Special Projects

January 15, 2021

DatVietVAC Group Holdings (Vietnam) – Leveraging Entertainment as a Force for Good in Face of COVID-19 Challenges

Vietnamese entertainment giant DatVietVAC Group Holdings is an example of how a company can leverage media and content as a force for good during the pandemic. It played no small part in helping the Vietnamese government promote the official BlueZone app, which helped contain the virus. By mobilizing its network of celebrities, DatVietVAC encouraged the

January 15, 2021

Esquel Group (Hong Kong) – Launching a Sustainable Mask Amidst a Public Health Crisis

Hong Kong-based textile company Esquel Group reaffirmed its commitment to sustainability by developing a reusable mask even as it was hit hard by the unfolding pandemic and escalating U.S.-China tensions. While initially made for donations, especially in the communities where it had operations, the product soon became a business as well, demonstrating that social responsibility

January 15, 2021

Fubon Group (Taiwan) – Forming a Mobile Phone-Based Information System to Prevent Community Outbreaks

One of the main reasons Taiwan had so few COVID-19 cases at the start of the pandemic was the development of a mobile phone-based information tracking system called the Intelligent Electronic Fences System (IEFS). Taiwan Mobile, the telecoms arm of the Fubon Group, played a key role in this endeavor, as it joined hands with

May 17, 2021

Lenovo (China) – Championing Educational Technologies to Enable Virtual Learning Experiences Worldwide

Leveraging its resources and expertise, Lenovo, a leading technology company with operational headquarters in Beijing and Morrisville, North Carolina, and financial headquarters in Hong Kong, developed educational solutions that could “go beyond the device” during the pandemic.  While its commercial solutions ranged from hybrid classrooms to cybersecurity and virtual reality, Lenovo’s philanthropic efforts included hardware

January 15, 2021

Lotte Group (South Korea) – Embracing “Open Innovation” in E-Commerce for the Post-Corona Era

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

January 15, 2021

Temasek (Singapore) – Tapping Investment Expertise and Diverse Networks to Help Fight the Virus

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

January 15, 2021

Yoma Group (Myanmar) – Accelerating Financial Inclusion in a Time of Social Distancing

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

August 30, 2019

Asia Business Council Annual Survey 2019

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

September 30, 2018

Asia Business Council Annual Survey 2018

Asia’s Chief Executive Perspectives The Asia Business Council annual survey of members was conducted in July 2018 and yielded a response rate of 81%. Collectively, respondents indicated the lowest optimism and highest pessimism in their outlook for the year ahead since 2008. Heightened threats of an escalating U.S.-China trade war is by far the most

September 30, 2017

Asia Business Council Annual Survey 2017

Asia’s Chief Executive Perspectives The Asia Business Council’s twelfth annual survey of members was conducted in July 2017. With an overall response rate of 85%, the majority of members (55%) are expecting business conditions to remain about the same in the next 12 months. Additional highlights: Optimism is at its highest level in three years,