THE OUTLOOK : ASIA ROUNDTABLE
Seeing the Future From Asia Today
reater Asia is already the continent with the largest GDP and
G population , concentrated in various megacities . The port of Shanghai , the financial might of Tokyo , and the service sector
of Delhi are helping drive the world economy in the 21st century .
These urban zones are promising beacons , but also face incredible challenges . The managing directors of Greater Asia ; Greater China ; Singapore and Malaysia ; and India , Bangladesh , and Sri Lanka sit down for a roundtable discussion about the region ’ s future and HP ’ s role in it .
TIAN
CHONG
NG ( TC
)
MD , GREATER ASIA
JASON
JUANG
MD , GREATER CHINA
VIVIAN
CHUA
MD , SINGAPORE & MALAYSIA
KETAN
PATEL
M D , IN DIA , BANGLADESH & SRI LANKA
ILLUSTRATION by Señor Salme / Synergy
The five biggest cities in the world in 2030 are predicted to be Tokyo , Delhi , Shanghai , Mumbai , and Beijing . How are cities in your region meeting the post-pandemic challenges of the next decade ?
KP / It ’ s not a coincidence that all five cities are in Asia and they face common issues . Ironically , it took a pandemic to show us the importance of sustainable and healthy living environments . Delhi and Mumbai both have large infrastructure and environmental issues that can be addressed through technology that enables hybrid work and learning environments , thus helping reduce commutes and pollution ; public Wi-Fi hotspots ; EV transport policy ; and more .
TC / We expect health tech to expand , accelerated by the pandemic but also the changing demographics in some countries . The over-65 population is soon expected to be one billion , and healthcare spending will increase in areas like telemedicine and health diagnostics where rapid , accurate testing is required .
JJ / China ’ s 14th Five-Year Plan and its 2035 Vision both made sustainability a priority . The government promised to build sustainable and livable cities that will help achieve the goal of becoming carbon neutral . HP is involved with projects to improve the public transit of several cities .
VC / The pandemic showed there was a digital divide that threatens productivity and growth . Singapore has to address both the need for a skilled , digitally ready workforce and having a high external trade dependence . Partnerships , collaboration , and professional development will be key to addressing these challenges .
Tell us about a trend or development you ’ ve witnessed that you would like to see adopted around the globe .
VC / The overnight shift to ecommerce in Singapore brought to light the need for digital transformation across many SMB industries , especially food and beverage , cleaning services , grocery deliveries , and vertical farming .
TC / Japan and Korea are accelerating the growth of AI and data science in edge computing . There are numerous established companies and startups that are pushing the boundaries of smart manufacturing , IoT , and deep learning in areas such as agriculture , healthcare , and fintech . The Korean government plans to expand smart factories from 100 in 2020 to more than 2,000 over the next 10 years , working with major corporations and universities .
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