Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) is slated to be an arterial node for trade, investment, and regional transportation, besides also serving as a strategic gateway to the Southeast Asian region.

Vietnam is enjoying record numbers in shrimp exports but ironically faces tough barriers in its home market.Shrimp accounted for 46 percent of Vietnam’s total seafood exports in 2017, raking in US$3.8 billion out of US$8.3 billion worth of aquaculture exports in total. In 1Q18, shrimp exports brought in US$719 million in revenue.

Although divided by physical borders, the ASEAN region is digitally interconnected. In light of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, technological progress should not be deemed a success, rather it is very much a necessity. More people within the ASEAN citizenry now own smartphones and other digital devices that enable them to keep abreast with what is going on in the complex world around them.

ASEAN’s positive economic growth has seen many changes in the way its citizens go about their daily lives. With an economy that is fast growing and the potential for progress still positive, the rise of the middle class is very much apparent within the region. An increase in disposable income has allowed some room for people to spend on items or products that might not be a necessity.

Just this Tuesday, Thailand’s cabinet approved the transfer of three senior head officials from the country’s Ministry of Education amid a probe into alleged malfeasance in relation to the construction of the Songkhla Lake Aquaculture Research Centre, an aquarium and marine research centre in the southern province of Songkhla. This is the latest step in a high-profile corruption probe that the ministry is conducting.

United States (US) President Donald Trump fulfilled one of his election promises by getting rid of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and replaced it with the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) signed on 30 September.

The first image that usually springs to mind when someone mentions any Southeast Asian capital is congested roads filled with honking cars and motorcycles. Congested roads have become synonymous with Southeast Asia, and that is not going to change anytime soon.According to the latest data, vehicle sales in Southeast Asia is set to outpace all other regions in the world.

Southeast Asia’s roads are home to over 20 million cars. This number is expected to rise to 62 million by 2040 according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). At the same time, new high-speed rail systems are being built all over the region, resulting in the recent infrastructure boom. The growth of the transportation sector is a welcome sign as it indicates that the region is catching up economically with the rest of the world.

Singapore’s Education Minister Ong Ye Kung recently revealed that the government there intends to bring in foreign talent in areas critical to Industry 4.0. Ong said that meanwhile, the country will work on rebalancing its education system to meet future demand.

Southeast Asia’s been home to almost half of the biggest growth drivers in the past half-century. To keep investors interested, it’ll have to make the right moves across technology, education and infrastructure, according to Diaan-Yi Lin, a senior partner at McKinsey & Co.Among 71 developing economies of the past half-century, 18 are responsible for the lion’s share of growth, with eight of those within Southeast Asia, a September McKinsey report showed.