For Lotte Group, the fifth largest conglomerate in South Korea, the response to the crisis was not just about braving the storms of the pandemic but also about accelerating pre-COVID-19 developments. Lotte saw its e-commerce app, Lotte On, as the key to its business transformation. Building on the idea of “open innovation,” or the practice …
Among its many initiatives in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Temasek’s investments in medical initiatives best demonstrate its agility, resourcefulness, and innovation. Widely seen as one of the most sophisticated government-owned investors in the world, the Singapore-based company has been applauded for tapping its diverse networks and expertise to find solutions for global shortages of …
For Myanmar-based conglomerate Yoma Group, the COVID-19 pandemic was a defining moment in its service to the country. Although its acquisition of mobile financial services operator Wave Money was planned before the pandemic, it was the trying times of 2020 that truly underscored the importance of mobile money in promoting financial inclusion in Myanmar. The …
The worst is over, or at least that’s what many Asia Business Council members think about economic prospects for the next year. By Asia Business Council Executive Director Mark Clifford.
Covid-19 has been a disaster for most businesses in Asia, as everywhere. But the epidemic has given some Asian companies a new-found sense of purpose. By Program Associate Colleen Howe.
The world is growing older, and demographic decline will change the fabric of societies across Asia, presenting challenges but also opportunities to remake society for the better. Medicine and health care are among the most important of these challenges and opportunities. Health and medical issues are coming to the fore not only in Japan but, …
Using India as a case, this Asia Business Council briefing looks at how the use of digital technology by the government and private sector is helping to change society, largely for the better. It explores how digital technology has enabled more people to access government benefits and expand economic opportunities in ways that were elusive …
Public health and climate change are both great challenges for Asia. Together they create a nexus of concern that could become the next big crisis for the region. While rapid economic development has pulled hundreds of millions out of poverty and people’s health and lives are much improved, Asia is dealing with an emerging set …
The Asia Business Council annual survey of members found business optimism for the year ahead has plunged to the lowest level since the global financial crisis in 2008. The overwhelming reason cited was the U.S.-China trade conflict. Other reasons included concerns about a trade war-induced recession, Japan-South Korea trade disputes, and the impact of Persian …
Driven by a proliferation of emerging, connected, and converging technologies, the economic future for China and the U.S will be one of immense change. Currently, a nation’s ability to innovate is closely linked to perception of national mastery, extending national hegemony into ecosystems of business infrastructure such as those created by large technology companies. Increasingly, …