Horasis convened the 2019 Horasis Asia Meeting in Binh Duong New City, Vietnam, over 24-25 November. The event was co-hosted by Binh Duong Province, Becamex IDC and VSIP Group. The Horasis Asia Meeting brought together an eclectic mix of global leaders, and leading CEOs and government ministers from Vietnam. Download the report and visit the photo gallery.
Talking at the Grand Opening, Vuong Dinh Hue, Deputy Prime Minister, Vietnam said while global trade was undergoing a downward trend Vietnam managed to grow at 7 per cent in 2019. He noted the Government has pledged to facilitate foreign investors doing business in Vietnam, including Binh Duong, since “your success is our success”.
Binh Duong has a unique approach to the concept of smart city, describing it as an active, innovative, and connective eco-system in which every element is constantly changed and used, said Tran Thanh Liem, Chairman of Binh Duong People’s Committee. Smart cities also represent an ideal way of improving living standards among the population. Its smart-city project is geared towards hi-tech manufacturing and services, green and smart urbanisation, meeting the demands of people and enterprises, establishing a knowledge economy and digital economy.
 |
 |
| Welcoming delegates – Frank-Jürgen Richter with the Bing Duong leadership | Opening Plenary |
According to the initial statistics released by the provincial People’s Committee, FDI flows into Binh Duong have increased by 1.5 times, with many large-scale projects since the Horasis event last year. And this year will be even better as more domestic companies are participating in the Horasis meeting this year opined Tran Van Nam, Party Secretary.
Don Lam, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, VinaCapital, Vietnam, noted the current global political issues and the trade war between the US and China have shifted the interest of international investors to Vietnam. And so, many new factories have been set up recently and new investor enquiries are increasing especially in the hi-tech sectors since Vietnam has been actively shifting from an agricultural economy to industry and services. On a boarder yet similar front, local dynamism, according to Professor Freddy Boey, Deputy President, National University of Singapore, can promote a lively, innovative start-up eco-system and promote the exchange of talents, technology and start-ups between Singapore and Vietnam.
Hiroshi Komiyama, President, Kitakyushu Asian Center for Low Carbon Society, Japan, offered a warm welcome to visit Kitakyushu over 29–30th November 2020 for the next edition of the Horasis Asia Meeting. His message was that globalization can be re-invented to take account of climate change, most importantly by reducing the need for basic resources, and thus pollution. The north coast of Kyushu is a good example. It cleaned up its shoreline and fish reappeared: now there is even industrial tourism. Those ideas were further emphasized by Tadahiro Kawada, President, Kawada Technologies, Japan, who suggested that sustainable growth will be supported by better use of AI and new technical therapies; and in a wider sense though stronger trade and FTAs.
According to Thet Thet Khine, Member of Parliament, Myanmar, the completion of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) will create the world’s largest trading bloc, covering one-third of global gross domestic product and a quarter of its exports. So-Young Kang, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Gnowbe, Singapore highlighted ASEAN’s efforts to boost economic integration and to strengthen the open and rules-based multilateral trading system. ‘China is increasingly investing in ASEAN economies,’ commented Wang Dong, Secretary General, The Pangoal Institution, China. ‘We are here to make a sustainable contribution to ASEAN and the whole of Asia, he added. According to Fernando Gil De Bernabe, Chief Operating Officer Asia Pacific, Japan and Greater China, Cisco, Singapore, ASEAN should foster a global recovery provided nations co-operate and embrace globalization.
 |
 |
| Horasis – Inspiring our Future | Vuong Dinh Hue, Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam, Vietnam |
The co-chairs were:
 |
Matlub Ahmad, Chairman, Nitol Niloy Group, Bangladesh |
 |
Fernando Gil De Bernabe, Chief Operating Officer Asia Pacific, Japan and Greater China, Cisco, Singapore |
 |
Ed Bullecer, Chief Executive Officer, Paglas Group, Philippines |
 |
Herbert Chen Wu, Managing Director, The Economist Global Business Review, China |
 |
Thet Thet Khine, Member of Parliament, Myanmar |
 |
Don Lam, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, VinaCapital, Vietnam |
 |
Nguyen Van Hung, Group Executive Chairman, Becamex IDC, Vietnam |
 |
Huynh Quang Hai, Group Executive Director, VSIP Group, Vietnam |
 |
So-Young Kang, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Gnowbe, Singapore |
 |
Tadahiro Kawada, President, Kawada Technologies, Japan |
 |
Sanjay Kirloskar, Chairman, Kirloskar Brothers; President, AIMA, India |
 |
Hiroshi Komiyama, President, Kitakyushu Asian Center for Low Carbon Society, Japan |
 |
Nguyen Viet Long, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Becamex IDC, Vietnam |
 |
Johan Nyvene, Chief Executive Officer, Ho Chi Minh City Securities Corporation, Vietnam |
 |
Ganesh Natarajan, Executive Chairman and Founder, 5F World, India |
 |
Diana Sabrain, Co-founder, OneAgrix, Singapore Diana Sabrain, Co-founder, OneAgrix, Singapore |
 |
Vivian Secakusuma, Vice Chairman, Association of Indonesia Investment Advisors, Indonesia |
 |
Rita Sim, Chief Executive Officer, CENSE Media, Malaysia |
 |
Tan Yinglan, Founding Managing Partner, Insignia Ventures Partners, Singapore |
 |
Thong Le Tri, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, PNJ, Vietnam |
 |
Wang Dong, Secretary General, The Pangoal Institution, China |
Horasis – a global visions community committed to inspiring our future – provides a unique platform for companies from emerging and developed markets to globalize their organisations. In addition to the Horasis Asia Meeting, Horasis hosts the annual Horasis Global Meeting, Horasis China Meeting, Horasis India Meeting, as well as the annual gatherings of the Horasis Visionary Circle.
The country’s future is based science, engineering and social inclusion.
Trinh Dinh Dung, Deputy Prime Minister, Vietnam
We are returning to the Marco Polo world with Asia by 2030 becoming the powerhouse of the world in terms of economic output, global trade, and foreign direct investment.
Supachai Panitchpakdi, Former Secretary-General, UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Thailand
With a strategic location at the southern industrial triangle of Vietnam, an open-minded and pro-business government, Bình Dương Province is already a key industrial hub of the country.
Tran Van Nam, Party Secretary, Bình Dương, Vietnam
ASEAN serves as a navigator in terms of policy making for Myanmar.
Thet Thet Khine, Member of Parliament, Myanmar
Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is not there to impose anything, but to engage stakeholders in joint development of crucial infrastructure.
Kelvin Teo, Chief Executive Officer, Sembcorp Development Ltd, Singapore
Asian tech companies are already outstripping their European counterparts.
Truong Gia Binh, Chairman, FPT Corporation, Vietnam
There is a big gender gap in opportunities with 70% of India rural and with many unschooled women.
Subarna Mukherjee, Co-Founder, Coachyogi Foundation, India
With the uncertainty and conversations on deglobalization Asia definitely will be one of the most dynamic regions in the world.
Wang Dong, Secretary General, The Pangoal Institution, China
150 years ago Japan opened up to the outside world – through its Meiji Revolution, but now it is China that offers vast opportunities.
Ken Shibusawa, Chief Executive Officer, Shibusawa and Company, Japan