World Economic Forum

WEF: Singapore world’s most competitive economy

Singapore has dethroned the United States (US) as the world’s most competitive economy in yet another international survey.The Singapore government’s long-term vision and the country’s robust infrastructure and diverse workforce were among the factors which saw it edge the US in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Competitiveness Index released yesterday.The US, which held top spot last year, dropped into second place this year – with Hong Kong moving up four spots in the list of 141 econ

10 October 2019
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Fake News A Big Worry For ASEAN Millennials

Fake news is the biggest concern for millennials in ASEAN when consuming online content, and their reliance on social media is only making matters worse.International communications consultants Ruder Finn surveyed 1,648 people between the ages of 18 to 35 in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam recently, and the research offers valuable insight into consumer preferences across the region with regards to online content.An even mix of male and female participant

19 September 2019
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Can 5G really transform businesses?

While consumers across ASEAN are excited about 5G’s promise of faster home broadband speeds and mobile internet connections, it is the technology’s low network latency and power consumption that offers a variety of opportunities for businesses.Globe Telecom in the Philippines rolled out Southeast Asia’s first 5G broadband service in select areas of the country in June, partnering with telecommunications giant Huawei to give the world’s largest community of social media users a home broadband

16 September 2019
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Towards public transparency in ASEAN

Public transparency and accountability are cornerstones of a citizen-centric approach to governance, and while ASEAN countries show some signs of having transparent processes in place, challenges still exist.A citizen-centric approach is one where instead of the bureaucracy second-guessing citizens, they are consulted about their needs and encouraged to participate in policy planning, service designs and deliveries.According to a joint report published this week by the Asian Development Bank

14 September 2019
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ASEAN desperately needs sustainable tourism

From centuries-old temples in Cambodia to sleek new public transport systems in Singapore, tourism’s rapid growth is set to play a critical role in shaping infrastructure use in ASEAN. Around 129 million tourists visited the region last year, and that number is expected to rise to 155 million in 2020.

5 September 2019
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The future of mining

After Indonesia’s Petrosea embarked on the digital transformation of its Tabang coal mine in Kalimantan in June 2018, it soon became apparent that initiatives like real-time performance monitoring and predictive maintenance would help ensure the company’s sustainable growth.Indonesia is ASEAN’s largest producer of coal and fifth largest in the world, and as demand for energy continually increases, a number of Southeast Asian countries continue to utilise coal as a cheap way to meet their ener

18 August 2019
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ASEAN youth face disruptive job market

With technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data and the Internet of Things (IoT) rapidly permeating society, ASEAN’s youth will need to reinvent themselves to stay relevant in the job market.Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies are stamping their mark in everything from agriculture to the legal profession – streamlining processes, increasing productivity and reducing costs.The “manufacturing for export” strategy has served as the main economic pillar of most ASE

17 August 2019
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Showcasing IIOT to ASEAN and beyond

Schneider Electric’s extensive use of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies in its factory in Batam has earned it the distinction of being one of the first two factories in ASEAN to join the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Lighthouse Network.A French multinational company, Schneider Electric specialises in energy management and automation and has operations in more than 100 countries.

12 August 2019
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Education in ASEAN needs a revamp now

Social institutions such as education, healthcare and public housing services play a key part in a country’s soft infrastructure. Apart from roads, bridges, airports and other hard infrastructure projects needed to sustain growth across the region, soft infrastructure initiatives are just as crucial in developing knowledge, innovation and technical know-how.As a whole, the region has prospered over the past two decades with the “manufacturing for export” strategy as the main pillar i

7 August 2019
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Intensifying ASEAN’s cybersecurity efforts

While ASEAN is increasingly coordinating its efforts to reinforce regional cybersecurity, more needs to be done to address the constantly evolving threats.Data fraud/theft and cyberattacks were the fourth and fifth biggest threats facing the world according to the nearly 1,000 decision-makers surveyed by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in this year’s Global Risks Report, and it is clear that stakeholders in the public and private sector as well as academia and civil society should intensify ef

3 August 2019
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Empty pockets in Lao

The ASEAN Post recently published an article entitled “Empty bellies in Lao” which highlighted the serious and persisting issue of malnutrition among Laotian children. One of the main reasons malnutrition has become an issue in Lao for a long time now is that the country is poor.

11 July 2019
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Cambodia’s workforce needs help

The Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) recent US$60 million loan to Cambodia is set to boost the skills and competitiveness of its growing labour force as the country’s economy undergoes a key transition.Driven by garment exports and tourism, Cambodia’s economy grew by an average of 7.7 percent between 1995 and 2018 according to the World Bank, making it one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.

7 July 2019
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