI and JETRO

Dr. Doan Duy Khuong

Chairman, ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC)
Vice President, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI)

As a Chairman of ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC), I hereby congratulate on the official establishment of the Dialogue to materialize ASEAN-Japan Economic Resilience Action Plan. On June 26, ASEAN BAC has the Dialogue with ASEAN Leaders and we have submitted our report, which includes the ASEAN BAC Legacy Project this year, the Digital STARS or Digital Startups Towards ASEAN Resilience and Sustainability, aiming to develop ASEAN-wide digital start-up network for resilient and sustainable business in this region. Towards the Dialogue, I would like to raise two key words here; the Digital Transformation (DX) and MSMEs. In our joint survey with JETRO, we found that digital technology has been rapidly adopted among ASEAN companies after COVID-19 in a non-returnable way, and that tendency is especially higher among MSMEs. I hope there would be significant synergies between the Dialogue and our project, especially from the viewpoint of facilitating MSMEs’ businesses and enhancing their DX capacity. We are here to contribute to the Dialogue.

Tan Sri Dato’ Dr. Mohd Munir Abdul Majid

Chairman, ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) Malaysia
Chairman, CIMB ASEAN Research Institute (CARI)

First of all, I would like to express my congratulations on the launch of the ASEAN-Japan Dialogue, a move that shows Japan’s determination to jointly overcome the negative economic impact of COVID-19. Amid this unprecedented global crisis, it is vital to swiftly set clear direction and take follow-up actions, and Japan is exactly demonstrating this determination. ASEAN-BAC, together with ASEAN Joint related Business Councils and sector champions submitted a package of tangible policy recommendations named “A Pathway Towards Recovery and Hope for ASEAN” to ASEAN Leaders on July 23, 2020. The Pathway225 document consists of 225 essential policy actions that must be taken immediately, ranging from the development of mass testing capacity and promotion of Customs automation to the realization of Industry 4.0. As we await the governments of ASEAN member states to consider the Pathway225 recommendations, there are areas that we could initiate and develop on. Japan has been a leading investor in ASEAN, and I strongly believe that there should be common strategic areas that we can enhance to strengthen our partnerships. I sincerely hope the Dialogue would provide a robust platform to connect, as we exchange views on our challenges and solutions so that we can identify sweet spots where we can translate into tangible actions. The time is NOW.

Mr. Akio Mimura

Chairman, the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI)

The Japan Committee of the ASEAN-Japan Business Council (AJBC), of which I serve as Chairman, promotes mutual friendship and understanding between the business communities of ASEAN and Japan as well as mutual trade, investment, industrial cooperation and various exchanges. We have been carrying out these activities for 40 years, ever since representatives from the Japanese business community visited the ASEAN countries in February of 1977. Furthermore, in April 2017, the ASEAN-Japan Innovation Network (AJIN) was established by 11 Japan-ASEAN economic organizations, with us as the coordinator. This framework promotes cooperation and collaboration in fields related to new industry creation and innovation. Through our activities to date, we are keenly aware of the opportunities in the ASEAN region and its strong growth potential, as well as the potential for new innovations to emerge through collaborations with Japanese companies. This year, companies around the world were severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and they are now seeking to respond flexibly to the ever-changing business environment and risks. This renewed awareness of the needs to accelerate digitalization, quickly train and supply human resources for that purpose, diversify and strengthen the supply chain, and create additional value through innovation. In response to this awareness, the ASEAN-Japan Economic Resilience Action Plan was issued in July of this year, and the Dialogue for Innovative and Sustainable Growth (DISG) was launched. In line with this framework, we will cooperate with the business communities of the ASEAN countries more than ever before to promote networking and dialogue, and to propose policies on social and economic issues. It is my sincere hope that the various activities of the organizations involved in this framework will generate synergies with each other to achieve rapid, sustained economic growth in the ASEAN region.

Mr. Nobuhiko Sasaki

Chairman & CEO, Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)

First of all, JETRO is honored to take part in this newly established “Dialogue for Innovative and Sustainable Growth (DISG)”. COVID-19 has had a deep negative economic impact in Asia by triggering global value chain disruption and restrictions on the movement of persons; but at the same time, it has brought new business opportunities, including rapid transformation or adoption of digital technologies. To realize more resilient value chains in the region, as well as to incorporate these emerging business trends into new business opportunities, JETRO has been implementing programs for strengthening supply chains in ASEAN. Additionally, JETRO organizes webinars, online pitches and business meetings to accelerate digitalization through our Digital Transformation (DX) Platform for ASEAN-Japan collaborative innovation. In these connections, I strongly believe DISG will work as a common platform to effectively integrate all such efforts for creating new value and opportunities in ASEAN. We at JETRO, upholding the key concept of “Achieving the SDGs in ASEAN through Business,” would like to contribute to the Dialogue by providing our experience and maximizing synergies with our programs. Asia is changing much faster than we expected. I hope that many Japanese companies will proactively participate in the Dialogue to keep themselves updated and seize the business opportunities now emerging.