The 7th ASEAN-EU Business Summit was held earlier this week at the Okura Prestige Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand. This year’s theme “The ASEAN Opportunity: Achieving a Prosperous, Secure and Sustainable Future” framed the two panels entitled: Building A Sustainable Digital Economy In ASEAN and Financing ASEAN’s future.
The Summit was opened by Donald Kanak, Chairman of the EU-ASEAN Business Council, followed by an opening speech by His Excellency Pirkka Tapiola, EU Ambassador & Head of EU Delegation to ASEAN. After the first panel on digital economy, His Excellency Dr. Uttama Savanayana, Minister of Finance, Kingdom of Thailand gave an insightful keynote address before the finance panel at the annual summit.
Panel 1: Building A Sustainable Digital Economy In ASEAN
Whilst ASEAN continues to grapple with economic integration, the region and its citizens are looking ahead to an increasingly digital world and the changes that the fourth industrial revolution will bring. This panel will address the building blocks needed to achieve a thriving digital economy, including payment systems, data flows, digital infrastructure, digitisation of industry, and human capital development.
Panellists (from left):
Dr Kajit Sukhum, Inspector General, Ministry of Digital Economy & Society, Kingdom of Thailand
John Hsu, Asia Pacific Chief Information Officer, HSBC
Verena Siow, Managing Director, SAP Indochina
Pirachai “Bint” Bencharongkul, Investment Director of BCH Ventures
Austin Menyasz, Director, Group Public and Regulatory Affairs Region Asia, Telenor
Moderator – Bob Fox, Chairman of Digital Economy/ICT group, EABC Thailand and Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce in Thailand
Panel 2: Financing ASEAN’s future
The multi-trillion dollar infrastructure spending requirements for ASEAN are well documented. What is less well known is that ASEAN is also facing an aging problem over the next few decades meaning increased costs for healthcare, pensions etc. How to finance all of these needs, and do so sustainably and support sustainable investment in the region will be the focus of this panel.
Panellists (from left):
Remi Degelcke, Director of Infrastructure Finance, HSBC Global Banking
Jomkwan Kongsakul, Assistant Secretary General, SEC Thailand
Andrew Wong, Chief Health Officer, Prudential Corporation Asia
Luca Bernardinetti, Chairman & Managing Partner, Mahanakorn Partners Group
Moderator – Dr Kirida Bhaopichitr, Thailand Development Research Institute
The 7th edition of the AEBS was attended by 250 delegates and organised by the EU-ASEAN Business Council and the European Association for Business and Commerce (Thailand). This event could not have been possible without the support of Platinum Sponsor HSBC, and partner sponsors: BJC – Big C Group; Bosch; Prudential; Pulmentum; Singapore-Thai Chamber of Commerce and Vriens & Partners. We look forward to seeing all the delegates once again at next year’s summit in Vietnam!
More AEBS 2019 photos can be found on the EU-ABC Facebook Page.
