SE Asia news Issue 3 2017 by AI Global Media

Issue 3 2017

SouthEastAsia news Members of the Club at Diamon Resorts International Discover Highlights of Vietnam and Cambodia

Diamond Resorts partnered with The Big Journey Company to deliver the exclusive Member Escorted Journey.

Editor’s Note

, Welcome to the 3rd edition of SE Asia News, providing you with the latest developments, up to the minute news and cutting edge commentary on this fascinating region and the latest changes it is undergoing. In recent news, Smart Communications, the wireless unit of PLDT, Inc., the Philippines’ leading digital services provider, has chosen Aptilo Networks to enable carrier Wi-Fi services for a large-scale Wi-Fi network across the Philippines. In this issue, we discover how the Malaysian aerospace sector is expected to grow rapidly due to expansion in its fleet size and the rising trend of the migration of Commercial MRO activities to the APAC region. Malaysia’s MRO sector is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.45% over the next 20 years, making it the fastest growing MRO market in the APAC region. Elsewhere in this edition, Washington D.C based company specializing in solutions engineering and software integration for both commercial and federal customers, Mountain State Software Solutions, LLC. (MS3) has recently announced the continued growth of its brand by globally expanding services through the launch of MS3.Philippines, INC. The announcement shows the high quality and value-add that the team at MS3 provides. Lastly, International medical imaging IT and cybersecurity company Sectra (STO: SECT B) enters into a partnership with Medical One Corporation, a leading provider of medical equipment in the Philippines. Through this distribution agreement, the Philippines healthcare market will gain access to efficient and patient-centered care with Sectra’s solutions. Here at SE Asia News, we truly hope that you enjoy reading this edition and look forward to hearing from you.

Jessica Daykin, Editor Phone: +44 (0) 203 725 6842 Email: jessica.daykin@ai-globalmedia.com Website: www.seasia-news.com AI Global Media, Ltd. (AI) takes reasonable measures to ensure the quality of the information on this web site. However, AI will not assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, correctness or completeness of any information that is available through this web site. If errors are brought to our attention, we will try to correct them. The information available through the website and our partner publications is for your general information and use and is not intended to address any particular finance or investment requirements. In particular, the information does not constitute any form of advice or recommendation by us or any of our partner publications and is not intended to be relied upon by users in making or refraining from making any investment or financial decisions. Appropriate independent advice should be obtained before making any such decision. Any arrangement made between you and any third party named in the site is at your sole risk and responsibility.

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Contents

4. News

- Desktop Metal Announces International Expansion Throughout Asia Pacific for Its Metal 3D Printing Systems

- Smart Communications Selects Aptilo for Philippines Wi-Fi

TradeGecko Payments helps SME wholesalers get paid 3x faster

Thailand Board of Investment: Thailand Primes for Digital Bigtime

10. Singapore - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband 12. New Study Aims to Highlight Importance of Milk Consumption in Singapore 14. Aerospace Sector In Malaysia To Create More Than 19,000 New Jobs By 2037 16. Smart Communications Selects Aptilo for Philippines Wi-Fi 18. Sectra Enters the Philippines by Signing Medical Imaging Distribution Agreement With Medical One 20. Collectius Strengthens Its Presence in SEA Through Acquisition in the Philippines 22. FDNA Expands into Asia-Pacific Markets 24. Members of The Club at Diamond Resorts International Discover Highlights of Vietnam and Cambodia 26. Esker Announces Partnership to Develop Supply Chain Financing Solution in ASEAN and Greater China 28. The Largest Special Economic Zone With an Area Five Times of Hong Kong in Laos to Be Built by the Enterprise From China Guangcai Group 30. MS3 Expands to the Philippines 32. New Schemes are Boost to Thailandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Agricultural Market

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NEWS

Desktop Metal Announces International Expansion Throughout Asia Pacific for Its Metal 3D Printing Systems

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NEWS

Smart Communications Selects Aptilo for Philippines Wi-Fi Smart Communications has chosen Aptilo Networks to enable carrier Wi-Fi services Desktop Metal, the company committed to for a large-scale Wi-Fi network across the Philippines. bringing metal 3D printing to engineers and manufacturers, announced on the 13th November it will begin accepting Smart Communications, Aptilo SMP integrated the Wi-Fi the wireless unit of PLDT, service into the Smart’s existing mobile international pre-orders of its metal 3D Inc., the Philippines’ network, which serves more than 62 leading digital services million subscribers. printing system, the Studio System™ from provider, has chosen companies throughout Asia Pacific. Aptilo Networks to enable carrier Wi-Fi Users login to the service through services for a large-scale Wi-Fi network across the Philippines. On the 13th November, the company committed to bringing metal 3D printing to engineers and manufacturers, Desktop Metal announced it will begin accepting international pre-orders of its metal 3D printing system, the Studio System™ from companies throughout Asia Pacific. The announcement comes as Desktop Metal is experiencing tremendous interest and demand from manufacturers and strategic partners around the globe.

“Our vision is to make our Desktop Metal 3D printing solutions accessible to engineers and manufacturers around the world,” said Ric Fulop, CEO and co-founder of Desktop Metal. “We plan to begin offering our metal 3D printing technology internationally and will be accelerating production to meet worldwide demand first for our Studio System and later for our Production System. Our partnerships with bestin-class resellers in each of these geographies bring us closer to making

metal 3D printing solutions available to all who want to realize the benefits of rapid prototyping and mass production of metal parts. We are excited to see what happens next in manufacturing as we welcome these new countries to our landscape.” To support its international expansion plans, Desktop Metal has developed strategic partnerships with authorized Desktop Metal international resellers to immediately begin pre-selling its Studio System throughout APAC, including Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, India, Australia and New Zealand. To date, the company has partnered with 13 resellers throughout APAC to pre-sell and support its systems. Availability of the Studio System will vary by country. Interested buyers should visit: www.desktopmetal.com/international for the complete list of APAC resellers and country-specific information.

Smart Wifi is available in high traffic locations such as major airports nationwide including the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), Davao City’s Francisco Bangoy International Airport, Iloilo International Airport, and Clark International Airport, and other transport hubs like the Light Railway Transit, seaports and bus terminals; plus, hospitals, schools, malls, food parks and city halls.

a branded portal customized to the venue and enjoy minutes of free access to super-speed Wi-Fi service and can then top up afterwards with more time for an affordable price. The Aptilo SMP is well-integrated with Smart’s operations through 17 integration points. These integrations allow customized solutions like special offers for Wi-Fi users that help enrich their experience for more than just Internet connection. Further integrations in targeted advertising are also being developed.

“The days of one-size-fits-all in WiFi are gone. Aptilo’s Wi-Fi solution is designed to deploy quickly, with flexibility to customize the Wi-Fi service to maximize its value,” said Paul Mikkelsen, CEO, Aptilo Networks. The Smart Wifi project was delivered through system integrator Fujitsu Philippines.

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TradeGecko Payments helps SME wholesalers get paid 3x faster TradeGecko, a leading inventory and order management platform, launched TradeGecko Payments in May 2017, a built-in payment platform that helps wholesale merchants get paid on orders faster and have greater visibility and control over their cash flow. TradeGecko, a leading inventory and order management platform, launched TradeGecko Payments in May 2017, a built-in payment platform that helps wholesale merchants get paid on orders faster and have greater visibility and control over their cash flow. On the 16th November, the TradeGecko Payment platform is available in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore, Canada and New Zealand. TradeGecko Payments helps SME wholesales better manage their cash flow by enabling their customers to pay directly from an invoice with a single click, dramatically reducing the time it takes to process payments. Since launching TradeGecko Payments, wholesale businesses have reported reducing their processing time from an average of 27 days to just 9 days.

“We built TradeGecko to give time back to entrepreneurs so they can focus on building the business of their dreams. With TradeGecko Payments, our merchants receive payments

up to 3x faster and have control over their cash flow, giving them time to focus on doing what they love,” said Cameron Priest, co-founder and CEO of TradeGecko. Built in partnership with leading payment processor Stripe, TradeGecko Payments provides merchants with a reliable, affordable and secure platform to receive payments.

“TradeGecko was paramount for us to take a massive leap. When we realized what TradeGecko was doing for us it was kind of an epiphany moment… We are receiving payments so much quicker since TradeGecko Payments was enabled and our customers love it,” said Carolina Vieira, Chief Operating Officer of Incausa on using TradeGecko and its payment solution. TradeGecko Payments will soon be available in 25 countries globally. For more information visit: www.tradegecko.com/payments

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TradeGecko Payments helps SME wholesalers get paid 3x faster

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Thailand Board of Investment: Thailand Primes for Digital Bigtime Thailand is poised to be a major player in the digital world. With nearly 30 million people logging on every day, the country has the second largest base of internet users in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) -- a number that’s set to grow at a fast pace. Clearly, the desire for a digital economy is there from citizens, and it’s also a priority for government officials who recognize that a thriving online marketplace is going to play a huge role in shaping Thailand’s financial future.

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Thailand Board of Investment: Thailand Primes for Digital Bigtime

Thailand is particularly well situated to make the leap to a digitalfirst economy: Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) recently introduced Thailand Investment Review (pdf) presents BOI Net Application, Thailand 4.0 story displays an economic model aimed at attracting and supporting innovative, high-tech companies. Under this initiative, Thailand is positioned to accelerate its ascension to digital powerhouse status by increasing infrastructure investments, focusing on workforce training, stimulating entrepreneurial creativity, and reshaping the professional culture of a country that’s only at the start of its technology revolution. The country’s government knows that supporting a new online economy begins with building solid technological infrastructure. In the past few years, Thailand has invested millions of dollars in making internet accessible to the country’s population, allocating more than $588 million for building out a broadband internet system with the intention of catching up to overwhelming demand in cities and expanding access to the country’s more remote locations. Today, broadband access reaches 40,000 villages, or 80% of Thailand’s population. That number is expected to increase to 95% by 2023. At the same time, smartphone usage is booming. Currently more than 90% of people access the internet via smartphone, making the bolstering of wireless internet and 4G access more imperative than ever. The benefit of removing these logistical roadblocks is twofold: Entrepreneurs will be free to build innovative companies, and the public will have the connectivity to shop at and support them. Of course, it takes more than high-speed internet to propel Thailand forward. With Thailand’s digital economy poised to contribute 25% to Thailand’s GDP by 2027, the National Legislative Assembly recently established the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society. The department

addresses the challenge of making Thailand a 21st century player from multiple perspectives, including improving internet infrastructure and increasing economic support for technology companies. But a main tenet of the initiative centers around how to build cities and culture around a new technological future. Bangkok, for example, is home to a vibrant co-working scene, which provides startups with both a community of like-minded individuals and cost-efficient office space to get their ventures off the ground. Last year, the government announced the introduction of a $570 million venture fund, half of which will be dedicated to young technology startups. Since 2012, funding for startups has increased by more than 120 percent with the goal of spurring growth in areas like e-payments, e-commerce, digital advertising, and media. Data centers in Thailand have been designed and built to world class standards as part of the backbone of the country’s new digital economy. Meanwhile, Thailand is beginning to adopt the Silicon Valley mindset, with initiatives from leading banks, telecom companies, and real estate developers such as DTAC, Krungsri, and True Digital Park opening accelerators that will help advance the local startup scene by providing hubs for education and innovation. The Digital Park Thailand is a hallmark of the Eastern Economic Corridor’s (EEC) efforts to expand the digital economy and is working to attract big-name tech companies with benefits like thirteen years of corporate income tax waiver on top of a 50% reduction for five additional years. The government’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Society is also exploring public-private partnerships to fund the development of smart cities, which so far include Phuket, Chiang Mai, and Khon Kaen. These provinces will act as Thailand’s technological hubs, boasting high speed internet and tax incentives as a way to attract

both young and established technology companies. The goal is to use the first three pilot provinces as a blueprint for an even more expansive smart city initiative. So far, it’s working. Recently, e-commerce company Lazada set up a digital hub in Bangkok that will focus on the design and development of its online shopping experience and related apps. Alibaba is also investing in a regional electronic-trade center that would serve as the base for distributing products to nearby countries like Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Accelerators, business deals, and government initiatives are an important first step in establishing Thailand as a digital leader, but training will be key to realizing the country’s full potential. Workers who’ve spent their careers in other industries are realizing the technology sector is on the cusp of a boom and are honing new expertise to reap the benefits. Increased English literacy is part of it, but building IT skills like programming, product management, and interface design is key too. Some companies have started to offer online opportunities to bolster technological know-how, including Alibaba, who recently signed an agreement with Thailand’s government to offer e-commerce training for 30,000 people and digital technology training for 10,000. Simultaneously, Alibaba and Lazada will begin training government officials at Thailand Digital Government Academy, focusing on big data and artificial intelligence technologies. These programs are an important part of building’s Thailand’s technological proficiency, but the real solution rests with the education system, which can instill necessary skills and knowledge at a young age. Without a doubt, creating this kind of systemic change in education and industry takes time and effort, but Thailand is already making major strides to build a truly 21st century digital sector.

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Singapore - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband New report highlights how Singapore enthusiastically embraces 4G/ LTE and beyond. Through its building of a high quality and extremely progressive regulatory environment for the local telecommunications sector, Singapore has developed the status of a world leader in telecommunications. This dynamic has, in turn, generated a highly competitive telecom market place in the island-state. The Infocomm Development Authority (IDA), the nation’s telecoms regulator, reports that with Singapore’s fixed-line household penetration rate 99%, many Singaporeans having two fixed telephone services at home. At the same time, its booming mobile market has a highly penetrated that is continuing to grow in subscribers and sophistication. Singapore’s 3G market segment has been on a growth surge over recent years but by 2014 it had already moved into decline with the advent of 4G. By July 2015 there were already 3.7 million 4G subscribers, this being a remarkable 68% penetration (population). As Singapore’s mobile market continues its expansion, the numbers of fixed broadband access and data services are increasing at an impressive rate. The Residential Wired Broadband Household Penetration Rate, for example, had reached around 107% by mid-2015. With strong leadership from the government and good support from its telecom service providers, Singapore was both

a regional leader and a global player in telecommunications. The island-state certainly generates a positive outlook in its local telecommunications sector. The country has built what is widely seen as a high quality and extremely progressive telecommunications regulatory regime that has, in turn, resulted in a richly competitive market. At the same time as building its sophisticated telecoms infrastructure, Singapore has successfully promoted itself an IT hub and a place of excellence when it comes to all things to do with IT and telecommunications. The nation is determined to maintain its status and in the process it has been embarking on new and innovative telecom and IT projects. Typical of this emphasis on taking the lead, in 2014 SingTel and Huawei agreed to collaborate on 5G research and trials. In 2015 Singapore was busy working to shape itself into what it says will be the world’s first ‘Smart Nation’ where data and analytics play a critical role in its society and economy. Although incumbent Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel) continues to play a major role in the local telecom sector, liberalisation has seen a significant number of new operators of different shapes and sizes entering the market, helping to exploit the competitive situation. The arrival of strong competition in its own backyard saw SingTel expand offshore and, in what eventually turned out to be a successful strategy,

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the company has been able to establish a considerable presence in regional markets, including 100% ownership of Optus, the second ranked mobile operator in Australia. Its offshore presence includes subsidiaries in India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Pakistan and Bangladesh. And through its alliance with Bharti Airtel in India it has further market presence in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Africa. The SingTel group had 555 million mobile subscribers across its many markets by March 2015, the subscriber numbers having grown by 8% in the previous 12 months. With the government pushing to move Singapore into the forefront of IT development, the IDA announced back in 2008 that S$1 billion (US$725 million) had been allocated by the government to support the building and operating of a national optical fibre-based network as part of what was called the Next Generation National Infocomm Infrastructure (Next Gen NII); the strategy also included a wireless network. Despite some problems with the rate of roll out, the development of this national network has been proceeding and by 2015 the rate of take up of fibre-based services was rapid indeed. In the 12 months to August 2014 fibre-based subscriptions had increased by around 100%. By mid-2015 the fibre market was still growing at 30% per annum and FttX already made up some 57% of all fixed broadband subscribers.

Singapore - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband

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New Study Aims to Highlight Importance of Milk Consumption in Singapore

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New Study Aims to Highlight Importance of Milk Consumption in Singapore

First study on adult milk consumption habits in Singapore finds that half of Singaporean adults do not consume any milk, ignoring the importance of milk in health maintenance and prevention. A first-of-its-kind report launched today shows that 50% of Singaporeans are missing out on the nutritional benefits of milk by not drinking just a glass a day. Low consumption is compounded by an ignorance of the nutritional benefits of milk. Milk Perceptions - A Study of Milk Consumption Patterns in Singapore (Milk Perceptions) is a report on the first study of the key drivers and barriers of milk consumption among adult Singaporeans. Authored by Dr Kalpana Bhaskaran, Domain Lead for Applied Nutrition at Temasek Polytechnic, the study draws on published research and the findings from a focus group study conducted earlier this year.

“We were surprised to learn through our findings that while Singaporeans generally enjoy an abundant availability of food and are consuming more calories than before, nutritionally many are still falling short on critical nutrients such as calcium and protein,” said Dr Kalpana Bhaskaran, Domain Lead for Applied Nutrition & Glycemic Index, Temasek Polytechnic. “This can be simply addressed by adjusting daily diets to get the best out of the food we eat. It is as simple as adding one glass of milk to our meals,” she said. “In fact, milk is the most efficient way to obtain one’s daily nutrition needs. A single serving of milk provides as much calcium as 16 servings of spinach or three tablespoons of anchovies which is high in sodium,” Dr Kalpana added. The research conducted shows that ingrained attitudes, misperceptions and behaviours are

all preventing Singaporeans from drinking milk regularly. The study found that: Despite knowing the importance of milk for bone health, adult Singaporeans do not perceive milk to be important during adulthood. This places their bone health at risk as the calcium in bones needs to be replenished throughout life; Singaporeans are not aware of other benefits of milk, such as protein, Vitamins B, D, and A. This extends to an ignorance of the benefits of milk in reducing the onset of chronic diseases, including osteoporosis; Non-milk drinkers do not drink milk as they dislike the taste of milk; Singaporeans do not consider milk to be an integral part of Singapore’s food culture, unlike in the West, where it is used regularly in cooking and/or consumed on its own; and Singaporeans severely overestimated the fat content in full cream milk (46% as compared to the actual 4%); many also incorrectly perceived that UHT milk is less nutritional than fresh milk.

“The lack of motivation among adult Singaporeans to change their daily diets despite being presented with evidence of the benefits of milk in preventing chronic diseases such as osteoporosis and diabetes is particularly alarming. This is especially worrying given our rapidly ageing society, when one in four Singaporeans above age 65 will develop a chronic disease,” said Dr Kalpana, who also sits on the council of the Diabetic Society of Singapore.

Interventions recommended by participants in the focus groups include public health campaigns targeting families and Singaporeans of all generations; increasing the accessibility and availability of milk; and increasing education and awareness of milk’s benefits. Milk Perceptions is the result of a collaboration between Dr Kalpana Bhaskaran and FrieslandCampina, one of the world’s largest dairy companies, to identify gaps and solutions to improve the nutrition and healthcare outcomes among Singaporeans. As a first step towards raising greater awareness, FrieslandCampina is partnering with ActiveSG to bring nutrition and exercise programmes to preschools in Singapore. The Nurture Kids programme was launched in August 2017. Hendro Poedjono, Corporate Affairs Director, Consumer Products Asia, FrieslandCampina, said: “The results from Milk Perceptions highlighted the need to educate and encourage Singaporeans to be more proactive in caring for their diets and health. FrieslandCampina Asia has been working closely with the public sector to address the gaps in health education, and we hope that through our partnership with ActiveSG on our new Nurture Kids initiative we teach them the importance of balanced diet and benefits of milk, and cultivate positive behaviours at a young age which will carry through to their adult years in the future.”

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Aerospace Sector In Malaysia To Create More Than 19,000 New Jobs By 2037 The migration of MRO activities to APAC and its growing fleet size offers opportunities for accelerated growth, finds Frost & Sullivan’s Aerospace & Defense team. The Malaysian aerospace sector is expected to grow rapidly due to expansion in its fleet size and the rising trend of the migration of Commercial MRO activities to the APAC region. Malaysia’s MRO sector is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.45% over the next 20 years, making it the fastest growing MRO market in the APAC region. Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today’s market participants. For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Rapid expansion is expected based on the Air Asia group’s indication to venture into the MRO business and the possible resurgence of Malaysia Airlines Engineering. While manufacturing growth will be lower than growth in the MRO segment, it will remain steady at around 3.2%.

“As demand in the Malaysian aerospace industry continues to

grow rapidly, suppliers will have to expand in order to cater to this increasing demand. Malaysia’s key to success in developing its aerospace manufacturing and MRO industry is its availability of skilled labour. MRO activities are especially reliant on skilled labour as certification and qualifications are a prerequisite for MRO personnel to conduct maintenance and repair activities,” said Nishant Dey, Consultant at Frost & Sullivan. He continued, “More than 13,000 new technician and engineer jobs are expected to be created in the Malaysian commercial MRO space over the 20-year period from 2017 to 2037. While approximately 5,800 engineers and technicians were employed in the sector at the end of 2016, the number is forecasted to reach close to 19,000 by 2037. About 90% of these new jobs are for technicians while engineers make up the remaining 10%.” In the aerospace manufacturing domain, avionics and aerostructures manufacturing have been powering the growth in Malaysia, while aero engine components manufacturing is also showing promise. The total export value of the manufacturing industry was around US$ 2337.76 million in 2016. At the end of 2016, the aerospace

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manufacturing sector in Malaysia employed about 10,900 people.

“While this sector is forecasted to grow at a more subdued pace than the MRO sector, the total workforce in the Malaysian manufacturing sector is expected to reach 16,634 over the next 20 years. The total number of new jobs created is estimated to be around 5,734 in the period from 2017 to 2037,” said Nishant. Aerospace MRO and manufacturing are highly global industries and migration of MRO services or manufacturing of parts can take place anywhere in the world where capacity is developed with adequate certifications and quality control in collaboration with global players.

“Malaysia can reap the benefits of this global supply chain in the aviation industry and can help generate around 19,171 newjobs over the next 20 years,” said Nishant. He added, “The key concern, however, remains in how global MROs & OEMs collaborate with local aviation training schools to bring in the right expertise and curriculum, delivering internationally accepted certified workforce to cater to Malaysia, the rest of ASEAN, and beyond.”

Aerospace Sector In Malaysia To Create More Than 19,000 New Jobs By 2037

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Smart Communications Selects Aptilo for Philippines Wi-Fi Smart Communications, the wireless unit of PLDT, Inc., the Philippines’ leading digital services provider, has chosen Aptilo Networks to enable carrier Wi-Fi services for a largescale Wi-Fi network across the Philippines. Smart Wifi is available in high traffic locations such as major airports nationwide including the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), Davao City’s Francisco Bangoy International Airport, Iloilo International Airport, and Clark International Airport, and other transport hubs like the Light Railway Transit, seaports and bus terminals; plus hospitals, schools, malls, food parks and city halls.

“We are pleased to work with Aptilo as we deploy Smart Wifi nationwide to make quality connectivity more accessible to more Filipinos,” said Jovy Hernandez, Senior Vice President and Head of Enterprise for PLDT and Smart. Smart is using the Aptilo Service Management Platform™ (SMP), a carrier-grade system to manage and monetize largescale Wi-Fi services. Aptilo SMP integrated the Wi-Fi service into the Smart’s existing mobile network, which serves more than 62 million subscribers. Users login to the service through a branded portal customized to the venue and enjoy minutes of free access to super-speed Wi-Fi service and can then topup

afterwards with more time for an affordable price. The Aptilo SMP is well-integrated with Smart’s operations through 17 integration points. These integrations allow customized solutions like special offers for Wi-Fi users that help enrich their experience for more than just Internet connection. Further integrations in targeted advertising are also being developed.

“The days of one-size-fits-all Wi-Fi are gone. Aptilo’s Wi-Fi solution is designed to deploy quickly, with flexibility to customize the Wi-Fi service to maximize its value,” said Paul Mikkelsen, CEO, Aptilo Networks. The Smart Wifi project was delivered through system integrator Fujitsu Philippines. Provider Aptilo Networks is a leading provider of carrierclass systems to manage data services with advanced functions for authentication, policy control and charging. Aptilo Service Management Platform™ (SMP) has become synonymous with Wi-Fi service management and Wi-Fi offload in large-scale deployments with 100+ operators in more than 75 countries, and is a critical component of Wi-Fi calling and IoT.

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Smart Communications Selects Aptilo for Philippines Wi-Fi

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Royal Brunei Airlines Sign Contract to Deploy Fuel Efficiency Solution Royal Brunei Airlines, the national flagship carrier of Brunei Darussalam, has boosted its commitment to environmental protection by partnering with a talented French start-up which provides a 360° solution to reduce fuel costs and CO2 emissions of airlines. Under this agreement, Royal Brunei Airlines will use OpenAirlines’ flagship software SkyBreathe® Fuel Efficiency. The awardwinning software solution continuously monitors fuel consumption of each flight to identify the most relevant fuel saving opportunities using sophisticated, innovative algorithms and considering actual flight conditions. The SkyBreathe® solution, which leverages years of advanced research in trajectory optimisation and Big Data analysis, will offer comprehensive analytics through 500+ easy to use predefined reports allowing for accurate monitoring of each fuel-saving initiative and will then provide clear results for key stakeholders, project team and pilots via unique dashboards.

will contribute to the growth of Royal Brunei Airlines in a short time,” said Alexandre Feray, OpenAirlines’ CEO. “We are pleased to collaborate with OpenAirlines, which have already, through their success, demonstrated their ability to deliver on the promise of superior fuel savings. We are committed to adopting fuel best practices across the airline’s business to further improve our fuel-efficient operations,” said latko Sirac, executive general manager - operations at Royal Brunei Airlines. The innovative OpenAirlines Fuel Efficiency software is already assisting 22 airlines and operators across the world to save 2-4% on fuel consumption. More info: www.openairlines.com

“We are thrilled to have been selected by Royal Brunei Airlines and look forward to a successful partnership. As fuel is the largest cost of an airline, it’s a win-win proposition for them. Burning less fuel is better for the environment and for their operating expense. Working closely with the ops team, we trust that our expertise

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g Royal Brunei Airlines Sign Contract to Deploy Fuel Efficiency Solution

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Sectra Enters the Philippines by Signing Medical Imaging Distribution Agreement With Medical One International medical imaging IT and cybersecurity company Sectra (STO: SECT B) enters into a partnership with Medical One Corporation, a leading provider of medical equipment in the Philippines. Through this distribution agreement, the Philippines healthcare market will gain access to efficient and patient-centered care with Sectra’s solutions. “Healthcare in the Philippines is expanding its ability to share and collaborate around medical images and patient information through consolidation and telemedicine initiatives,” says Marie Ekström Trägårdh, Executive Vice President of Sectra AB and President of Sectra Imaging IT Solutions. “This distribution agreement with Medical One will enable us to address these demands by combining their market-specific expertise with our extensive experience in delivering scalable solutions that cover multiple enterprises in large geographic areas—within teleradiology and telepathology specifically.” The Philippines has approximately 400 regional and university hospitals that take care of more than 100 million habitants. 60 percent of the radiology medical specialty is now digital. Medical One has

more than 340 customers, of which 40 are regional and university hospitals. The distribution agreement with Medical One includes Sectra’s Enterprise Image Management solutions, comprising PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) for imaging-intense departments, VNA (Vendor Neutral Archive) and solutions for sharing and collaborating around medical images. Sectra’s complete enterprise imaging offering is modular and supports the most imageintense departments—radiology, pathology, cardiology and orthopaedics. Being built on the same technical platform, customers can easily extend a departmental solution to create a comprehensive VNA and enterprise image management solution without any major investment or replacement of existing components. Sectra’s

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vendor-neutral approach enables customers to read images from virtually any modality and vendor in a single solution, and to integrate with any standardsbased surrounding information system. Together with the solution’s proven ability to support customers covering large geographic areas, sometimes with limited networks, the product portfolio is suitable for teleradiology and telepathology scenarios. Medical One Corporation is one of the Philippines’ largest medical equipment distributor companies dealing in the importation, distribution and servicing of medical equipment. With over 35 years of experience in ultrasound and diagnostic imaging systems, Medical One serves a wide range of medical equipment needs for hospitals and clinics with diagnostic imaging services.

Sectra Enters the Philippines by Signing Medical Imaging Distribution Agreement

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Collectius Strengthens Its Presence in SEA Through Acquisition in the Philippines Collectius reaches an agreement to purchase CJM Solutions from its current shareholders. The acquisition further strengthens Collectius’ presence in South East Asia. Collectius Group is a multinational credit management service and asset management company with operations in Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, with nearly two decades of experience in credit management service and purchasing non-performing loan portfolios of distressed consumer debt. Collectius’ vision is help its debtors to become debt free and regain their freedom again. Collectius is funded through its Swiss holding company in Zug, and its largest financier is Stena, which is a Swedish shipping company conglomerate.

“This deal is a major stepping stone for Collectius in its

strategy to purchase debt and start helping debtors become debt-free also in the Philippines.” States Gustav A. Eriksson

expect us to close the first debt purchase very soon thanks to this investment.” Adds Ronald Castro

The deal combines the local knowledge of CJM Strategic Management Solutions, Inc. with international best practices and debt-purchasing capabilities of Collectius. Collectius is focusing on the Southeast Asian market with the goal to unburden debtors and to integrate them into a lifestyle free from debt again. PwC is acting advisor to Collectius in its debt acquisitions in the Philippines.

“Backed by a reputable Swedish conglomerate, Collectius has the financial strength and can work swiftly and collaboratively in its deals.” Concludes Mary Jade Roxas-Divinagracia, PwC.

“Collectius is providing the necessary IT, knowledge and capital to our company in order to take it to the next level. I

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This latest move into the region highlights how the South East Asia market is becoming a key space for firms seeking to make their mark on the global corporate landscape, and moving forward it is likely that Collectius will reap the benefits from this move.

Collectius Strengthens Its Presence in SEA Through Acquisition in the Philippines

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FDNA Expands into Asia-Pacific Markets Precision Medicine Collaborations with University of Hong Kong, Asia Pacific Society of Human Genetics, Boosts Company’s Presence in Region. FDNA, developer of Face2Gene, has announced its expansion of its growing presence in the Asia-Pacific region with the launch of its new Center of Research Excellence at the University of Hong Kong, as well as a strategic partnership with the Asia-Pacific Society of Human Genetics (APSHG). These collaborations will help clinicians in the region to diagnose diseases that have a genetic cause more accurately. In addition, this expansion will provide meaningful opportunities for precision medicine previously limited due to challenges in accessing comprehensive genomic information for patients in this region. Used by more than 70% of clinical geneticists globally, including physicians from over 500 clinical sites in Asia-Pacific countries, Face2Gene is a platform that uses next-generation phenotyping (NGP) technologies to analyze a patient’s facial and clinical features to highlight relevant syndromes, genes and phenotypes, facilitating comprehensive and precise genetic evaluations. Led by Dr. Brian Hon-Yin Chung, Clinical Geneticist at University of Hong Kong, the FDNA Center of Excellence aims to advance genetic knowhow for Chinese populations.

“This is a major breakthrough in genetics for the region. Up to now, genetics has relied almost exclusively on data from Caucasian populations,” said Dr. Chung. “We are working

to continue improving the facial analysis performance of Face2Gene for patients of Chinese origin, advancing genetics in China and allowing us to rapidly solve many mysteries of genetically-caused diseases for tens of millions of patients.” In addition, FDNA and the AsiaPacific Society of Human Genetics (APSHG) today announce a joint commitment to enhance Face2Gene’s technology, training it to recognize phenotypes for all Asia-Pacific ethnicities. As part of this commitment, APSHG is hosting a meeting at the annual APSHG conference in Bangkok, Thailand, together with FDNA and leading experts in genetics from multiple countries in this region to plan a roadmap for advancing precision medicine for patients in this region. The program is led by Dr. Lai Poh-San, President, APSHG. Speaking on behalf of the Society, Poh-San expects the collaboration to have a profound impact in supporting geneticists’ ability to find causes of genetic diseases throughout the region.

“Up until now, there has been a relatively small amount of actionable genetic data specific to Asia-Pacific populations. This work can change this forever and impact the lives of tens of millions of patients,” said Dr. Poh-San. “In a short time, we’ve greatly increased our ability to make exciting discoveries and provide answers for patients who sorely need them.” According to FDNA CEO Dekel Gelbman, these collaborations are already showing significant impact. Since the product’s

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inception, Face2Gene has analyzed facial images of tensof-thousands of patients for more than 2,500 syndromes, and non-facial phenotypes for more than 10,000 syndromes, with nearly half of the data attributed to non-Caucasian ethnicities in over 130 countries. In the past month alone, early steps under these collaborations have already demonstrated significant increase in the performance of FDNA’s technology to identify phenotypes of patients affected by hundreds of genetic syndromes.

“Unlike other efforts, these collaborations emphasize the commitment to share data across the region and is putting these data to work immediately for clinicians with real patients,” said Dekel Gelbman, CEO, FDNA. “With this initial training complete, we plan to continue to expand this effort over the next year. We expect to see Face2Gene used even more frequently in AsiaPacific regions with high impact on patient lives.” FDNA is the developer of Face2Gene, a clinical suite of next-generation phenotyping applications that facilitates comprehensive and precise genetic evaluations. Face2Gene uses facial analysis, deep learning and artificial intelligence to transform big data into actionable genomic insights to improve and accelerate diagnostics and therapeutics. With the world’s largest network of clinicians, labs and researchers creating one of the fastest growing and most comprehensive genomic databases, FDNA is changing the lives of patients with diseases with genetic causes.

FDNA Expands into Asia-Pacific Markets

SOUTH EAST ASIA NEWS / Issue 3 2017 25

Members of The Club at Diamond Resorts International Discover Highlights of Vietnam and Cambodia Diamond Resorts partnered with The Big Journey Company to deliver the exclusive Member Escorted Journey. Diamond Resorts International®, a global leader in the hospitality and vacation ownership industries, recently provided members of THE Club® an unforgettable opportunity to explore the unique heritage of Vietnam and Cambodia on an exclusive Member Escorted Journey. Members spent two weeks exploring the breathtaking landscapes and historic cities, creating a lifetime of priceless memories with their Diamond Resorts family. Every detail of their journey was pre-planned, allowing them to fully immerse themselves in the cultures and traditions. They tasted Vietnam’s exquisite cuisine, sailed through Halong Bay, rode bicycles through Hoi An and learned the country’s ancient history during a tour of the My Son Sanctuary. In Cambodia, the group was treated to a traditional Robam Tep Apsara dance show, watched the sunrise at Angkor Wat and visited Banteay Srei, a 10th-century temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. More than 700 members of THE Club® at Diamond Resorts

booked a Member Escorted Journey for 2017 and spaces for some of the most anticipated 2018 journeys, including a safari in Kenya, a tour of Cuba and an escape to New Zealand, are already filling up. Diamond Resorts International® (Diamond Resorts) is a worldwide leader in the hospitality and vacation ownership industries with a network of more than 370 vacation destinations located in 35 countries throughout the continental United States, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, South America, Central America, Europe, Asia, Australasia and Africa. Diamond Resorts offers its members the opportunity to create priceless memories through innovative vacation choices including oncein-a-lifetime excursions to world-renowned landmarks, unforgettable guided tours to dream destinations, and access to exclusive VIP concert experiences, high-energy sporting events and exciting shows. With high-quality resorts in desirable destinations, we provide the kind of vacation experiences that help our

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members, owners and guests reconnect with loved ones, collect a lifetime of meaningful memories and keep that Stay Vacationed® feeling all year long. Diamond Resorts International® manages vacation ownership resorts and sells vacation ownership points that provide members and owners with Vacations for Life® at over 370 managed and affiliated properties and cruise itineraries.

Members of The Club at Diamond Resorts International Discover Highlights of Vietnam and Cambodia

SOUTH EAST ASIA NEWS / Issue 3 2017 27

Esker Announces Partnership to Develop Supply Chain Financing Solution in ASEAN and Greater China Fintech initiative connects buyers, suppliers and funders on one platform. Esker, a worldwide leader in document process automation solutions and pioneer in cloud computing, has launched an innovative supply chain financing solution in Asia in partnership with Jing King Tech Group (JK Tech), a Fintech company whose business includes payment solutions, transaction security and services for the banking sector. Announced in Singapore in the presence of the Minister of Commerce, the joint venture will connect Esker’s e-invoicing platform to a group of banking partners including UOB, Singapore’s second largest bank, and Shanghai Pudong Development Bank (SPDB), China’s tenth largest bank. Jing King Tech Group is a Fintech and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) company with three main core business pillars: smart cards, BPO, and automated solutions and services. Headquartered in Singapore, Jing King Tech Group (JK Tech) was founded in 1984 as a smart card factory and has grown rapidly into a Top 10 smart card manufacturer in the world, delivering highquality smart cards and solutions to customers around the globe. JK Tech is a market leader with more than 20 years of BPO experience handling secure data management, processing and printing for major banks, financial institutions, corporate and government bodies. The

company’s automated solutions and services business offer trusted solutions and services through a wide range of innovative products like Virtual Teller Machines (VTMs), self-service kiosks and biometric-enabled solutions for on-boarding and payment services. JK Tech has total assets of approximately 250 million U.S. dollars and operates from 20 offices inclusive of R&D, sales and production across Singapore, China and Hong Kong. Esker is a worldwide leader in cloud-based document process automation software. Esker solutions, including the acquisition of the TermSync accounts receivable solution in 2015, help organizations of all sizes to improve efficiencies, accuracy, visibility and costs associated with business processes. Esker provides on-demand and onpremises software to automate accounts payable, order processing, accounts receivable, purchasing and more. Efficient supply chain financing is increasingly becoming a key factor of competitiveness for modern economies, and therefore, a fundamental driver for growth and development. This is particularly true in Southeast Asia and China where economic growth is particularly dynamic and future competitiveness can no longer exclusively be based on lower costs. The use of digital technologies to streamline supply

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chain financing is therefore an important topic not only for companies of all sizes but also for governments in the region. To meet these challenges, Esker has aligned with its existing partner JK Tech on a Fintech initiative. The two companies will market NEMO™, a 100 percent cloud-based supply chain finance solution that connects Esker’s e-invoicing platform to a group of banking partners, like UOB and SPDB, in China and Southeast Asia. The growing list of partners will include banking institutions and alternative financing platforms. NEMO has received support from the Singapore government, which included the solution in its investment support program to promote the competitiveness of local business through adoption of digital technologies. Thanks to NEMO, companies will be able to finance their accounts receivable and better control cash flow with their suppliers, while giving them access to a flexible and secure source of financing (reverse factoring principle). These processes, which are cumbersome and expensive to implement, will be automated and carried out online through the NEMO portal. Using NEMO, the supplier of a company will be able to request the advance payment of one or more of its invoices within the portal.

Esker Announces Partnership to Develop Supply Chain Financing Solution in ASEAN and Greater China

SOUTH EAST ASIA NEWS / Issue 3 2017 29

The Largest Special Economic Zone With an Area Five Times of Hong Kong in Laos to Be Built by the Enterprise From China Guangcai Group The first Sino-Laos “One Belt, One Road” new area cooperation development project is about to be launched.

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The Largest Special Economic Zone With an Area Five Times of Hong Kong in Laos

Recently, Bozon Bupaiwan, the former prime minister of Laos, and the current president of Laos Economic Research Institute, led a group of people to the headquarters of Beijing Guangcai Group and attended the first Sino-Laos new area “Boloven Economic Zone” Development Symposium at the 6th floor conference room. A total of more than 70 people participated in the meeting, including people from Guangcai Group and Chinese business representatives and discussed the cooperative development significance and prospect of SinoLaos “Boloven Economic Zone”. Large-scale central enterprise representatives, such as China Communications Construction Corp, China State Construction Engineering Co., Ltd, and China Galaxy Financial Holdings, attended the meeting. China Development Bank, Export-Import Bank of China and other financial institutions also participated in the conversation. Songen Deunsa, Vice Dean of the Lao National Economic Research Institute, introduced the Boloven Economic Zone. The total planning area of the Boloven Economic Zone is about 529,000 hectares, about 5 Times the size of Hong Kong. It is at the center of four provinces in the south of Laos. The border is located between Vietnam and Cambodia, as an international route, as well as an important part of the “One Belt, One Road”. Songen Deunsa claimed that the Boloven economic new area is 900-1700m above the sea, with a very cool climate. It is beneficial to develop agriculture, farming, animal husbandry, aquaculture, cultural tourism and so on. The goal of “Boloven Economic Zone” is to be established as a green and sustainable development zone in 2030. “’Boloven Economic Zone’ has a complete plan; secondly, ‘Boloven Economic Zone’ puts the basic construction in a very good position; thirdly, the ‘Boloven Economic Zone’ is green and sustainable when it

comes to building industrial and agricultural projects; fourth, the ‘shared economy’ business model deserves everyone’s attention. After more than 30 years of reform and opening up, people came to know that in order to save resources, manpower, and time, we can do carpooling, and now the developed ‘bike sharing’ mode has greatly inspired people,” Hu Deping, chairman of China Biodiversity and Green Development Foundation, said at the symposium. At the invitation of Bozon Bupaiwan, the former prime minister of Laos and president of the current Lao National Economic Research Institute, Hu Deping said that he would accept the invitation and visit Laos once he has the opportunity. Also, the China Biodiversity and Green Development Foundation said that they would organize enterprises to support the development of “Boloven Economic Zone”. Bozon Bupaiwan, the former prime minister of Laos and president of the current National Economic Research Institute, said that the “Boloven Economic Zone” would have a great impact on the local region, and that China and Laos would take a new step in strategic partnership cooperation, and that the implementation of the Boloven Economic Zone would turn out to be a good opportunity. Liu Yi, vice president of Guangcai Group, said that in late August this year, Mr. Ren Wei, the president of Guangcai Group, led the team to visit Laos again and inspected the project of Boloven Economic Zone. Upon reaching a consensus on the development and construction of “Boloven Economic Zone”, they signed a memorandum of cooperation, which is now being approved and progress was made in the current stage. With the opening of the old railway and the construction of the international airport, more and more Chinese people are traveling to Laos, which brings big economic growth in Laos. Guangcai Group hopes to regard the development of “Boloven Economic Zone” as a starting point in jointly developing

a new area economy, and promote the “One Belt, One Road” development strategy in Southeast Asia. Guangcai Group will unite various types of enterprises in China to jointly develop “Boloven Economic Zone”. As the leading group, Guangcai Group will jointly carry out the first-class development of the “Boloven Economic Zone” together with the Lao local government, giving its advantages in the development of agriculture, science and technology, cultural tourism and other fields to full play. By introducing China’s successful industries and experience to Laos, we hope to lead the local people to become rich and promote Boloven economic development. At the symposium, senior experts at the China Development Bank said that the China Development Bank has offered the cumulative loan balance of more than 100 billion U.S. dollars to countries along the “One Belt, One Road” line, and has cooperated with many countries, willing to support the construction of “Boloven Economic Zone” and other overseas development zones. According to this symposium, Bozon Bupaiwan, the former prime minister of Laos, the current president of the Lao National Economic Research Institute, accompanied by relevant leaders of the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs and the Guangcai Group, also visited the Development Research Center of the State Council and the International Cooperation and Exchange Center of the NDRC, and exchanged views about the cooperation issues between China and Laos with them.

competition in Southeast Asian countries is not what they want since they need green development. A country needs to make money, but the common people’s income must be raised, which can avoid the rich and poor gap from being too big, and relieve the masses-and-governors tension and confrontation. I wish Laos will be better in a good direction towards development. Hence, I have to say, if our entrepreneurs enter this new area to invest and carry out successful cooperation, we need to come up with real gold and silver, but more importantly, mutual benefit and sincerity. Finally, I hope that in the process of investment, everyone here will become friends with each other. Old friendship lasts forever!” Ren Jie, chairman of Brilliance International Investment Group, said that they would develop a new special economic zone with some resorts and financial institutions as well as some leading figures from various industries with the full support of the Laos government. In addition, he also expressed that they were confident and determined to build the largest Asian eco-agricultural tourism economic zone in Laos with the support of the China Central Enterprises and these industrial leaders.

Hu Deping concluded: “’Boloven Plateau Economic Zone’ has a good planning blueprint and I hope that Chinese entrepreneurs can invest in its development and construction. Chinese entrepreneurs must respect local culture, especially the local Buddhist culture, for Laos is a Buddhist country. If Chinese companies are going to invest in Laos, of course there would be competition, but I think excessive

SOUTH EAST ASIA NEWS / Issue 3 2017 31

MS3 Expands to the Philippines Mountain State Software Solutions, LLC. (MS3), a Washington D.C based company specializing in solutions engineering and software integration for both commercial and federal customers, announced the continued growth of its brand by globally expanding services through the launch of MS3.Philippines, INC. Mountain State Software Solutions, LLC. (MS3) is a global IT consulting firm specializing in engineering future-proof solutions for commercial and federal clients. Founded in January 2010, MS3 has become a leading provider of enterprise-ready missioncritical software solutions due to our extensive expertise in API Integration and Enablement, Big Data, Dev/Ops, on-Prem, Cloud Services, and Operations Support. MS3’s team of over 50 qualified engineers work on a 24-hour development cycle providing globally distributed organizations a range of software development capabilities to tackle today’s complex business challenges.

the Philippines was the right direction. The expansion was ideal for securing a specific knowledge base and ensuring the continued growth of MS3.

“We are excited at the continued expansion of our MS3 brand and services,” said MS3 founder and CEO, Aaron Weikle. “Expanding our company and services into South East Asia shows the high quality and value-add that our team continues to deliver.”

We at MS³ are very excited about the opportunity that this brings to not only our base but to all of our extended clients and partners as well.

The dedicated and knowledgeable team members at MS3. Philippines introduce new market skills and abilities in UI/ UX development and document management, while also exposing MS3 solutions services to audiences in Japan Laos, Thailand, the Philippines, other South-East Asian countries. “[MS3.Philippines] will not only offer a cost-effective option for North America clients, it will provide an opportunity to promote MS3 services to clients in South East Asia,” said Weikle.

In 2015 MS3 employed a small resource team in the Philippines as a way to offer added economical services and solutions to our clients. The partnership quickly proved beneficial and provided significant value to MS3 clients and partners. This working relationship proved that the expansion of the MS³ brand to

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MS3 Expands to the Philippines

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New Schemes are Boost to Thailand’s Agricultural Market Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) introduces new measures aimed at modernizing agricultural sector, enhancing Thailand’s competitiveness. Agriculture has long been the backbone of Thai economy and remains so today. Looking ahead while the country is transforming itself into an advanced economy, the Thai government is modernizing the country’s agricultural sector through various investment promotional schemes and development policies to increase agricultural sector’s efficiency and competitiveness. Thanks to the country’s rich resources, agriculture has been a major activity that feeds the countries for centuries. Thailand has been famous for crops like rice and rubber for a long time. For decades, the agricultural sector has contributed slightly over 10 per cent of the country’s GDP, according to the National Economic and Social Development Board. However, most farms continue to use traditional ways of farming, resulting in low productivity and income but having high cost. If this issue is well addressed, the sector’s potential will be improved. Given that the country already has a strong agricultural sector base, the Thai government believes in the country’s potential to be the world’s major food supplier and help alleviate possible future food supply shortage from rapidly growing

world population. To take this role, the country sees the importance in modernizing the farming sector through advanced technology and to have clear roadmap for agricultural sector development. According to Ms. Duangjai Asawachintachit, Secretary General of the Board of Investment (BOI), agricultural sector had been one of the target industries eligible for promotional privileges for decades. However, to address the need for advanced technology deployment to enhance the sector’s productivity and competitiveness under Thailand 4.0 policy, BOI in September 2017 approved the addition of a new category for promotional privileges -Production or Service Providers for Modern Agriculture. Under this new category, projects providing services on advanced technology and automatic control system to operate farms are eligible for five-year corporate tax exemption. Meanwhile, BOI introduced measures to promote improvement in production efficiency of existing agricultural investors through implementation of technology and machinery upgrade to meet with such international standards and certifications as Good Agricultural Practices

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(GAP) and ISO22000 Food Safety management. Under this measure, corporate tax holiday is offered within a 50 per cent cap of the total investment for the upgrade and improvement of machinery application is accepted until 2020. In addition to the new investment promotion measures, the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has introduced other measures in parallel. Agri Map Designated agricultural zoning in all provinces are identified based on each area’s geographical and climatic conditions. The “Agri Map” will be adopted to suggest farmers to grow crops suitable for their respective farmland. This will allow the country to have more focused agricultural activities with full consideration on the availability of local resources and area-specific condition and environment. Large-scale farming The Thai government also suggested that farmers adopt a large scale farming model where they share a plot of land within their own group and grow their own crops, which helps collectively reduce production costs and increase their competitiveness. Around 600 large scale farming land plots

New Schemes are Boost to Thailand’s Agricultural Market

were launched in 2016, with another 400 plots to be added in 2017 to make a total of 1,000 plots by end of the year. Countrywide learning centers for farmers To help farmers make the right decision and grow the right crops that suit local geographical conditions and knowledge to improve farm efficiency, learning centers are established to provide them with sufficient information to make an informed decision and thus increase efficiency of agricultural production. Under this scheme, each district nationwide will have one learning center of this kind. This will enable each district to build a strong body of knowledge and share it with farmers in their area. Through learning and experience sharing, farming improvement will soon take shape to support Thailand 4.0 vision. In addition, the grouping of farmers and farmland will be promoted for greater efficiency, which will enhance cooperation between farmers and the public and private sectors, in the form of “Public-Private-People Partnership.” GIS for Agriculture Modern geographic information system (GIS) technology can substantially improve agricultural

production and sustainability. The Geo-Informatics & Space Technology Development Agency (GISDA), Ministry of Science and Technology, has applied geo-informatics technology for agriculture development to be used for agricultural management and monitoring of crops, quality control management for agricultural products, and planning of cultivation. “All the measures and schemes mentioned above are the supply side of the market,” said Ms. Duangjai. “Under the Thailand 4.0 model, Thailand is taking a new approach. We are addressing the demand-side of the market. “In this regards, the government encourages farmers to produce crops in response to the market demand. This means, instead of looking at their expertise and preference, farmers are encouraged to study more on what the market demand really is. Through adoption of advanced technology, they can then upgrade their products to international standards and produce the products that the market needs. Therefore currently we places more emphasis on promoting the improvement of agricultural product standard and quality with the help of new technologies, which will make Thai agriculture sector become more competitive in the world market and so as to Thailand,” said Ms. Duangjai.

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