Asia Outlook - Issue 39

ASIA

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ISSUE 39

UNDER THE DIGITAL SPOTLIGHT 10

Telstra on North Asia’s digital transformation prospects

VEOLIA WATER TECHNOLOGIES

Safeguarding the world’s most precious resource

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AXIATA DIGITAL SERVICES

Spearheading the transition to a technology-driven society

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RESTAURANTS DEVELOPMENT COMPANY

Keeping KFC at the top of Thailand’s QSR industry

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ALSO FEATURING: M A S T E R C A R D | V O L V O B U S C O R P O R A T I O N | T N B R E M A C O

W E L C O M E EDITORIAL

Editorial Director: Tom Wadlow tom.wadlow@outlookpublishing.com Deputy Editor: Jonathan Dyble jonathan.dyble@outlookpublishing.com

PRODUCTION

ASIA

Talking tourism More and more people are enjoying the luxury on offer in Maldives.

As of February 2019, 137 resorts, 151 safari vessels, 12 hotels and 526 guesthouses

Art Director: Stephen Giles steve.giles@outlookpublishing.com Senior Designer: Devon Collins devon.collins@outlookpublishing.com Junior Designer: Matt Loudwell matt.loudwell@outlookpublishing.com

of local islands were in operation, creating a capacity of 45,642 beds. And with 20

BUSINESS

to promote all things tourism in the country, marketing the nation as a go-to

Managing Director: Ben Weaver ben.weaver@outlookpublishing.com Sales Director: Nick Norris nick.norris@outlookpublishing.com Operations Director: James Mitchell james.mitchell@outlookpublishing.com PROJECT DIRECTORS Joshua Mann joshua.mann@outlookpublishing.com Tom Cullum tom.cullum@outlookpublishing.com HEAD OF PROJECTS Callam Waller callam.waller@outlookpublishing.com Joe Palliser (Business Travel) joe.palliser@outlookpublishing.com Thomas Arnold thomas.arnold@outlookpublishing.com

new resorts set to open this year alone, tourism is booming in the country.

Visit Maldives, or Maldives Marketing & PR Corporation (MMPRC), is mandated destination for business travellers and holiday makers alike.

A central part of this month’s cover story is a Q&A with Managing Director Thoyyib Mohamed, who offers an exclusive insight into the industry, while we also explore the travel scene in the South Pacific in the second of this edition’s business travel guides.

Another organisation helping to make holidays easier is Mastercard, leading light in the real time payments sphere. In an exclusive interview, we speak to Rama Sridhar, Executive Vice President of Digital and Emerging Partnerships and New Payment Flows for Asia Pacific, about why this form of payment is facilitating

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Eddie Clinton eddie.clinton@outlookpublishing.com

progress within APAC’s financial ecosystem.

SALES MANAGERS Jordan Levey (Business Travel) jordan.levey@outlookpublishing.com Matt Cole-Wilkin (Business Travel) matt.cole-wilkin@outlookpublishing.com

asked Paul Abfalter, the company’s Head of North Asia, about the story of the

PROJECT MANAGERS Donovan Smith donovan.smith@outlookpublishing.com Josh Hyland josh.hyland@outlookpublishing.com Lewis Bush lewis.bush@outlookpublishing.com Vivek Valmiki vivek.valmiki@outlookpublishing.com

ADMINISTRATION

Finance Director: Suzanne Welsh suzanne.welsh@outlookpublishing.com Administrative Assistant: Sophia Curran sophia.curran@outlookpublishing.com Office Manager: Daniel George daniel.george@outlookpublishing.com Digital & IT: Hamit Saka Helpdesk: James Le-May

Aussie telco Telstra is also powering technological progress across Asia. We region’s ever-improving digital transformation prospects. Håkan Agnevall, President of Volvo Bus Corporation, and Deepan Dagur, Regional Head of Trade Finance & Cash Management, Asia at Commerzbank, complete our line-up of contributors to the front end of the magazine.

Our company features section as ever covers a wide array of industries, kicking off with Veolia Water Technologies and the work it is doing to help food and drink businesses maximise the efficiency of their water usage.

“Water is the lifeblood of the F&B industry,” asserts Thomas Debruyne, the company’s Market Manager (F&B) & Digital Transformation Manager for Asia Pacific. “The water footprint for the production of common F&B products reflects the pressure that the industry has placed on

CONTACT Asia Outlook East Wing, Ground Floor, 69-75 Thorpe Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR1 1UA, United Kingdom.

Sales: +44 (0) 1603 959 652 Editorial: +44 (0) 1603 959 657

freshwater resources.”

SUBSCRIPTIONS Tel: +44 (0) 1603 959 657 Email: tom.wadlow@outlookpublishing.com

effectiveness of the firm’s AQUAVISTA™ platform.

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TNB REMACO, Axiata Digital Services, Restaurants

Veolia is perfectly positioned to tackle this problem, and Debruyne goes on to highlight the Other exclusive insight comes from the likes of Development Co., Craft Holdings, Archetype Group Tom Wadlow Editorial Director, Outlook Publishing

and Sunfert International.

Enjoy the issue!

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In this issue...

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NEWS

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TECHNOLOGY Under the Digital Spotlight

Around Asia in seven stories

EXPERT EYE

Commerzbank on the challenges and opportunities of the Belt & Road Initiative

Telstra on North Asia’s digital transformation prospects

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FINANCE Cashless is King

A Q&A with Mastercard on the rise of real-time payments

TOPICAL FOCUS

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SUSTAINABILITY – AIR POLLUTION The Transit Transition Exploring Volvo Bus Corporation’s autonomous, electric vehicle trials in Singapore

BUSINESS TRAVEL GUIDES

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MALDIVES

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SOUTH PACIFIC

A luxury outpost in the Indian Ocean 30,000 different forms of natural paradise

ASIA 54

H E A L T H C A R E

SHOWCASING LEADING COMPANIES

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Tell us your story and we’ll tell the world

E N E R G Y & U T I LT I E S

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SUNFERT INTERNATIONAL Fertility Services Reborn

Opening up access to fertility clinics across Malaysia

VEOLIA WATER TECHNOLOGIES Untapping Potential

Safeguarding the world’s most precious resource

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RESTAURANTS DEVELOPMENT CO. Making a Real Difference Keeping KFC at the top of Thailand’s QSR industry

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TNB REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE SDN. BHD. Upholding the Energy Industry

PIZZA HUT SINGAPORE Pizza Passion

Demonstrating chain restaurant excellence in the city state

E V E N T

F O C U S

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MINING INVESTMENT EUROPE

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CWC WORLD LNG & GAS SERIES: 11TH ASIA PACIFIC SUMMIT

Embodying excellence for a quarter century

A leading global mining investment forum

The premier meeting place for LNG buyers and sellers in Asia Pacific

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CHIEF DATA & ANALYTICS OFFICER SINGAPORE

A forum for championing the data agenda

CONSTRUCTION

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AXIATA DIGITAL SERVICES Malaysia’s Digital Dynamo

Asia’s world-class, proactive multidisciplined consultant

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Spearheading the transition to a technology-driven society

ARCHETYPE GROUP Construction Made Creative

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CRAFT HOLDINGS Mastering a Craft

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4TH ANNUAL MANUFACTURING EXCELLENCE CONFERENCE Analysing the impact of industry 4.0

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POWERGEN ASIA

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3RD ANNUAL GLOBAL HOTELS & RESORTS

Discussing the entire energy spectrum under one roof

Embodying unorthodox and progressive construction innovation

Placing ASEAN tourism strategy under the spotlight

THE FINAL WORD

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What inspired you to pursue a career at your company?

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Around Asia in seven stories…

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TECHNOLOGY

A U T O M O T I V E

SK Telecom, IFEZ sign autonomous driving technology MoU

Sony announces share buyback and Microsoft partnership Japanese tech giant Sony has seen its shares skyrocket 9.89 percent, the highest levels witnessed since December 2018, after a dual announcement from the company.

Within this, Sony both committed to repurchasing up to ¥200 billion ($1.82 billion) of shares issued by March 31, 2020 and announced a new partnership with major gaming competitor Microsoft.

EDUCATION

China’s East Education to raise $680 million in largest education IPO Hong Kong-based China East Education Holdings Ltd has unveiled plans to raise up to HK$5.34 billion ($680 million) in the south-eastern Chinese city state.

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The collaboration will see Sony using Microsoft’s Azure cloud services for streaming games and other media. More detailed specifics of the partnership are yet to be disclosed, but the two companies have reportedly revealed that they could also potentially begin to develop new image sensor chips together.

SK Telecom, South Korea’s leading telecommunications enterprise, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) to develop 5G autonomous vehicle infrastructure.

The plans for this include the proposed installation of both ADAS and 5G communications technologies in public transport vehicles and government cars in the region.

“We will work closely with the IFEZ Authority to accelerate IFEZ’s transition to a smart city powered by SK Telecom’s 5G network and mobility technologies,” said Park Jin-hyo, SK Telecom’s Chief Technology Officer.

The agreement will also aim to accelerate the development of information and communications technology startups in the city of Incheon, located in the northwest of the country.

The news comes from a term sheet seen by Reuters which cited that the prospective initial public offering could be the world’s largest education IPO once complete. The minimum that the company is expected to raise is $544 million, a figure that would still surpass the $490 million float of Laureate Education on Nasdaq in 2017.

It is reported that the company is selling 435.8 million primary shares, equating to 20 percent of its enlarged capital.

GO TO WWW.ASIAOUTLOOKMAG.COM/NEWS FOR ALL OF THE LATEST NEWS FROM ASIA

ASIA E C O M M E R C E

Amazon injects $404 million into India business

OIL & GAS

Petronas to lease LNG storage unit to Vitol Malaysia’s state-owned energy company Petronas has agreed a deal with commodity trader Vitol, with the latter to lease one of the former’s two liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage units for a minimum two-year period.

Petronas’s 200,000 cubic metre LNG

storage unit at Pengerang in southern Malaysia is the chosen facility that will be provided to Vitol, with the lease expected to begin in the second half of 2019. The other of the two units in Pengerang will continue to be used for domestic purposes.

The Pengerang peninsula sits between the Malacca Strait and the South China Sea, making it a key strategic location that both Vitol and Petronas will be able to leverage.

F I N A N C E

UBS, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust to establish joint venture Swiss Lender UBS and Japanese bank Sumitomo Mitsui Trust have a deal that will see the pair launch a wealth management joint venture in Japan, with the new company expected to be launched by 2021.

The majority of the new entity will be owned by UBS with a 51 percent stake in the venture, but it will serve to expand both companies’ wealth management offerings.

“This new tie-up will create Japan’s first-ever ‘one-stop shop’ for all the wealth management needs of high

net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals,” said UBS Japan Country Head Zenji Nakamura.

The Swiss firm is the latest in a line of foreign asset management companies looking to target the country’s estimated $17 trillion worth of household assets.

Amazon has recently infused $404 million into its India business as it seeks to climb to the top of the country’s online services market.

New regulations set in India relating to ecommerce at the end of 2018 have forced Amazon to cut the number of products it sells.

In effect of the new law, Amazon had to pull an estimated 400,000 products, and its rival Flipkart has pulled as much as one quarter of its products from India to meet the regulations which had kicked in from February 1, 2019.

ENERGY & UTILITIES

China earmarks $435 million for solar projects subsidies in 2019 China’s National Energy Administration has confirmed that it will be investing $435 million worth of subsidies into solar projects this year.

For the first time, Beijing will set a cap on solar subsidies in a bid to limit the amount of subsidised solar projects.

A draft document states that $108.62 million is to go into rooftop projects which will amount to 3.5 GW of new capacity, with the rest of the money being assigned to solar stations.

At the end of 2018, China had installed solar power stations of 174 GW capacity and had generated around 177.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in the entire year.

GO TO WWW.ASIAOUTLOOKMAG.COM/NEWS FOR ALL OF THE LATEST NEWS FROM ASIA

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Belt & Road: Protectionism and Supply Chains Commerzbank’s Deepan Dagur looks at the potential challenges and opportunities that China’s BRI is bringing about Written by: Deepan Dagur, Regional Head of Trade Finance & Cash Management, Asia at Commerzbank

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he Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) continues to feature in international headlines.

However, many corporates are only now appreciating the full quantum of potential impact on their physical and financial supply chains. In the last six years since the initiation of BRI, rising protectionism in the West has manifested itself along different dimensions including the US-China trade dispute, Brexit and varying levels of BRI endorsement among EU states.

While this creates challenges along certain trade corridors, it also creates opportunities for those that are well prepared and agile.

ABOUT THE EXPERT Deepan Dagur is Regional Head of Trade Finance & Cash Management, Asia at Commerzbank.

With almost 20 years of industry experience, Dagur has a wealth of expertise in cash management and transaction banking across products and clients in Asia. He joined Commerzbank from ANZ where he was latterly Head of Financial Institutions, South East Asia, Middle East & India, Transaction Banking, having held regional leadership roles for its Asian transaction banking business across multi-national corporates and financial institutions.

Abundant opportunity

The overall trajectory of China’s economic progress in the last few decades is without question. Now the second largest economy in the world and the largest in terms of PPP, China’s GDP per capita has also increased more than 30-fold since 1978. Given the continued ambition of China and the BRI, the opportunities for corporates and financial institutions are apparent – China’s huge plans for investment and infrastructure projects will need to be matched with financing, physical movement of goods and an ongoing economic inter-dependence between countries. The BRI clearly appeals to Chinese corporations as new markets open and the country moves away from low-cost manufacturing towards higher value goods and services. In contrast

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to Chinese trade volumes with the US falling in recent years, in 2017, China’s external trade with BRI countries reached $1.1 trillion, supporting 14.2 percent year on year growth in China’s foreign trade. The EU, for example, is now China’s largest trading partner, and China is the EU’s second largest.

The BRI is maturing, and so too are the associated opportunities, trust, expectations and rewards.

Furthermore, China realises that it cannot fund the initiative alone. To

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date, funding for BRI-related projects has been largely reliant on Chinese banks but there is also a growing role for international banks, particularly institutions offering a complete suite of financing options across their international networks.

We expect the theme of private funding for BRI projects to increase significantly in the coming years, particularly as China’s central government looks to moderate its BRI spend. Opportunities for financial institutions and corporates in other regions should emerge.

Supply chain support

New trade and investment links between China and a range of other countries along key BRI corridors continue to develop. As such, financial risks for companies are also increasing as BRI-related exports and investments grow to certain sub-investment grade countries in ASEAN, South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and beyond. Trade finance is a key area of focus for many companies and multinational corporations in China to facilitate and finance trade, but also to mitigate the various credit, non-payment and performance risks involved.

Physical supply chains have also become increasingly complex and interdependent – to counter increasing wage levels in China, hedge against protectionism risk and seek locations with more favourable demographics for labour-intensive manufacturing.

PHOTO BY THE RUSSIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS AND INFORMATION OFFICE

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Simplistic approaches such as ‘Made in China’ and ‘China + 1’ sourcing strategies are no longer enough. As such, not all trade corridors will benefit in the same way, with some segments in certain key corridors expected to benefit more than others – for example energy, transportation infrastructure, power generation and real estate.

Beyond risk mitigation, trade also provides an efficient tool for financing to optimise a corporate’s overall working capital, unlocking value by shortening cash conversion cycles.

While documentary trade remains prevalent in dealings with relatively challenging markets and as an instrument to short tenor financing, there is also an evolution towards open account trade. In financing receivables from buyers and payables to suppliers, trade finance is becoming increasingly integrated into complex cross-border financial supply chains.

This is an area where established foreign banks can really add value to businesses in China by offering access to an international network for crossborder solutions.

The role of protectionism

As politics continues to change

Roundtable meeting of leaders at Belt & Road Forum in 2017

globally, with the potential for trade wars between the US and China and the spectre of protectionism, having a BRI strategy is becoming imperative – not just for those in China but also for businesses across Europe and Asia.

While it is difficult to predict exactly where the next wave of protectionism will come from, corporates must still take steps to sufficiently prepare their supply chains.

Furthermore, China has evolved from a low-cost manufacturing exporter towards a higher value-add exporter of infrastructure, technology and engineering solutions. Hence the nature of the protectionist response also tends to rise, given that many of these industries are considered to be important to national security.

Maritime transportation, port access and communication network equipment are good examples.

On the other hand, it appears that the protectionist response in other industries appears less pronounced, given that low-cost manufacturing also provides benefits to global consumers.

These political uncertainties have come just as global commerce faces existing challenges such as slowing growth in global trade volumes in recent years. For Commerzbank, however, among all this change and turbulence one constant remains – the need to be a proactive, committed and reliable partner for those engaged in international trade.

Understanding the impact

My message to corporates is clear: you should have a clear and robust BRI strategy. Understand what it means for your industry and your company, both in terms of opportunity and risks.

Commerzbank is helping its clients do just that, focusing on a range of business opportunities across all the BRI related trade corridors.

BRI, whilst expansive and ambitious, isn’t without challenges and should not be underestimated. As the BRI continues to be an area of focus, understanding its impact on the specific sector in which you are focused on and active in is key. China is ambitious in its emergence as a global trade superpower, but this creates as many opportunities as it does potential pitfalls.

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T E L S T R A

Under the

Digital Spotlight Paul Abfalter, Head of North Asia for Telstra, tells the story of the region’s ever-improving digital transformation prospects Writer: Jonathan Dyble

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The continent has a strong global standing in innovation. The digital revolution is enabling local businesses to thrive, while governments are leaving no stone unturned in the pursuit of creating environments that enable rapid technology-led change in business and society.”

Paul Abfalter is referring to the rise of digital transformation in Asia and, more specifically, the region’s northern markets.

“Why telecommunications?” he responds when asked what led him to becoming Telstra’s Head of North Asia. “Ultimately, I was attracted to the pace of innovation and change, both within the industry itself and as a catalyst for the rest of the economy.

“It’s probably no surprise that I started working on Asian projects 20

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years ago and have been permanently based in Hong Kong for over a decade – the region has become synonymous with excitement and promise.”

Abfalter proceeds to cite research from the latest Asian Digital Transformation Index, created in by The Economist Intelligence Unit and commissioned by Telstra, that really brings this claim to life.

The report, which ranks Asian economies in their development of digital infrastructure, skills and technology ecosystems, names Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan as the five most digitally ready states, the latter four of these all being northern markets.

“There are a couple of reasons behind this,” Abfalter reveals. “Firstly, there has been significant investment and long-term planning in digital infrastructure, with particular focus

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ASIA world, faces significant challenges in finding the right people to drive transformation forward, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea boast sizeable pools of technology professionals relative to their overall workforce.”

Considering the facts

Paul Abfalter

on reliable, fast and affordable digital connectivity – critical to nurturing positive environments for digital transformation.

“Secondly, North Asian economies are differentiated by their talent.

While Asia, much like the rest of the

A secondary whitepaper from Telstra, its Disruptive Decision-Making report, showcases a number of major global industries that are already embodying the merits of digital transformation.

Within this, the mining industry leads the way, followed by professional services, transport and logistics, construction and financial services.

“A number of mining companies have seized the opportunity to increase productivity, reduce costs and improve production and safety through increased digitisation and smart use of big data,” states Abfalter.

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“Similarly, transport and logistics companies have been highly successful in using new technology to solve old problems.

“Those most successful in transport, for instance, are cutting costs and building efficiencies by using IoT technologies to track the movement of vehicles for real-time fleet management and increase customer visibility.”

At the same time, however, the survey of 3,810 decision makers from 12 industries across 14 markets equally reveals that North Asia, much like the rest of the world, is still getting to grips with the challenges of digital transformation.

“If we look at North Asia through a Hong Kong lens, we can see varying levels of digital uptake from local organisations,” Abfalter

A FORMIDABLE FOOTPRINT Renowned as Australia’s largest telecommunications company, Telstra has established major presence across Asia, building and operating telecommunications networks that have played a key role in the connectivity, productivity and growth journeys undertaken by several countries during the past five decades.

“It may surprise some people to know that the first ever international connectivity from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam was built by Telstra,” reveals Abfalter. “Similarly, the first mobile networks in Sri Lanka and India were Telstra joint ventures, and the first Singapore to Hong Kong cable was built by Telstra in the 1960s.

“We’ve built a reputation for having the best engineers, the best delivery and best assurance teams, priding ourselves as being a partner in the true sense of the word. We have been part of building unique infrastructures in places like Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China and the Philippines – more so than any other foreign operator in those markets.”

The company now operates the largest subsea cable network in the Asia Pacific region as well as the lowest latency on most routes.

What’s more, it stands as the number one wholesale carrier in Asia and a key provider to the world’s largest cloud and content companies in APAC. “We are currently building four new undersea cables with our trans-oceanic partners and have a number of other subsea network projects in planning,” adds Abfalter, eluding to the telco’s future ambitions. “These will not only significantly grow our Asia Pacific network capacity but are also an important part of our Asia Pacific vision.

“At the same time, we are executing a number of in-country investment projects in Taiwan, Korea and the Philippines as well as increasing our data centre and network investment in China. Telstra was one of the first in the market with software defined networks and we are investing further in our Programmable Network footprint.”

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reveals. “Despite the hype, many organisations are still just starting their transformation journeys. In fact, more than a quarter of Hong Kong businesses haven’t even begun a digital transformation journey, and only 14 percent described their business as highly digitally mature, below the global benchmark of 21 percent.”

The research does provide some cause for optimism, forecasting that more than a third of Hong Kong-based organisations will up their total spend on digital transformation by more than 10 percent in the next three years, also highlighting that roughly one in four businesses invested more than $1 million into digital transformation products and services over the past year.

However, the key takeaways point to slow progress and gradual transitions for many companies, organisations and governments.

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“What we’re seeing,” PEOPLE Abfalter adds, “is that digital transformation is being placed increasingly high on boardroom agendas, but equally it is also a major challenge for this generation of business leaders.”

Striving for solutions

In order to help enterprises accelerate their digitisation efforts and better prepare for the incorporation of new, game-changing technologies, Telstra has been seeking to understand the pivotal factors behind TECHNOLOGIES successful transformations.

These factors have manifested themselves in four key pillars –

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people, processes, technologies and partnerships. And what Telstra has found is that organisations are leaning too heavily on technology at the expense of the other pillars, falling into the common misconception that technology is the silver bullet for success.

“When rating business capabilities across the four key variables, our results found that an understanding of technology is rated highest by a significant margin and there is a much lower focus on people and partnerships,” Abfalter states. “On the flip side, our findings also show that the most digitally advanced organisations have a much greater focus on their people than technology as an enabler.

“While digital transformations are technology-enabled, they are people-led. They rely on having the right culture, the right individuals and the right processes to support them, and this must be a company-wide approach that involves upskilling employees, adapting structures and ways of working, and empowering people to seize the potential of new technologies.”

In realising this, Hong Kong, North Asia and indeed global companies stand to benefit from a mirage of revolutionary changes, from optimised efficiencies to increased customer experiences to improved customer loyalty.

PROCESSES Abfalter concludes: “Globally, digitally mature companies are three times more likely to achieve successful revenue growth compared to businesses that haven’t started their transformation journey. This trend is consistent across all business outcomes, including increasing profit margins.

“Granted, undertaking any transformation is no easy task, but making the right digital decisions sooner rather than later will undoubtedly produce significant PARTNERSHIPS rewards.”

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M A S T E R C A R D

Cashless

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oney, for better or worse, has come to define civilizational development over thousands of years.

The original idea of currency, physical coins resembling a certain value, has stuck with us through time and to this day remains an important mode of transaction. Indeed, the term cash is king is thought to be a relatively new phrase coined in the late 1980s.

However, more recent times have seen an explosion in how money is represented and moved around. From smartphones and wearable payment rings to contactless cards and bitcoin, it is safe to suggest that cash, in the strictest sense, is not quite as regal as it was even a decade ago.

There are few better-placed individuals to comment on the subject than Rama Sridhar, Executive Vice President of Digital and Emerging Partnerships and New Payment Flows for Asia Pacific at Mastercard. We asked her about the future of cash and

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There is enormous potential across Southeast Asia for realtime payments to replace cash transactions. Mastercard’s Rama Sridhar explains why Writer: Tom Wadlow

the particular role real-time payments (RTPs) will play across the region in years to come.

Asia Outlook (AsO): What made you want to pursue a career in finance? Likewise, what inspired you to join Mastercard?

Rama Sridhar (RS): I entered banking after almost a decade in technology. At the time, the sector was the sunrise industry of the mid-90s. An opportunity to get in at ground zero and build a career in one of the highest growth markets was an opportunity not to be missed. Because of my background in tech, I naturally gravitated towards technology-led payments products, which built the perfect launch for my career with Mastercard.

AsO: What is your take generally on the advancement of the payments industry across SE Asia?

Would you say the region is a global leader?

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RS: The convergence of smartphones, the digitalisation of commerce supported by large fintech investments, and the expansion of digital and financial inclusion in the region have created the perfect backdrop for electronic payments technology to proliferate in Asia.

Electronic payments are also increasingly a significant part of many regulators’ national digital agendas as they are a powerful tool for accelerating financial inclusion and expanding the digital ecommerce ecosystem. For example, many countries in Southeast Asia are developing domestic real-time payments systems such as Singapore’s FAST and PromptPay in Thailand.

These allow consumers to transact 24-seven, 365 days of the year in real, or near real-time and decrease their dependence on cash.

As a result of these trends, there is tremendous growth momentum in the payments industry across Southeast Asia. Further, because many countries do not have long-standing legacy systems in place, Asia has a greater ability to leapfrog ahead compared to other regions. This allows it to lead in adopting new technologies more quickly and efficiently.

AsO: How are RTPs helping grow a cashless society? How cashless will/should society become?

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RS: Real-time payments are the closest we have as an industry to matching the feeling of trust that cash provides as the point of a transaction.

This immediate nature of real-time payments is critical for the financially excluded who value the reliability of having hard currency in hand. RTPs enable the rise of digital commerce in the region by creating a cash-like transaction experience that draws more users into the digital ecosystem.

The room for cashless transactions to grow in Asia is tremendous.

Between 85 to 95 percent of transactions across the region’s markets are cash and we believe these should be digitalised to the maximum extent possible for a number of

Vocalink, a Mastercard company, has successfully implemented a number of real-time advanced systems in Southeast Asia, including FAST in Singapore and PromptPay in Thailand”

ASIA benefits. These include reducing the cost of printing and managing cash, bringing more transparency and accountability into economies and increasing the correlating tax benefits.

Digitalisation of payments also supports greater financial inclusion of the economically under-resourced, especially women.

AsO: Can you provide me some context or background on Mastercard and RTPs across SE Asia?

RS: Vocalink, a Mastercard company, has successfully implemented a number of real-time advanced systems in Southeast Asia, including FAST in Singapore and PromptPay in Thailand. We also announced in April that BancNet, the national clearing switch operator for the Philippines payment system InstaPay, will tap into Mastercard’s expertise and nextgeneration real-time payments antimoney laundering (AML) technology to strengthen and expand its system.

The impact of these systems across the region are significant. The Bank of Thailand has stood behind a cashless economy agenda through the promotion of PromptPay, launched in 2017, and used the RTPs system to drive new efficiencies, including the disbursement of lottery system payments. In under two years, PromptPay has grown to more than 46.5 million users (65 percent of Thais)

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doing 4.5 transactions per day. In total, PromptPay has moved four trillion Thai Baht ($130 billion) across 800 million transactions.

AsO: Are you finding some industries are more open to adopting RTPs than others?

RS: Most RTP payments are currently peer-to-peer (P2P) or peerto-small-and-medium-enterprise payments (P2SME). This is driving cash conversion at the lower pyramid of consumer payments. For example, 85 percent of transactions on Thailand’s real-time payments platform, PromptPay, are less than THB 5,000 (approximately $200) each, while 80 percent of India’s United Payment Interface (UPI) transactions are less than INR 1,300 (approximately $20) each.

However, RTP technology can be applied across all payment categories: B2B supplier payments; B2C payments such as legal settlements, insurance claims, wages; C2B payments such as hospital bills, utility payments, and point-of-sale purchases; and domestic P2P and cross-border remittances.

AsO: What must be done to expand the take-up of RTPs? RS: While many successful RTPs solutions have flourished, there remains a critical lack of a uniform comprehensive infrastructure, and alleviating this will require countries to set up their own domestic infrastructure at a significant cost. This can range from $50 million to $1 billion.

Siloed practices of most digital payments players have also not encouraged comprehensive industrywide government regulation in the space or the appetite to foster standardisation, and this has led to slower progress in promoting interoperability.

We expect the future to be driven extensively by digital payments that are powered by realtime infrastructure and proxy services” The speed and ease of RTP-based systems adds to security challenges as the velocity of transactions can lead to fraud and money laundering more quickly than ‘slow’ payment settlement systems that are coupled with more robust cybercrime tools and practices.

The introduction of fraud and antimoney laundering (AML) screening solutions needs to be simultaneous to encourage confidence and adoption across the ecosystem.

To solve these issues and enable real-time transactions to fully materialise in Asia in a systematic, scalable and robust manner, the entire ecosystem needs to pull together to shape this opportunity collaboratively, knowing that the potential benefits from these efforts are great.

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Specifically, there are four main issues that need to be addressed to realise the potential of RTPs. Firstly, regulators and policymakers across Asia must promote RTPs standardisation, and coordinated policy efforts must encourage RTPs usage across a wide variety of transactions.

Second, critical use cases and revenue models must be identified for all industry players, in particular those adopted by traditional banks, to encourage broader RTPs adoption by all.

Further, cost-efficient, standardised infras l fraud, money laundering, and safety and security risks, and industry participants need to use analytics – informed by large volumes of global data on transaction context and payer demographics and behaviours – to solve for security risks.

AsO: How is Mastercard helping to address some of these challenges?

RS: Through our acquisition of Vocalink, Mastercard has embarked on a multiyear journey of sustainably providing interoperable RTPs technologies globally. We offer a comprehensive set of RTPs solutions across three product layers.

The first is infrastructure. Mastercard offers the core RTP switch (called IPS) supported by a multi-identifiers proxy platform (MPP), with both built on the data-rich ISO 20022 messaging standard. The switch includes the core credit transfer message supported by approximately 20 other payment and non-payment messages including request to pay. Mastercard operates its RTP infrastructure through regional

payments hubs spread across multiple regions which are connected to each other to enable global interoperability.

Payment applications APIs forms the second layer. Our APIs enable bank apps to become payment applications without relying on the use of thirdparty payments apps.

Third is data and analytics valueadded services. We offer AML solutions and account and transaction scoring tools that assist in reducing fraud by tracking antisocial funding and suspected mule accounts.

AsO: Looking ahead, what progress do you predict will be made in the next five years?

RS: We expect the future to be driven extensively by digital payments that are powered by real-time infrastructure and proxy services. The incorporation of artificial intelligence in real-time payments solutions, infrastructure and insights will be the next step.

AsO: Would you say the financial ecosystem needs to unify for RTPs to be fully exploited?

RS: For the use cases of RTPs to expand and reach their full potential in Asia, the entire ecosystem of

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S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y

The Transit Transition Håkan Agnevall, President of Volvo Bus Corporation, talks autonomous, electric vehicle trials in Asia’s innovative epicentre – Singapore Writer: Jonathan Dyble It’s an exciting time for public transport. Already half of the world’s population live in cities, and it’s estimated that this will rise to roughly two thirds of people by 2060.

“When I’ve spoken with Singapore’s government officials about this,

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they’ve often pointed to the fact that 14 percent of the city state’s surface is dedicated to roads. Singapore can’t afford to expand this, so instead it has to make the best use of its streets through a very strong focus on innovative, efficient transit systems.”

In the eyes of Håkan Agnevall,

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President of Volvo Bus Corporation (VBC), the heightening problems surrounding overpopulation has led to the public transport industry becoming one of the most forward-thinking, agile industries on the planet.

“There will be more progress in the commercial vehicle space in the next decade than there has been in the past 30 to 40 years,” he affirms. “That’s why I’m thrilled to be working in this position.

“We have formulated a purpose at VBC – we want to make a difference as a pioneer in sustainable transport solutions, currently ensuring that millions of people reach their travel destinations every day. We have an

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ASIA As such, VBC has been investing heavily in electric vehicle technologies for well over a decade, striving to substantially improve efficiencies, reduce emissions and eliminate noise pollution.

“Crucially, electromobility is fundamentally changing urban planning,” Agenvall states. “Nobody wants to have a bus stop outside their house due to the noise that the accompanying vehicles create during all hours of the day. Transit vehicles aren’t allowed to distribute goods at night in cities much for the same reason.

“Electric vehicles are changing this, however. Because they’re largely noise-free, you can bring public transport closer to the people, and due to the lack of emissions you can even bring it indoors – centrally within a shopping mall, for example.”

VBC’s own recently unveiled, flagship electric bus, the Volvo 7900 Electric, is embodying such potential.

However, the company is equally looking to take this one step further with the combined introduction of autonomous vehicle tests in the 7900 Singapore trials.

impact on society, on people’s lives and on the future of the world, and for me this purpose is truly inspirational.”

Propelling the potential

Having been in his current role since 2013, Agnevall is quick to admit that his own tenure has only witnessed a fraction of VBC’s extensive progress, much of which has stemmed from strategic studies undertaken in the mid-2000s.

He reveals: “The company evaluated prospective potential of future industry trends in both inner-city transport and long-haul transport, with the research highlighting the power of electromobility.”

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“The autonomous journey is a complex one,” Agnevall affirms. “The development of these technologies is very much underway, but it will be quite some time until we have fully autonomous commercial city buses driving through high-profile areas like downtown Singapore. Its application is still very challenging.”

The evolution of automotive automation will come gradually in stages, encompassing everything from the building of capabilities in confined spaces to the introduction of driver support solutions and connectivity between vehicles and bus stops.

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Once these capabilities have been polished, however, the benefits will be endless.

Agnevall continues: “If you look at depots, for example, much of the damage to buses happens in these facilities. What autonomous vehicles offer is the ability to both remove this and increase the depot’s operational efficiency, promising dramatic cost savings.”

Collective efforts

Getting to this stage, whether it’s a fully operational electric bus network or self-driving vehicles, will require

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many further strides in the way of innovation – strides that can be lengthened by collaboration.

Agnevall himself is a major advocate of proactive cooperation, something that VBC has already benefitted from via its fruitful regional partnerships with the city state’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in its 7900 tests.

“Volvo has developed a presence in Singapore over the course of almost 40 years, providing some 80 percent of the double decker buses that are in operation here,” he reveals. “We’ve

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got close working relationships with the state as a result, allowing us to have transparent, open and fastmoving discussions at finding solutions to potential issues on the roads.”

Infrastructural expansions will be a key focus of these collaborations, an element that has been a major concern for many regarding the success of both electric and autonomous vehicles.

“Singapore is a beacon of innovation,” Agnevall adds, “but we

THE VOLVO 7900 ELECTRIC Currently undergoing trial in Singapore, VBC’s new flagship 7900 Electric bus is the world’s first autonomous electric bus. A 12-metre long vehicle, the Volvo 7900 Electric is able to carry 93 people at capacity, all while producing zero emissions and using 80 percent less energy than a diesel bus of the equivalent size.

Created in collaboration with Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA), the bus also features autonomous vehicle technologies, using navigation controls such as light detection and ranging sensors (LIDAR) that are operated by artificial intelligence.

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also selected it as the destination to trial the 7900 because the government is devoted to introducing, implementing and supporting technological drives and progressive policy changes.

“You can’t treat an electric bus as just a bus. Rather, it is the buses combined with the charging infrastructure that create the overall system. There is a full understanding of this in Singapore, whether it’s depot charging overnight or fast-charging on the line itself.”

“Electric buses have a multitude of competitive advantages over traditional vehicles,” Agnevall explains. “They’re less costly, faster to implement, and provide the opportunity to create much more efficient and effective rapid transit networks.”

Already positioned as a pioneer of cutting-edge vehicle technologies, Singapore stands to be one of the leading benefactors of such advancements in the eyes of Agnevall, maintaining its status as a smart nation that’s striding ahead of the global Showcasing sustainable curve. development “Singapore will be one of leading Three months on from the unveiling of countries in the world, but I think that the Volvo 7900 Electric, and substantial Asia in general is very much interested progress has been made. in electromobility,” he states.

VBC has introduced a second bus “The future of humanity depends which is undergoing trials at a bus on creating sustainable cities, and depot managed by local transport congestion, emissions and noise operator SMRT, accompanying the pollution are three key concerns initial test vehicle based at NTU’s that need to be addressed with that.

CETRAN comprehensive research Considering this, Singapore is a prime centre. example when we talk about the right And as continual headway is made, way forward, showing how we can excitement similarly rises in terms of collectively create sustainability in our the technology’s vast potential. cities for the future.”

Once readied, the Volvo 7900 Electric will provide a host of benefits. According to VBC, for example, the total socioeconomic cost of road noise from buses will be reduced by 90 percent to €22,000 per kilometre per year, down from €175,000.

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M A L D I V E S

Maldives The hallmark of luxury tourism, Maldives and its array of private resort islands continues to attract growing numbers of visitors looking for the perfect retreat Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Joe Palliser

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aldives, commonly referred to as Maldive Islands and formally known as Republic of Maldives, is a fascinating stretch of landmasses in the northern Indian Ocean.

The independent nation is made up of around 1,200 coral islands and sandbanks, of which 200 are inhabited, stretching more than 820 kilometres from north to south and 130 kilometres from east to west.

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This unique geography has resulted in a reputation for tourist luxury, with resorts often being housed on their own island and offering the perfect, allinclusive private getaway.

Permanent inhabitants are almost all Maldivian, an ethnic group formed as a result of various groups of settlers arriving throughout the country’s history, the first being Tamil and Sinhalese peoples from Sri Lanka and Southern India.

ASIA An important source of employment for locals derives from tourism, with visitors to the islands spoiled by the pristine beaches and opportunities to explore sea life and partake in water sports.

The past decade has seen the industry open up, not least because inhabitants have been granted the power to build guesthouses on their islands, providing competition to resorts which have traditionally dominated the accommodation scene here.

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The Business End DESPITE ITS REPUTATION as a luxury travel destination, Maldives is one of the world’s economically poorest nations, its developing economy based around fishing and boat building.

Tourism will be vital in the ongoing development of the nation. It is a fastgrowing sector of the economy and is able to attract visitors all-year round, especially in hubs like Male which is home to an increasing number of modern hotels.

A look into February 2019’s statistics is cause for promise, with figures showing

a 16.8 percent increase in visitor arrivals compared to the same month last year.

In total, 168,583 visitors were recorded, China accounting for 17.8 percent of the total and European markets some 55 percent.

As of February 2019, 137 resorts, 151 safari vessels, 12 hotels and 526 guesthouses of local islands were in operation, creating a capacity of 45,642 beds.

FACTS & FIGURES

Capital: Male Languages: Dhivehi (Maldivian) Area: 298 km² Population (2018): 410,300 GDP (2017): $4.175 billion Currency: rufiyaa Time zone: Maldives Time Dialling code: +960 Internet TLD: .mv Climate: tropical

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Occupancy rate averaged 76 percent with an average stay of just over six days.

A key area of focus will now be on extracting more revenue per arrival.

Despite an increase in visitor numbers, tax revenue from tourism goods and services actually fell slightly when compared to the beginning of 2018.

However, the fact that 20 new resorts are due to open this year should help to bring in more income.

Another day dawns at Baros. The air is light and balmy.

It whispers welcome as the sun wakes up the sky. The lagoon beyond your sundeck invites a morning dip.

One of the first resorts to open in Maldives, Baros provides the finest facilities, impeccable cuisine and genuine, warm Maldivian hospitality.

Baros maintains a collection of handcrafted beachfront and overwater villas, built from timber and sandstone. The most romantic of all, the Baros Suites, are a newly introduced category of Villas. These Suites offer a haven of seclusion specially created to maintain the utmost tranquillity with classic design, for guests to enjoy the freedom of space as well as the inspiration of tropical nature and a chance to relax in solitude.

Baros is only 25-minutes by speedboat from the airport so you can be in your Villa within minutes of touchdown.

Tel:+960 664 26 72 www.baros.com

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Visit Maldives VISIT MALDIVES (OR Maldives Marketing & PR Corporation (MMPRC)) is mandated to promote all things tourism in the country, marketing the nation as a go-to destination for business travellers and holiday makers alike.

A year on from last talking to the association, we caught up with Thoyyib Mohamed, the organisation’s current Managing Director, who fills us in on recent advancements made and advice for those paying the nation a visit.

Asia Outlook (AsO): What key progress have you made since we last featured Visit Maldives?

Thoyyib Mohamed (TM): Last year our main mission was to promote Maldives in different market segments.

We have made successful campaigns and progress in this regard since we AsO: How would you say the last appeared in Asia Outlook. By the Maldives has developed in recent end of March 2019, Maldives recorded years as a business travel hub and what 482,972 tourists from all over the world are the key reasons behind its growing which is an increase of 15 percent appeal? compared to the same period last year.

TM: The resorts and hotels in Maldives are increasingly designed to cater for the business traveller.

Hotels are equipped with the latest technologies to meet their needs.

Important diplomatic and business meetings happen every day at these hotels in Male City. We believe the economic megaprojects of the country play a key role in opening Maldives as a hub for business. Maldives is a fastdeveloping country with great opportunities in the travel and hospitality industry, therefore, the developmental prospect combined with the amazing natural beauty attracts a lot of Thoyyib business travellers every year.

Mohamed AsO: Why, in your opinion, should someone visit the Maldives?

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TM: Maldives is definitely unlike any other country. The beautiful geographic features, the unique culture and the warm nature of the people are some of the unmistakeable characteristics of our nation. Whether you are looking for a quiet peaceful moment in the sun or you want to stand on a roaring wave, Maldives will definitely meet your expectations.

AsO: Are there any specific attractions, landmarks or places to eat and drink that you would recommend?

TM: Each and every atoll in the Maldives has a special and unique feature. It can be a place, tradition or even a food item. In the capital city you can enjoy almost every type of major cuisine from the world. There are unique underwater attractions such as spas, restaurants and rooms in the resorts. Since Maldives is 99 percent sea, the underwater beauty and dive points are also immensely popular among tourists.

REVIVE YOUR SENSES

Come alive in your new island home, where white sandy beaches meet pristine blue waters. Wake up to breathtaking views of the Indian Ocean and dive into new adventures each day. At sunset, unwind and dine to a new rhythm with lush sounds at Café del Sol. Here, at the newly unveiled The Residence Maldives at Dhigurah – every day is a fresh new beat.

MOMENTS ENRICHED. TUNIS | MAURITIUS | ZANZIBAR | MALDIVES | BINTAN

CENIZARO.COM/THERESIDENCE

M A L D I V E S

Visit Maldives AsO: What are the best ways of getting around the country?

TM: We currently have three domestic airlines in the Maldives; the national airline Maldivian and private airlines Manta Airline and Flyme travel to all areas within Maldives. Maldives also have the biggest seaplane fleet in the world, which is operated by Trans Maldivian Airways. Other than air travel, there are convenient public ferry systems and public land transport networks.

AsO: What trends are transforming the tourism industry in the Maldives at present? How are you responding to these trends?

TM: After the introduction of the guesthouses, it has quickly become one of the most popular products from Maldives. We are also working to market cultural and experience

tourism. Our statistics show an increase in solo travellers and social media travellers, and we are currently focusing to cater to these demographics as well.

AsO: How do you see the Maldives developing as a business travel hub over the next year to two years?

TM: As tourism is the largest contributor for the economy of our country, the government and the private investors have a mutual interest in the sustainability of the sector. The government is fully committed to expanding the international airport in order to increase arrivals. New resorts are developing, and many projects related to tourism are underway. Together with the Ministry of Tourism of the Maldives, MMPRC will embark on marketing campaigns and target new and emerging markets to increase exposure of the Maldives brand as a business and leisure destination.

AsO: Are there any plans or projects in the pipeline that you wish to highlight?

TM: MMPRC is currently engaging in marketing campaigns on social media and other internet platforms. Recently we signed a contract with Singapore Airlines for a joint campaign to explore and implement activities to promote Maldives. These are just a few of the many activities we have already started this year. We are also partaking in the regular roadshows, FAM trips and international market fairs.

AsO: Are you optimistic about the future of the tourism industry in the Maldives?

TM: Certainly, we see great potential for Maldives tourism to develop. Our marketing campaigns are not nearly as good as broad as some of our competitors’. Therefore, with the right approaches, we can certainly increase arrivals by a large amount.

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M A L D I V E S

In Focus Male THE MALDIVIAN CAPITAL Male is fascinating in that it represents a stark contrast to the isolated tranquillity of the rest of the island nation.

While the city is not awash with attractions, owing largely to its pintsized nature, it is the best place to meet locals and gain a flavour of Maldivian life. The fish market is thought as the sole of Male, a hive of activity and important source of produce for many of the city’s restaurants.

That said, it does contain some of the country’s most important cultural and historical landmarks. For example, the Old Friday Mosque is UNESCOprotected and said to be one of the best structures made out of coral anywhere in the world.

The early 20th century Muleeaage, or Sultan’s Palace, is another landmark worth visiting and is next to the Medhu

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Ziyaarath, the tomb of Abul Barakat Yoosuf Al Barbary, known for bringing the Islamic faith to Male in 1153.

More recent architecture can be found in the form of the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge, which connects the capital to nearby Hulhule. The project has been slightly controversial, with many locals claiming it will disrupt the ferry service across the lagoon.

@furaveriresort

One Island. Many Memories.

Furaveri Island Resort & Spa is a tropical 23-hectare natural and un-reclaimed island situated in the exotic Raa Atoll near “Hanifaru Bay� a UNESCO biosphere reserve.

This sanctuary is just a mere 45-minute scenic seaplane ride from Velana International airport. The very spacious 107 villas offer uninterrupted privacy and indulgence.

Explore the culinary delights across the continents.

Classical favorites at Jaafaeiy to authentic Asian, Mexican and Maldivian delights prepared by local and international chefs.

Escape the routine and indulge in self-care, be it a visit to Furaveri Spa & wellness village to experience natural harmony, a work out at the gym, playing tennis or badminton, taking part in Zumba, relaxing sunrise or private Yoga sessions or simply try out one of our delights from the healthy food and beverage menu at wellness village.

Discover un spoilt paradise, its unbeatable aquatic life, thick greenery and its people. To break bread and have tea with a local family, go on a romantic sunset cruise, or explore the coral gardens and its inhabitants, Furaveri Island Resort & Spa is the ideal place to be.

This is where you are to visit if looking for a Truly Maldivian experience.

Furaveri Island Resort & Spa, 20012, Raa Atoll, Republic of Maldives T:+960 658-2718 E:info@furaveri.com W:furaveri.com

M A L D I V E S

Outlook Recommends

“Unrivalled luxury, stunning white-sand beaches and an amazing underwater world make Maldives an obvious choice for a true holiday of a lifetime” – Lonely Planet

HOTELS AND HOSPITALITY The Residence Maldives One&Only Reethi Rah Based on one of the largest islands in North Male Atoll and surrounded by the Indian Ocean, One&Only Reethi Rah offers unrivalled privacy thanks to its all-villa setup. Guests enjoy luxury from the outset, including transfers which are arranged from Velana International Airport to the resort.

Featuring stunning over-water villas and private lagoons, The Residence Maldives is the ultimate place to base a relaxing holiday. Designed in harmony with the natural environment, the resort seamlessly blends traditional Maldivian architecture with contemporary elegance and modern comforts.

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Furaveri Island Resort & Spa

Situated in the Raa Atoll administrative division in the Maldives, Furaveri Island Resort & Spa occupies its own island and pairs luxury with a Maldivian twist.

The resort is the perfect basecamp for holiday makers looking to explore the country’s natural wonders.

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Plumeria Maldives

A new experience every day

Just focus on the vows, we’ll take care of the rest.

Bring your dream wedding to life at ROBINSON. ROBINSON is Germany‘s market leader for premium club resort-style holidays. Our ROBINSON CLUB resorts offer an extensive range of top-quality sports and relaxation concept, health and fitness activities, excellent entertainment as well as outstanding, wholesome, locally sourced fresh cuisine prepared by premier chefs, who indulge our guests around-the-clock. Our team make sure that our guests have everything they need for a carefree holiday in a relaxed and open atmosphere. All this, combined with the highest German standards of service, makes every stay at a ROBINSON CLUB resort a truly special experience.

CLUB MALDIVES – our second relaxing resort in the Maldives. Couples will appreciate the inviting atmosphere of our unique club resort on Funamadua Island in Gaafu-Alif Atoll. The perfect honeymoon with our unforgettable “Sweet Love Wedding” package, which includes a romantic wedding ceremony on the beach followed by 24 unforgettable hours of indulgence in our Presidential Suite.

CLUB NOONU – an entire island all to ourselves. We have created an exclusive paradise for couples and families on the island of Orivaru, Noonu Atoll. A scenic lagoon belongs to the club and the fine, sandy beach extends all around the island without a break.

For bookings and enquiries please contact your travel agent or maldives@robinson.com / Tel. +66 26 56 19 15 WWW.ASIAOUTLOOKMAG.COM

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Outlook Recommends HOTELS AND HOSPITALITY Baros Maldives

Taj Exotica Resort & Spa Away from the bustle of Male, this hotel is spread across the Emboodhu Finolhu island (also known ad the Three Coconut Isle) in the middle of one of the largest lagoons in Maldives.

Conveniently located just 15 minutes away from the airport by speedboat.

Sat just 25 minutes by speedboat from Velana International Airport, Baros has been welcoming guests to its island since 1973, making it one of the first resorts to open in Maldives.

Baros prides itself on its provision of the highest standard of Maldivian hospitality.

Taj Coral Reef Resort & Spa

ROBINSON CLUB Maldives

Fit with its own coral reef and shipwreck to explore, the Taj Coral Reef Resort & Spa is a diver’s paradise, complemented by exotic ocean views and sophisticated, streamlined accommodation. The resort has many accolades, including a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence.

Scoring an average of 93 out of 100 across nearly 2,000 reviews, ROBINSON CLUB Maldives lies on an island with pristine beaches and within striking distance of beautiful coral reefs. The resort is billed as a perfect romantic getaway and is a popular wedding venue.

WATER-BASED ACTIVITIES

FOOD & DRINK

Ocean Watersport

Ithaa Undersea Restaurant

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Muraka Symphony Lagoon

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Maldives - Located within the Airport Island and it is just 2 mins drive or 8 mins walk from Velana International Airport.

- Natural private beach and huge swimming pool.

Biggest landscape in the entire Male.

- Big spacious rooms size from 26sqm to 55sqm.

- Four (4) of Food & Beverage Outlets and Bars.

- Complimentary shuttle bus to and from Airport and Male Town.

- All room inclusive of High Speed Internet (Wifi) - Day use rates available - Hotel facilities include Gym, Tennis Court, putting green, basketball court and many more.

Luxurious Ocean-Facing

Guest Rooms & Suites

P.O. Box 2118, Male’, Republic of Maldives Tel: +960 333 0888 | Fax: +960 333 0777 | Email: sales@hih.com.mv | Web: www.hih.com.mv @hihmaldives

@maldiveshih

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Transport Links Hulhule

Panorama of capital Male as seen from Hulhule Ferry Terminal

THE ISLAND OF Hulhule, two kilometres from Male, is home to Velana International Airport, transit hub for almost all flights in and out of Maldives. Two other international airports, Hanimaadhoo and Gan, also serve respective foreign markets in India and Sri Lanka.

Domestic routes are served by national carrier Maldivian and FlyMe, while Mega Maldives Airlines flies into Beijing and Shanghai. Air is the most efficient way of getting between the islands, with 12 airports scattered around the archipelago.

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Remoter areas can be reached by seaplane, a great way to soak up views of the islands, reefs and lagoons, while boats are another common way of navigating Maldives.

On the islands themselves, bicycles are the best way to get from A to B. These are often supplied to guests free of charge, and mean that you can easily enjoy a holiday here without having to get into a car or hop on a bus.

Male and Addu City are the only places where a bus service is necessary, the main purpose being

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to connect passengers to airports and seaplane terminals. Speedboat transfers are another option for those looking to get to and from these air transit hubs.

IMAGE BY CARPORT - OWN WORK, CC BY-SA 3.0

IMAGE BY USHAU97 - OWN WORK, CC BY-SA 3.0

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THE WORLD OF WOW Cast away yet connected. Natural yet designed. Secluded yet welcoming. W Maldives is a luxury private island resort, where style flirts with soul in a wonderland of white-sand beaches, turquoise lagoons and breathtaking reefs. Pamper yourself with lavish Maldivian living. Discover true pampering at the overwater AWAY Spa. Go gourmet at our six eateries and bars. Bask in the sun on the escape’s beaches, partake in adrenaline-filled water sports, or explore the island’s private reef, declared one of the best house reef in the Maldives. While the W brand’s promised service to guests transforms the ordinary into an extraordinary.

Whatever you want. Wherever you want it.

+960 666-2222 reservations.wmaldives@whotels.com www.wmaldives.com

Outlook Creative Services

Outlook Publishing’s awardwinning in-house team is now utilising its extensive production skills to offer a full and bespoke range of editorial, design and marketing services via its new Outlook Creative Services division.

F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N V I S I T: www.outlookpublishing.com/creative-services

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Thulusdhoo

“Thulusdhoo has traditionally been an industrious island, known for manufacturing of bodu beru (big drums), for its salted-fish warehouse and for its Coca-Cola factory, the only one in the world where the drink is made from desalinated water” – Lonely Planet

Thulusdhoo

National Museum

“The National Museum of Maldives is located at Sultan Park in Male, which was the former palace of the Sultan of Maldives. It houses several well-kept artefacts of Maldivian culture, including coins, royal antiques, furniture, items of clothing, embellishments and armaments” – Make My Trip

China-Maldives Friendship Bridge

“This incredibly impressive piece of engineering connects Male to the airport island of Hulhule, but unlike most of the causeways connecting islands elsewhere in the country, this $250 million project goes over the open sea, meaning that vast concrete supports have been planted in the seabed” – Lonely Planet

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IMAGE BY CARPORT - OWN WORK, CC BY-SA 3.0

Landmark Attractions

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Old Friday Mosque

“The mosque building is the biggest and one of the finest coral stone buildings in the world. In 2008 UNESCO included Male Friday Mosque and its complex in its Tentative World Heritage List” – UNESCO

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P A C I F I C

South Pacific

Embodying unmatched natural beauty in every way, shape and form, it’s no wonder that this expansive region is readily referred to as paradisal

FACTS & FIGURES

Writer: Jonathan Dyble Project Manager: Joe Palliser

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ome to 30,000 islands that are scattered across the world’s largest ocean, the South Pacific remains incomprehensible, if not mystifying, even to the most budding explorer.

These dispersed pockets of land do have one characteristic in common, however. Each, in its own way, resembles a natural form of paradise.

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• There are around 30,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean, only 2,000 of which are inhabited.

• The 18 Pacific Island countries and territories account for 550,000 km² of land.

• They are spread over an area of 180 million km² of ocean, or about 36 percent of the earth’s surface • The region is home to around seven million people.

Renowned for stunning golden coastlines and crystal-clear blue waters that almost always go hand in hand, the South Pacific islands have acquired legendary status for their natural beauty. And rightly so.

Often the most substantial headache that the region provides is which of the many islands to choose from as there is quite literally thousands on offer.

Whether it’s Tahiti with its diving and surfing offerings, Fiji and its expansive cultural histories or Vanuatu and its fiery volcanoes, you’ll never be short of things to do wherever you go.

Whatever may take your fancy, however, it’s definitely worth getting away from the relaxation-inducing comas of resorts and beaches to explore any of these islands’ inland offerings. These fascinating worlds are home to tropical rainforests and towering waterfalls that will truly and undoubtedly take your breath away.

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RUN2018

What you see in Niue is what you get. And what you get is endless. One of the world’s largest uplifted coral atolls, some of the world’s clearest water, the Huvalu conservation area, and much more. About the only thing you don’t get is a crowd. Start discovering Niue today.

www.niueisland.com

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The Business End AWAY FROM THE flora and fauna of these islands, the South Pacific is primed for economic development, something that the World Bank has been looking to facilitate of late after opening its new South Pacific hub office in Suva, Fiji in March 2019.

Much like the World Bank, South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) is actively promoting economic development in the region, particularly pushing for expansion of its tourism sector in recent years – a strategy that continues to pay dividends, evident in recent results.

“The performance of the tourism industry in the Pacific region remained

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upbeat in 2018,” explains Christopher Cocker, CEO of SPTO. “The number of tourists travelling to the region by flights rose to 2.14 million, marking a two percent increase compared with 2017’s figures.

“What’s more, when you include the year’s cruise arrivals that totalled one million, total visitor arrivals to the South Pacific reached 3.2 million in 2018, 1.3 percent up from 3.1 million in 2017.

“Consistent with the increasing number of arrivals, tourism earnings also trended upward, recording an estimated $4 billion – up from an estimated $3.7 billion in 2017.”

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South Pacific Tourism Organisation CATCHING UP WITH SPTO following our previous conversation last year, the organisation has continued to take numerous strides in achieving its primary objective of bolstering the region’s tourism potential throughout the latter stages of 2018 and early 2019.

Having recently appointed a new Chair (David Vaeafe) and Deputy Chair (Felicity Bollen), alongside the launch of its new 2020-2024 Strategic Plan, the entity is now looking to enhance the region’s offerings to both leisure and business travellers.

Cocker, SPTO’s CEO, reveals all.

Asia Outlook (AsO): Since the last time we spoke, how has South Pacific Tourism Organisation developed and progressed in terms of its key objectives and the messages it tries to get across?

Christopher Cocker (CC): SPTO continues to provide services to member countries and private sector members as per our mandate. We’re focusing on building relationships and are extending our activities to nontraditional partners and donors as we seek to grow and market the tourism industry in the region.

With that in mind, the SPTO Board

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of Directors very recently endorsed a new Strategic Plan and Membership Prospectus, both of which have adopted the new organisation vision of ‘Our Pacific Islands’ that is empowered by and benefits from sustainable tourism. The 2020-2024 Strategic Plan has narrowed down the priorities of the organisation to three key areas – marketing the region, sustainable tourism planning, and research and statistics.

In addition, secondary priority areas like investment and product development, air access and route development, human resource development, and training and cruise

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“Arrivals from the key traditional markets of Australia and NZ continued to dominate the Pacific destinations with a 51 percent share in 2018”

ship development will be addressed via innovative partnerships led by the SPTO Executive Office.

Through this we hope to attract and build meaningful relationships with donors who share our vision of a prosperous, stable ‘Blue Pacific’.

AsO: How would you say the South Pacific in general has developed since then as a business travel hub and what are the key reasons behind its growing appeal?

CC: Although the Pacific mainly attracts leisure travellers, business travel is a growing market and one that we recognise as having potential.

Several Pacific Island countries, including Fiji and led by PNG, continue to develop infrastructure in line with this, growing the region as not just a tourism hub but a crossroad for development in business and trade.

The Pacific Islands are opening up as an emerging destination to the MICE market and we’ve seen this growth in the hosting of major events such as Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in PNG in 2018, 52nd Annual Meeting of the ADB Meeting in Fiji in 2019, and a visit by the UN Secretary General in Fiji.

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AsO: Taking a more general industry stance, how would you evaluate the tourism sector in the region now compared to its condition in 2017?

CC: The continued growth in 2018 was supported by positive tourism performances from more than 56 percent of the Pacific Island countries including Fiji, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Samoa, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, American Samoa, Marshall Islands, Kiribati and Tuvalu.

Arrivals from the key traditional markets of Australia and NZ continued to dominate the Pacific destinations with a 51 percent share in 2018, while the Asian Economies of China, Japan, India and other Asian countries accounted for 17.7 percent, USA 10.5 percent, Europe 9.7 percent and Pacific Islands 7.2 percent.

Aligned to this positive outlook, total visitor arrivals are now forecast to grow by 5.1 percent to 3.3 million in 2019, largely owed to the inclusion of additional tourists from SPTO’s two new member countries – Rapa Nui and Wallis and Futuna.

We recently released the Visitors’ Arrival Report for Q4 2018, and it showed some interesting trends to watch in 2019. I don’t want to pre-empt anything, but I can say we are doing very well. Total visitors to Pacific Island countries was recorded at 804,770 for the three-month period, while the

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cruise ship industry continues to grow.

We encourage this sector because it presents business and employment opportunities for a larger segment of our Pacific people.

AsO: What is in store for the South Pacific Tourism Organisation over the course of 2019 and beyond?

CC: Our year started with the successful launch of the 2019 China Pacific Tourism Year (CPTY) in Samoa in April. Prior to that some of our member countries had events and many more will follow until we close the CPTY in November. We look forward to collaborating with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in key activities from June until closing to build a understanding of the Pacific tourism industry on the Chinese market, increase awareness of the Pacific in China and attract niche travellers from China into the Pacific.

We also received funding from the Korean government through the Pacific Promotion Programme for Trade, Investment & Tourism (PPTT).

This will be used to promote trade, investment and tourism between Korea and Pacific Island countries in terms of job creation, economic development, trade fairs and market promotion.

During our board meeting in early May, we also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Pacific

ASIA Aviation Safety Office (PASO). The agreement covers information sharing, coordination and cooperation, and strengthens the links between tourism and aviation, two sectors vital for economic growth throughout the Pacific.

With the newly approved strategic plan and donor membership prospectus, we hope to increase the development programmes implemented by SPTO for its members, diversify SPTO’s funding sources and increase innovative partnerships with development and corporate partners in the future.

AsO: Finally, looking forward, if we were to speak again another year down the line, what progress and development would you hope and expect to be able to report back?

CC: Our new Strategic Plan 20202024 sets a new direction for how we operate, wherein we are prioritising our outcomes, ensuring that the work and money invested into our activities will have a more favourable return.

This is aligned to and supports our stakeholder interests and we look forward to working with them in achieving new outcomes. We hope that through the Strategic Plan we will attract and secure new donors and development and corporate partners to collaborate with SPTO, to develop and promote tourism in the Pacific.

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In Focus South Pacific Tourism Exchange (SPTE) A CORE PART of SPTO’s work is the annual South Pacific Tourism Exchange (SPTE), an event providing a kaleidoscope of pristine, exotic and cultural tourism experiences all in one place.

It was introduced six years ago with the view of providing the region’s international travel partners with a one-stop shop, showcasing the best in travel products and suppliers from SPTO’s 19 member countries.

This year’s conference will be held at the Grand Millennium Ballroom, an 830 square metre facility, in Auckland, New

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Zealand on May 9-10 in partnership with New Zealand Māori Tourism.

“The SPTE is our largest gathering for 62 buyers and 94 sellers, and this year’s edition was co-sponsored by New Zealand Māori Tourism,” Cocker affirms.

“The theme for the two-day event is sustainable tourism development through people-to-people connectivity, recognising the importance of developing the region’s tourism industry sustainably while maintaining our key relationships.”

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ASIA Solomon Islands

Tavanipupu Private Island Resort Tavanipupu Private Island Resort is located in Marau Sound, Solomon Islands. Only 25 minutes east by plane from the Solomon Islands capital of Honiara; this privately owned 5 star island is the South Pacific’s best kept secret.

Today the island is a tropical paradise surrounded by a vast turquoise lagoon. Manicured lawns studded with lines of coconut palms are the only remaining evidence of Tavanipupu’s colourful past.

www.visitsolomons.com.sb The island has an interesting history. It was once a coconut plantation in the 19th century, owned by Norwegian Traders who bought it off the locals for some ammunition. Some of the traders old gravestones still remain hidden amongst the long grass on the island.

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Outlook Recommends “Adrift in the daydreamy South Pacific – deliciously remote and surprisingly diverse – you can de-stress or ramp up the action” – Lonely Planet

ISLANDS

HOSPITALITY

FOOD & DRINK

Niue Niue is a Pacific Island paradise like no other. With a landmass of just 261.5 square kilometres, it is a small country, yet is renowned as being the home of one of the largest raised coral atolls on earth.

Located 2,400 kilometres northeast of New Zealand, the island can be found surrounded by Tonga, Samoa and the Cook Islands. It’s relative isolation, however, creates an idyllic coastline.

Moving inland, Niue is a perfect showcase of nature’s beauty, the Huvalu Rainforest being a particular highlight with its amazing indigenous trees and other sites of natural beauty.

Pacific Resort Aitutaki (Cook Islands)

The Brando (French Polynesia)

La Villa Mahana (French Polynesia)

Six Senses (Fiji)

Sails Restaurant and Bar (Samoa)

Kiribati Vanuatu 50

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Nadina Authentic Fijian Restaurant (Fiji)

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The Office for Commerce, Investment & Tourism (OCIT) is the Republic of the Marshall Island’s (RMI) investment, tourism and trade promotion agency with the mandate to promote and facilitate exports, investment and tourism to boost economic growth, to improve the welfare of the people. It is the first point of contact for investors and tourists who are exploring business opportunities in Marshall Islands, and the agency to go to for export assistance.

MUSEUMS

Robert Louis Stevenson Museum (Samoa)

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Transport Links

Fuifui Moimoi arrives on his home island in Tonga

Small airstrip in the jungle on Ovalau Island, Fiji

Tourists board a Fiji airtaxi while a Holland America Line cruise ship navigates the coast of Mystery Island, Vanuatu

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now being utilised by a rising number of regional and international airlines.

As such, light aircraft are often the primary source of travel around the Pacific. It must be noted that cabin crews, complimentary meals and in many cases tarmac runways are often bypassed, however, particularly when travelling to some of the region’s most remote areas.

Airlines that currently offer flights between and within South Pacific

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PHOTO: PASCAL KOBEH

IN YEARS GONE by, getting to, from and around the islands of the South Pacific has posed a challenging task. The region has historically been viewed as a perfect place to unwind and relax, but reaching that point has often been easier said than done.

In more recent times, however, this reputation has largely changed, with many of the regional islands having implemented vastly improved transportation infrastructure that is

Tourists boarding an aircraft from Papeete

countries include Air Niugini, Air Tahiti, Air Vanuatu, Fiji Airways, Inter Island Airways, Manu’a Airways, Northern Air, Polynesian Airlines, Real Tonga and Solomon Airlines, among others.

Some destinations are still only accessible by water, but to this end there is an abundant network of water taxis that readily provide transportation services, owed to a growth in tourism that has swept the region in recent decades.

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ASIA

Landmark Attractions Heart of Voh (New Caledonia)

“The Heart of Voh is a natural clearing formed by the mangroves.

It symbolises an ecosystem worth protecting” – France.fr

Kanak Monument (New Caledonia)

“Directly below Balade Church, this monument, a large Kanak flag, was unveiled on September 24, 2011, 158 years to the day after France took possession of the colony at that exact spot, and a year after the Congress of New Caledonia voted to fly the Kanak flag alongside the French tricolour in the territory” – Lonely Planet

Millennium Cave (Vanuatu)

“Climb down a bamboo ladder, and through a rocky pool dodging cascades and little bats, then out into the sunlight and into icy water to zap down the rapids past amazing towering rocks, gorgeous rainforest and waterfalls” – Lonely Planet

Piula Cave Pool (Samoa)

“Along the main east coast road, 45 minutes from Apia, you will find Piula Cave Pool located at the Piula Theological College in the village of Lufilufi. It’s a beautiful crystal-clear freshwater spring pool and cave that originated from an old lava tube” – Beautiful Samoa

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ISSUE 39

M A L D I V E S

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Maldives

MALDIVES, COMMONLY REFERRED to as Maldive Islands and formally know as Republic of Maldives, is a fascinating stretch of landmasses in the northern Indian Ocean.

The independent nation is made up of around 1,200 coral islands and sandbanks, of which 200 are inhabited, stretching more than 820 kilometres from north to south and 130 kilometres from east to west.

This unique geography has

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resulted in a reputation for tourist luxury, with resorts often being housed on their own island and offering the perfect, all-inclusive private getaway.

Permanent inhabitants are almost all Maldivian, an ethnic group formed as a result of various groups of settlers arriving throughout the country’s history, the first being Tamil and Sinhalese peoples from Sri Lanka and Southern India.

An important source of employment

ASIA for locals derives from tourism, with visitors to the islands spoiled by the pristine beaches and opportunities to explore sea life and partake in water sports.

The past decade has seen the industry open up, not least because inhabitants have been granted the power to build guesthouses on their islands, providing competition to resorts which have traditionally dominated the accommodation scene here.

BusinessTravel Guide

MALDIVES

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The hallmark of luxury tourism, Maldives and its array of private resort islands continues to attract growing numbers of visitors looking for the perfect retreat Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Joe Palliser

A luxury outpost in the Indian Ocean

UNDER THE DIGITAL 10 SPOTLIGHT Asia’s digital Telstra on North transformation prospects

TECHNOLOGIES VEOLIA WATER the world’s most Safeguarding precious resource

RCA ING: M A S T E ALSO FEATUR

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SERVICES AXIATA DIGITAL the transition to a

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Spearheading society technology-driven

R AT BUS CORPO R D | V O LV O

RESTAURANTS COMPANY DEVELOPMENT Keeping KFC at the QSR industry

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top of Thailand’s

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REMACO ION | TNB

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Untapping Potential The need to safeguard and manage water sustainably is more important than ever, and Veolia Water Technologies is leading the charge with clients across the food and beverage sector Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Matthew Cole-Wilkin

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ater, despite covering 71 percent of the earth’s surface, is facing unprecedented pressure to supply our needs.

Although the planet is blanketed by oceans, it is freshwater that holds the key to sustaining so much natural and manmade life. Whether it be plant photosynthesis, rearing animals or human hygiene, it is unquestionably our most precious resource.

The problem? Just 2.5 percent of water is fresh, and 99 percent of this is not easily accessible, the vast majority trapped in glaciers and snow.

Industries therefore face a battle to locate and preserve enough water to meet their requirements, the food and beverage (F&B) sector being the most prominent example.

“Water is the lifeblood of the F&B industry,” asserts Thomas Debruyne, Market Manager (F&B) & Digital Transformation Manager, Veolia Water Technologies, Asia Pacific. “The water footprint for the production of common F&B products reflects the pressure that the industry has placed on freshwater resources.

“Who would have imagined that 150 litres of freshwater is required to produce a small cup of coffee? Or that breweries produce, on average,

ASIA beginning to act, knowing that highquality water used for manufacturing, and wastewater for discharge that comply with evolving local authorities’ regulations, are vital to meeting heightening regulatory benchmarks.

“A growing group of leading F&B manufacturers are now becoming more concerned with water risks,” says Debruyne.

“They realise the implications that this has on their companies’ bottom line, and also their ability to be more ‘waterproof’, which includes using consistent high-quality ingredient water, minimising water discharge, and maximising water, gas and waste re-use. Additionally, investors are understandably becoming more and more inquisitive about how MNC’s are mitigating their risks associated with water management.”

“On top of that, with growing consumer interest in environmentallyconscious and sustainable products, these companies are more careful in managing these risks that have significant impact on their reputations.”

APAC – untapped potential

Thomas Debruyne, Market Manager (F&B) & Digital Transformation Manager

four times more wastewater than beer, with the potential to harm the environment?”

The statistics are unrelenting.

For instance, 70 percent of global freshwater withdrawals are made by the F&B industry, which includes the agriculture sector, making it the world’s largest user. By 2050, these volumes are forecast to increase by 70 percent.

Having previously played down risks associated with water availability, food and drink manufacturers are

In Asia Pacific, the opportunity to improve the management of water is almost boundless.

Governments are passing legislation to tighten up on standards, which is leading to a greater demand for more advanced solutions, while consumers are increasingly scrutinising the quality and provenance of products.

Couple this with the fact that the F&B industry is the fastest growing in the region, and an enticing prospect is emerging.

“This presents an exciting space for us to be working in, due to the various risks that come with the industry’s growth,” comments Debruyne. “This is especially the case since Veolia is well-equipped to address many risks such as water scarcity, reputation management, and regulatory compliance.”

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Indeed, Veolia Water Technologies is uniquely placed to lead the charge towards sustainable water management across APAC. With its Asia Pacific headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, the company has been present in the region for more than 35 years, providing unique water, wastewater, and reclaim solutions for municipal and industrial customers, from process design to complete turnkey installation and maintenance services.

This is backed up by a portfolio of 350-plus technologies. These solutions include but are not limited to full water re-use solutions, energy-producing sludge treatment, equipment complying with the latest hygienic design requirements and regulations, and mobile water services.

These services are deployed across 14 Asia Pacific countries by a team of over 1,100 employees, and for Debruyne, the decision to join Veolia (first in 2011) was a straightforward one.

“Realistically, companies only choose to invest in projects and associated technologies that have a quick return on investment,” he says.

“Though I am convinced that we are at a cornerstone today, as water management risks have never been greater, water is still a subsidised commodity, so many companies find it difficult to justify any investment in more sustainable solutions.

“But this is beginning to change as people are seeing greater value in long-term returns, and I’m happy to be a part of this change. Joining Veolia was an easy choice for me as the group has the capabilities to support clients from all industries in their pursuit for sustainability, managing resources like water, energy, and waste.”

Transformed by technology

The aforementioned arsenal of technology is key to Veolia’s efforts in supporting such sustainable transformation endeavours.

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ürkert Fluid Control Systems is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of measuring, control and regulating systems for fluids and gases.

Bürkert products are used in a wide range of industries and applications – ranging from breweries and labs to medical, bio-engineering and water treatment technology. With a portfolio of more than 30,000 products, Bürkert is the only supplier to offer all fluid control system components: from solenoid valves to process and analytical valves, as well as pneumatic actuators and sensors.

The company, with headquarters in Ingelfingen in southern Germany, has a sales network in 36 countries and more than 2,800 employees worldwide. In five system houses in Germany, China and the USA, as well as four research centers, Bürkert continuously develops customised solutions and innovative products.

Bürkert supports the hygienic processing segment with the capability to measure and control liquid and gases that demands superior instrument performance and networkability towards Industry 4.0. Our hygienic experience lies in common applications such as fermentation control, mixing and batching, water production and distribution, clean steam generation and transmission, separation, filtration and chromatography, lyophilisation equipment, vacuum systems, high speed liquid packaging machinery, coating equipment, solvent handling to name some of the many we work with on a regular basis.

We based our partnership approach on continuous consultation and understanding of our customers’ challenges in hygienic process control. This ensure that we deliver unsurpassed performance in the form of complete flow control loop system.

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“Features like predictive maintenance and real-time optimisation tap on the latest innovation in IoT and artificial intelligence-based analysis, bringing about a plethora of benefits,” adds Debruyne. “These include allowing treatment plants to automatically adapt to various events and reduce operational expenditure.”

Veolia’s AQUAVISTA™ platform is a

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case in point.

Created in response to customer calls for data-driven optimisation in water and wastewater treatment, this cloud-enabled digital service platform comprises four modular bricks – Portal, Plant, Insight, and Assist.

These programmes enrich users’ aggregated data through a combination of algorithmic applications and human process expertise, helping customers

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achieve operational efficiency and quality compliance.

“Through long-term product development and focused client consultation, Veolia recognised some common needs across customer accounts,” says Debruyne.

“These include the desire to reduce non-compliance events and unscheduled maintenance, minimise energy and chemical consumption, and

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The company operates across 14 Asia Pacific countries and has a team of over 1,100 employees

access up-to-date information about installations’ operational conditions.

“With AQUAVISTA™, plant personnel now have a monitoring tool to efficiently control connected plants and water treatment equipment. This provides operators with real-time remote monitoring of equipment data, dynamic alarm management, and information, leading to longterm improvements in efficiency and

productivity.”

An example of this in action comes from Danish utility company BlueKolding, which installed AQUAVISTA™ Plant at all four of its wastewater treatment facilities and sewer network. The move has enabled it to better manage upgrade costs, and to optimise energy use, sludge production and recirculation, and chemical usage.

Futureproofing food and drink

Within the F&B segment, Veolia Water Technologies works with clients all over the world, including several multinational giants.

In Thailand, it has partnered with Associated British Foods (ABF) on a wastewater treatment project which demonstrates what can be achieved on a confined plot of land.

Debruyne explains: “ABF had

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“With the right technologies in place, F&B plants can boast positive energy balance by reusing treated waste and wastewater”

INGERSOLL RAND

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ilton Roy, part of the Ingersoll Rand family of brands, manufactures controlled volume (metering) pumps and equipment to set the industry standard for performance, accuracy and reliability.

Since 1936, Milton Roy equipment has concentrated its scientific, engineering and production resources on the development and manufacture of equipment that accurately controls fluids ranging from water to high viscosity polymers, corrosive or abrasive chemicals, toxic substances, and other difficult pumping media. In addition to a wide range of pumps, Milton Roy provides an extensive equipment portfolio for any watertreatment application.

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required the wastewater treatment plant to be built within its existing manufacturing grounds. Due to the compact design of its water and wastewater solutions, Veolia was able to work within ABF’s parameters without compromising on the plant’s performance.

“Now, ABF’s wastewater treatment can be performed on premise, with capacity for higher flow requirements projected into the next decade. This project also won us a distinction in the Global Water Awards for Industrial Water Project of the Year in 2018.”

Another example cited by Debruyne is with Swiss manufacturer Nestlé in Qingdao, China.

“The project demonstrated Veolia’s

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ability to help customers manage water challenges in compliance with local discharge standards,” Debruyne continues.

“In our experience, multinational corporations and their subsidiaries tend to have high internal standards that are often more stringent than what’s required by local regulations.

“In line with Nestlé’s global initiative to reduce the company’s environmental footprint through better water and wastewater management, the Nestlé team at the Qingdao plant decided to recover COW Water (generated by milk production) and reclaim secondary effluent.”

The results to date have been emphatic.

Thanks to Veolia’s expertise and solutions, the Qingdao operation is progressing towards its target to reuse 925 cubic metres of treated water a day from 2021 – it is currently reusing 750 cubic metres of treated wastewater on a daily basis, the

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equivalent of six Olympic-size swimming pools.

Projects such as these leave Debruyne confident that more companies will come on board and choose to upgrade their water and wastewater treatment processes.

“Innovative technologies allow F&B manufacturers to adopt zero liquid discharge policies with great returns and lowered exposure to risks, especially in areas where water scarcity is high,” he adds.

“With the right technologies in place, F&B plants can boast positive energy balance by reusing treated waste and wastewater. These manufacturers will also find it easier to justify new investments which would not have been considered in the past.”

Having proven there is a return on investment to be made, Veolia’s 350-strong portfolio of proprietary technologies will continue to lead the way in APAC’s F&B water management revolution, a trend which is gathering

momentum.

“We are observing a growing trend where more and more companies are prepared to invest in improving the way water is managed at their sites,” Debruyne states.

“F&B manufacturers are now looking at the ‘true cost of water’, which estimates the overall cost by taking into account the costs of managing water and the oftenunforeseen expenses related to risks involved in operations, changes in regulations, and reputation.”

For Veolia, the market is opening up in front of it, presenting a tremendous opportunity to grow and make a genuine difference.

Debruyne concludes: “Our expertise and product portfolio are applicable to the complete site water management – from ingredient water and process water to re-use and discharge solutions that leverage maximum resource recovery. Coupled with our F&B industry experience, Veolia will

continue to contribute to sustainable development in the region through our unique solutions and services.

“We’re also looking ahead to keep up with the myriad of challenges faced by water and wastewater professionals, especially in the area of smart water management through our AQUAVISTA™ digital platform.”

“Our competitive advantage is in our advanced technologies and industry expertise. Hence, we are focusing on how we can turn even the most innovative technologies into modular and robust solutions. We want to mobilise these swiftly and at a competitive rate.”

Veolia Water Technologies Tel: +60-3-22641818 www.veoliawatertechnologies.com

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T N B R E PA I R A N D M A I N T E N A N C E S D N . B H D. ( T N B R E M A C O )

Upholding

the Energy Industry Having embodied excellence throughout its history, TNB REMACO is striding towards its vision of becoming the preferred service provider for the regional energy market Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Matt Cole-Wilkin

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uelled by a surge in socioeconomic development, urbanisation and industrialisation, the need for energy in Asia is becoming ever more pressing by the day.

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, energy consumption in Southeast Asia nearly doubled between 1995 and 2015, growing at 3.4 percent annually during this period. What’s more, this growth in demand is expected to ramp up to 4.7 percent per year until 2035, driven by the expanding requirements of the power, industrial, transportation and

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construction sectors.

Faced with this inevitable rise, TNB Repair And Maintenance Sdn. Bhd. (TNB REMACO) is one company that will be crucial to upholding the region’s power ambitions.

“TNB REMACO was first incorporated as a subsidiary of Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), Malaysia’s largest electricity utility, in 1995,” states Zainudin Sabai, recalling the company’s history. “Over the years, it has accumulated a proven track record of providing services to the industry, particularly in power plant repair and maintenance and the

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provision of holistic solutions in every aspect of power plant operation and management.”

Having spoken with TNB REMACO 16 months ago, it’s clear to see that the company’s long-standing reputation has not changed, still renowned for its extensive accomplishments and an esteemed track record, not only within Malaysia but equally across Southeast Asia, Kuwait, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

“We call ourselves a one-stop service provider,” Zainudin, the firm’s new Managing Director adds. “Any client in any energy-related industry can utilise our expertise and services.”

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SERVICE EXCELLENCE TNB REMACO’s strength lies in its comprehensive services that encompass all industry aspects, divided into four main units: Operation & Maintenance Management

Operation and Maintenance (O&M) of Power Plants.

Maintenance & Repair Services

Mechanical, Electrical and Control and Instrumentation (C&I) Field Services, Repairing, Refurbishment and Reconditioning of Power Plant Components, Machinery and related equipment.

Test and Diagnostic Services

Mechanical and Electrical Testing, Diagnostics, Calibration and Analysis Services.

Project and Technical Services

Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC), Project Management and Consultancy (PMC) Services and Commissioning Services.

The ideal recipe

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TOS ENERGY SDN BHD TOSHIBA energises Malaysia’s electricity grid TOS Energy Malaysia Sdn Bhd (TOSEM), a company of TOSHIBA Group, is pleased to be your preferred partner as we are strategically positioned in TOSHIBA’s global network of manufacturing facilities, sales and marketing offices to deliver fully integrated turbine and generator services for new power plants, as well as service and maintenance works for existing ones.

In Malaysia, TOSEM’s latest project is the Jimah East Ultra Super Critical (USC) coal-fired power plant. TOSHIBA Group is supplying and installing two units of 1,000 MW USC steam turbines, generators and related equipment, and is expected to be fully operational this year. The use of USC technology enables Jimah East Power to convert energy more efficiently by burning less fuel for more power.

Apart from traditional offerings, TOSHIBA is accelerating its technological advancements through digitalisation. TOSHIBA’s digitalisation involves the use of digital technologies to change the business proposition and provide new revenues and values, generating opportunities in the energy industries. Our digitalisation priorities include digital plants with production optimisation, smart maintenance, improved emissions and safety with our digital workers and digital project execution.

Maintaining power plants is a key strength of TNB REMACO

This catch-all status is no better reflected than by the pure breadth of TNB REMACO’s portfolio.

Its services encompass everything from assisting clients in designing and building a power plant, performing power plant operations and conducting scheduled maintenance for key equipment to running test and diagnostic activities, and overseeing the refurbishment of turbines.

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“At the end of the power plant life or its power purchase agreement (PPA), TNB REMACO can also perform the decommissioning of the power plant and sell the parts,” adds Zainudin. “In a nutshell, we’re capable of performing various activities during the whole life cycle of power plants.”

Additionally, in more recent times the company has began to expand its offerings, exploring the potential of providing services to engineering,

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procurement and construction (EPC) related works.

To this end, combined with the firm’s existing services, TNB REMACO is actively participating in tenders across the aforementioned regions, leveraging TNB’s global acquisitions in both Turkey and India in doing so.

“TNB REMACO continues to grow from its solid yet dynamic foundations,”

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Zainudin continues. “Coupling this with vast experience and knowledge garnered throughout the years, we’ve developed the ideal recipe that is allowing us to soar to greater heights.”

Consolidation and progression

This recipe equally constitutes TNB REMACO’s staff, a team that is considered crucial to this evolution –

TNB REMACO frequently reviews its renumeration and benefits packages for employees to encourage long, prosperous careers at the company

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something that is both recognised and rewarded by the company.

“The organisation periodically reviews its remuneration package to ensure competitive and interesting benefits are given to our employees in the aim of ensuring that our best workers have long and illustrious careers,” Zainudin states.

“We also encourage and provide

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effective, tailored training to all our people, helping to improve their skills, performance and confidence through individual personal growth programmes.”

In addition, the firm is seen as an employer of choice by ensuring that a work life balance remains a priority in the face of its own ambitions, and through the endorsement of sporting activities such as badminton, bowling, football, futsal and more, stressing the importance of a happy and healthy lifestyle.

These internal employee-centric efforts comprise just a small part of TNB REMACO’s responsible efforts, the company similarly partaking in a number of CSR activities that are helping to uphold many of the communities in which it operates.

“We involve ourselves in a broad multitude of initiatives,” Zainudin reveals. “This includes offering donations to poor families, welfare

homes, victims of natural disasters, schools and more, and spending time with disadvantaged children such as orphans, helping them shop for clothes and more.”

While these responsible efforts will unquestionably remain a constant for TNB REMACO, a number of progressive changes are also set to sweep through the organisation during the coming months.

The company will continue to collaborate with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and independent service providers (ISPs), invest in the latest state-of-the-art equipment and provide its traditional services as an integrated service provider. However, equally, it will begin to explore expansion within the oil and gas vertical.

“My main priority as the MD is to consolidate, especially when considering the recent changes in leadership and the increasingly

challenging environments that face our company nowadays,” Zainudin states.

“This being said however, we are also determined to establish ourselves as the new powerhouse in terms of service offerings for the oil and gas market.

“This is an exciting new frontier for TNB REMACO, and our plan is to build capability in order to enable us to undertake any long-term service agreement. I am truly steadfast in our aspirations, and I am confident we can achieve our vision of becoming the preferred service provider for the regional energy market.”

TNB Repair And Maintenance Sdn. Bhd. Tel: +603-79642600 remaco@tnb.com.my www.tnbremaco.com.my

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Malaysia’s

Digital Dynamo As the country continues to embrace a tech-driven society and economy, Axiata Digital Services is developing its portfolio of services to help businesses and consumers make the transition Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Vivek Valmiki

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alaysia is on its way to becoming a digital society, in part due to the evolving digital landscape in the country.

It is a huge focus for the country’s governmental authorities, and the recent work of bodies such as the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia has been influential in this ongoing journey.

“Over the last 10 years, we have witnessed a convergence of new digital technology and innovation which is rapidly transforming the world,” comments Khairil Abdullah, CEO of Axiata Digital Services (ADS), another organisation pioneering digital change across Malaysia.

“To stay ahead of the curve, more companies will undergo digital transformations as they adopt and incorporate new technologies and solutions to remain competitive and relevant.

“However, the adoption of digital

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technologies by some businesses and SMEs in Malaysia still lags far behind, which is a cause for concern because it will be important to be equipped with the necessary knowledge, innovations and skills to thrive in a digital future.”

It is for this reason that Axiata Digital was established in 2013.

The digital services arm of the telco Axiata Group, ADS was set up to support the increasingly digital lifestyle and nature of consumers and businesses. It was formed with a team of experts across eight verticals, from ecommerce to entertainment, the division once comprising of some 30 businesses via organic and acquisitional growth.

“Through financial inclusion, leading the use of data and connecting businesses, we have been addressing digital connectivity gaps in the country, with the aim to narrow the digital divide across Malaysia,” Khairil adds.

“The premise was we could win in areas where we would be able

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to capture new sources of value through synergies with our core telco assets like customer access and insights, distribution network, and our brand power.

“Since then, we have transitioned from a venture builder of tech startups to become an operator of digital companies with the aim to champion the next generation of digital natives.”

ADS is currently focussed on

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ASIA THREE CORE DIGITAL VERTICALS Malaysia’s largest e-wallet with over four million users and 80,000 merchants signed up. The app recently entered Indonesia, where it is working with more than 550,000 merchants, who can also benefit from a new, speedy microfinancing function.

The largest company in Asia that integrates data, insight, media and content to deliver business outcomes, ada is part data science, part agency, part consultancy. The company is present in Singapore, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Philippines, Indonesia, Bangladesh and South Korea, as well as its home country.

Ada has a team of 300 people comprising data scientists, digital media gurus, agency experts and management consultants who have worked with 500 top brands around the region to deliver business insights, digital marketing, content and customer acquisitions.

driving the growth of Axiata’s three core digital business verticals – digital financial services (through its Boost brand), digital advertising (through ada) and digital platforms (through Apigate).

Global experience

Axiata Digital is indeed well-positioned to build up the next generation of digital natives, not least because it houses an extremely diverse and

experienced pool of knowledge.

Khairil himself is a prime example.

Having studied in the UK, he spent much of the ensuing two decades working abroad with global consulting firm Bain & Company, spending time in the US, Singapore, Australia and Germany.

“In 2008, I moved back to Southeast Asia to help Bain grow its telco practice and start the Kuala Lumpur office,” Khairil recalls.

This is Axiata’s in-house developed API platform, designed to help local developers access a global market audience across six markets. Originally set up to handle Axiata’s own needs, it now carries a much wider remit. To date, it has a customer reach of 3.5 billion, 110 MNOs and over 300 connected merchants.

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SKYZTREE

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kyztree is a customer-obsessed, digital transformation consultancy company based in Malaysia. Our unique integrated solution helps our clients to achieve greater results, from branding, creatives, UIUX design, technology, operations and cloud services to business intelligence.

We are proud to be a part of the growing digital ecosystem led by Axiata Digital. Digitalisation is ongoing and inevitable, thus we truly believe, with the leading position of Axiata Digital at the forefront of the digital services, they will continue to drive the innovations to create new sources of value in the digital ecosystem and further strengthen its position in the market.

Khairil Abdullah, CEO of Axiata Digital Services (ADS)

“I began to interact with many chief executives of large Malaysian corporations and senior government officials. It was through these interactions that I realised the experiences I had accumulated working all over the world could really help local companies play a role in the global arena.”

Axiata was one such company he came into contact with, eventually joining the group in 2012 as Chief Marketing and Operations Officer before heading up ADS in 2014.

For the CEO, this was, and very much still is, the ideal opportunity to reimburse the nation.

“Joining Axiata in many ways was my idea of national service, giving back to the country that had helped develop me in my early days,” he says. “I was born and raised in in Malaysia but left to pursue a degree from the University of Cambridge.”

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Now imparting his wealth of knowledge gained from abroad, Khairil is not the only example of international expertise helping to build up the company. Hiring from overseas to cover areas such as software development, UI and UX, Axiata Digital has been able to stay ahead of the technological curve.

In terms of training, staff are regular recipients and encouraged to attend forums, with industry leaders also invited to speak at the company’s premises.

“We also spend time nurturing a culture that fits in with our values and ensure this underpins decision making and for experimentation and risks,” adds Khairil. “Apart from sourcing the right fit and experience, we also look at the personality of the candidate – the ‘je ne sais quoi’ and how they can contribute holistically to elevate the ADS group.”

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At Skyztree, our mission is to create a more humane world through digital empowerment. We believe in the upcoming digital revolution; the machine or technology is meant to do what they do best while freeing up people and allowing them to be more human from the aspects of compassion, empathy, strategy, creative and curiosity.

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A major contribution they will be making this year revolves around a key priority for Khairil – to grow the microinsurance and microlending capabilities of the organisation.

“At ADS, serving the underserved has always been at the core of what we do, and to be able to provide an easy, quick and reliable service of microinsurance and microlending to Malaysians has been a significant milestone for us,” the CEO proudly states.

“Microlending has helped to address financial issues faced by micro retailers, merchants and SMEs in the market that either do not have access to the usual banking services or lack the documents and collateral required.

“For example, a nasi lemak vendor might need a loan to move into a proper store front, but without collateral

or steady income, coupled with the numerous forms to fill out, it can be challenging. Our digital account lending solution offers financing that can be completed in less than three minutes online, with cash credited into the micro retailer’s account within 48 hours.”

While this is still a concept in its early days, Khairil is convinced by its potential to meet the needs of younger generations and boost financial inclusion for small enterprises.

ADS’s solutions can further provide protection against personal accidents, dengue insurance and key man insurance, among other forms of cover. So far, it has issued more than 69,000 policies for the underserved.

Consumer custodian

At the other end of the spectrum, consumers are also benefitting from the uptake of digital.

COMARCH

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omarch is proud to be working with leading e-Wallet player in Malaysia namely Boost. Due to the constant expanding user as well as legal regulatory requirements, Boost needed to work with an experienced Data Center operator in ensuring secure and stable data storage along with a maintenance team and appropriate hardware and software.

After a thorough comparison of offers, Comarch was selected for their expertise in management of 15 data centre operations around the world and competitive proposal that significantly reduced the costs and flexibility to scale.

Apart from the high security requirements which are regularly audited by Malaysian financial authority, Boost had to implement the solution quickly to ensure the market share of the dynamically growing e-wallet competition and adopting of existing infrastructure with required architecture.

With a very tight deadline, project implementation was challenging and required synchronization of tasks, migration processes, VPN network configuration and adaptation of existing infrastructure to required architecture. Good cooperation between Boost and Comarch has led to a successful project implementation within the set schedule and budget.

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www.comarch.com ADS’s staff receive regular training and are encouraged to attend forums

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Khairil cites numerous statistics pointing to Southeast Asia’s embracement of web and smartphone services, including a recent study

by Hootsuite and WeAreSocial which found that the region’s digital economy hit $30 billion in 2015, a figure forecast to rise to $200 billion by 2025.

The Global Digital Report 2019 also revealed that the likes of Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines sit above the worldwide average of 115 percent in mobile penetration.

For Khairil, this, combined with enabling factors such as infrastructure, regulations and affordability, translates into an enormous opportunity for digital wallets such as Boost.

“In Malaysia, Boost saw a six-fold increase in its user base and a 14-times increase in average amount spent per user over the course of 2018,” he reveals. “This is a strong and positive indication that Malaysians are accepting e-wallets as a credible, safe and convenient form of payment.

“In terms of staying ahead of the

curve, what we’ve done is build services and features that solve consumer pain points beyond the usual scan and pay.

“Today with Boost, you can pay for on-street parking, reserve movie tickets, order food delivery, pay utility bills and purchase public transportation tickets, just to name

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a few key features. We will continue introducing new features and upgrading or adding to existing ones.”

Some examples of this include an agreement to join Singtel’s VIA alliance and integrate into its crossborder payments setup, enabling users to make payments in partner

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countries, while a similar agreement with UnionPay International will allow tourists to transact in Malaysia.

“We hope to see Boost become a single platform that users will rely on not just for payments and transactions, but as a go-to tool for their daily lifestyle needs,” he continues. “We are

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transaction involved several leading businesses from India to Singapore.

Further attention is being turned towards the development of an ADS blockchain platform, the project currently in planning stages. For Khairil, this technology has the potential to transform the way in which financial transactions are carried out thanks to its traceability.

But while blockchain may be one for the future, the CEO is quick to state his optimism regarding current progress towards a digital society, not least because the Malaysian government is firmly on board.

He concludes: “The Ministry of Communication and Multimedia National Fiberisation and Connectivity Plan (NFCP) was launched last year, and together with its upcoming plans for 5G implementation, Malaysians will become more connected than ever before.

“This showcases the government’s commitment to promote the digital economy and ICT in Malaysia as the new driver of growth and development.

“The government would also need support from the private sector to step up and play a crucial role as the main driver of innovation, facilitating digital entrepreneurship and acting as a catalyst to boost our ecosystem.

“By working with global market players for the exchange of knowledge and technological knowhow, this will help us better manage the realities and inevitable outcomes of the digital revolution and boost our future positioning as a regional technology hub.”

“Today with Boost, you can pay for on-street parking, reserve movie tickets, order food delivery, pay utility bills and purchase public transportation tickets, just to name a few key features”

“We hope to see Boost become a single platform that users will rely on not just for payments and transactions, but as a go-to tool for their daily lifestyle needs”

excited to play a leading role in turning Malaysia into a cashless society, in-line with the government’s ambitions.”

Fast-track future

Regarding Axiata Digital’s own ambitions, a recent strategic minority investment from Japan’s Mitsui & Co

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placed a pre money enterprise value of $500 million on its three core verticals (Boost, ada and Apigate).

Khairil also reveals an agreement to sell the company’s Digital Ventures portfolio to an international investment fund, Pegasus 7 Ventures Pte Ltd, at a valuation of $140 million. The

Axiata Digital Services Tel: +603 2260 9400 info@axiatadigital.com www.axiatadigital.com

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DIFFERENCE Restaurants Development Co. Thailand is making huge strides with the KFC brand, and is on course to reach 200 stores by the end of 2019 Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Lewis Bush

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hailand is enjoying something of a love affair with chicken.

By 2025 average per capita consumption is set to reach 16.2 kilograms, double the amount Thais were eating in 2011.

And it is easy to see why. A healthy, affordable and extremely versatile protein source, chicken is rivalling pork in terms of the nation’s most popular meat.

It is therefore little surprise that KFC commands the number one spot in Thailand’s quick service restaurant (QSR) charts. Occupying more than

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700 stores up and down the Southeast Asian country, this footprint is more than two and half times that of nearest competitor McDonald’s and shows no sign of slowing up.

For Andrew Norton, CEO of Restaurants Development Co..

Thailand (RD), franchise operator of 178 KFC restaurants, this rollercoaster speed of the industry makes it an enticing, addictive arena to work in.

“I love businesses that everyone can relate to, fast-moving, consumerfacing and highly engaging,” he says.

“My background was in professional

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services working as an accountant for PricewaterhouseCoopers. It was a good training ground, but in 2001 I took my first move out of that profession in a finance role for Disney Corporation – it was a game changer.

“I instantly loved that the product was relatable, so on a personal level, as a consumer, I could engage in what I was doing and what the company was selling.

“I decided that I wanted to continue working in a retail and FMCG style environment, and QSR is the perfect blend of retail, FMCG

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product innovation and multi-site manufacturing in a very fast-moving business. The pace of work is relentless and exciting, and the rate at which we can innovate and respond to consumers is far faster than in FMCG.”

People business

Another draw for Norton is that the nature of the QSR industry means it is unequivocally a people-centred enterprise.

Indeed, for RD’s CEO, meeting the company’s growth ambitions will come from its commitment to having

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the right mix of capital, capability and culture.

The second of these is of particular importance as the business expands rapidly.

“On capability, we have made significant investments in our restaurant support team to make sure we have the best teams to open successful new restaurants fast,” Norton says. “Functions like market research, site acquisition, design and construction are critical, of course, but growing this fast requires support from every function in the business.

We have made sure we have got great people as stewards of our growth.

“Capability is also required in our restaurants. A restaurant is only successful with a well-trained team and a fantastic restaurant general manager.

“We have invested very heavily in developing and promoting our in-restaurant teams into leadership positions – shift supervisors are becoming assistant managers, assistant managers are becoming managers, and managers are becoming area coaches. The rate of promotions and development for our

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people is rapid and lines up with our unprecedented growth.”

This is encapsulated in RD’s ethos of “Everyone makes a Real Difference”.

From free food and small gifts to corporate thank you cards and even a few kind words, Norton and the company’s leadership take time out to celebrate the contributions of all their employees.

“This is something I am hugely passionate about,” Norton says. “We say that RD stands for Real Difference, and myself and my leadership team absolutely believe that everyone in RD contributes to our success, to a great customer experience and to a great place to work for our team members.

“Everyone has a critical role to play in making sure we can serve our customers and grow our business.

Every role and every team member make our success and should share in our success.”

That KFC is enjoying reduced turnover in its restaurants and almost no turnover in support functions is testament to this mantra, no mean feat given the competitive employment market for retail and restaurant professionals.

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infox International Group is the largest privately-owned logistics company in Asia Pacific with over 60 years of history. Linfox operates 600,000 square metres of warehousing space and 6,830 vehicles in eight countries. Further, it employs 13,000 people to deliver supply chain services to a wide range of companies.

Its expertise includes customised transport solutions, distribution management, warehouse design and build, cross-border, multi-temperature, food and dangerous goods standard compliance.

Linfox’s reputation has been built on excellence in safety, service, efficiency, security and compliance. Its state-ofthe-art Operations Centre in Bangkok features custom-built real-time monitoring infrastructure and systems with 24-seven enhanced visibility of fleet movements.

We keep our team and customer’s products safe while streamlining supply chain and optimising costs.

PATUM VEGETABLE OIL COMPANY

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stablished in 1975, Patum Vegetable Oil Company has become a leader in cooking palm oil, biodiesel and refined glycerine.

The company continually focuses on improving standards through its integrated management system, and is a long-term holder of international certification for its modern process facilities at its factory in Pathum Thani, central Thailand.

“We continuously strive for excellent services through professional human resources to serve our valuable customers. Having customers’ satisfaction in mind, we offer varieties of products, specifications and pack sizes to meet your requirements.”

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BRAND POWER KFC carries tremendous brand appeal across Thailand. For Norton, this is down to three major reasons: 1. The brand is relevant to Thai consumers – chicken is the most relevant and fastest growing protein source in the country. KFC’s product range has also been tailored to suit Thai tastes and preferences.

2. Ease of access – with more than 700 outlets and a huge delivery network, KFC’s footprint means it is within a very short distance for millions of customers.

3. Distinctive offering – KFC’s products are unique to the market and of a high standard, comments which are often fed back to the company by its consumers.

RD has played its part in uplifting the KFC brand across Thailand, its work recognised in the form of numerous awards, as described by Norton.

“Not only have the team accomplished a lot, but they have become thought leaders for KFC in Thailand by always pushing new thinking and new opportunities for the brand,” he says.

“To this end, the team has been presented with a number of regional and global awards including the global Best New KFC Franchisee award, and KFC Franchisee of the Year for Thailand.

Other awards are for contributions and thought leadership in brand development, such as Best Squad of the Year from an Asia-wide industry event and Best New KFC Restaurant Design across Asia.

“It is heartening to see that the team’s extraordinary work in setting up this strong and impactful business so quickly is recognised by our industry and brand peers.”

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Rapid rise

And it is the strength of RD’s team which has enabled it to enjoy a packed period of growth since its inception.

The company was formed in late 2016 by a consortium of Thai, Japanese and Southeast Asian investors who won the bidding process to acquire 128 KFC restaurants in Thailand. The restaurants were being sold by Yum! Brands, as part of its global strategy to have outlets owned and operated by franchisees.

In less than three months the firm successfully executed what Norton describes as the most exciting, challenging and rewarding chapter of his career.

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I started by putting together an awesome leadership team to head up the key functions. That team and I have been together since day one and we have built this business together”

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“We have invested very heavily in developing and promoting our inrestaurant teams into leadership positions”

He explains: “In the time after winning the bid we had to quickly set up a restaurant support team responsible for the functions that work with operations to run the restaurants – functions like training, payroll, finance, marketing, supply chain, construction, real estate management and so on.

“I started by putting together an awesome leadership team to head up the key functions. That team and I have been together since day one and we have built this business together. We work incredibly well as a team with a mix of skills and styles that complement and balance each

other, and everyone has the same commitment and passion to RD and to KFC. “We quickly built a strong corporate structure to support our restaurants and almost everyone who joined us in those first few months over two and a half years ago are still with us today.”

The initial group of 128 stores were concentrated in Bangkok and southern Thailand, the company now expanding into the populous north eastern part of Thailand and continuing to strengthen its core geographic presence at the same time.

“We have grown significantly since that first day,” Norton continues. “We

have added over 1,000 employees and more than tripled our restaurant support team headcount. We now have nearly 4,000 people working in RD and that is growing literally every day as we continue to rapidly expand.”

Gaining momentum

Such rapid expansion is evidenced in last year’s figures.

Through 2018 RD opened 29 new KFC restaurants, far more than other QSR brand in Thailand and in line with the company’s ambition to reach 200 outlets by the end of this year.

Quality is equally as important as quantity, however, and Norton

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Andrew Norton, CEO of Restaurants Development Co.

SHARING IN SUCCESS As well as staff, local communities have also benefitted from the company’s successes.

Its CSR activities are coordinated with other KFC franchisees in a bid to deliver a consistent and impactful programme.

This includes provision of financial support to staff and communities impacted by natural disasters, while RD is using its kitchen design expertise to support many local charities in the upgrade their facilities so they can continue to feed those in need.

The most significant initiative, however, is called Harvest, a programme which runs across Thailand and other KFC markets around the world. Through this scheme RD donates surplus food to local charities and organisations who help deliver meals around the country. RD is currently expanding this programme to support more charities in the south of Thailand.

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outlines the example of an ongoing store remodelling programme as a key priority running alongside raw expansion.

He adds: “By the end of 2019 virtually every restaurant in our portfolio will have the latest customer experience which includes a faster service system, a modern and distinctive restaurant design and, something our customers love, a free refill beverage station giving them unlimited refills with their meal purchase.”

The success of this upgrade and growth phase will be a testament of RD’s network of suppliers, companies which the CEO is quick to commend.

“We have a fantastic relationship with our suppliers,” Norton continues.

“Most of them have been working in partnership with us since day one.

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“As we are a rapid growth business, we offer suppliers the chance to grow with us and many suppliers are reporting rapid volume increases as a result of our success. We believe that any relationship has to be a win-win opportunity for both parties, and we are happy to see our suppliers share in our success.”

An example of this joint journey concept is with logistics provider Linfox, an important cog in the RD operation ensuring supplies reach their stores in a timely manner.

Hungry for more

A reliable network of partners coupled with a loyal, motivated workforce will ensure RD grows even more strongly than it did in 2018, Norton stating plans to open 30 more restaurants and for a second year in a row increase

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“We provide people with great tasting, freshly prepared meals in a way that is convenient and affordable to as many people as possible”

turnover and profits by double digit rates.

“We will continue to be one of the fastest growing restaurant companies in Thailand and a leading innovator and operator of the brand in the region,” he adds.

Indeed, the unequivocal appraisal of the QSR scene that Norton gave at the beginning is just one of several factors keeping him motivated to work towards these goals.

He concludes: “I believe in the value of what we do. We provide people with great tasting, freshly prepared meals in a way that is convenient and affordable to as many people as possible. By doing so we bring people together to enjoy meals all around Thailand.

“Our business is also a people business. More so than most. Our

build great careers and reach their true potential.

“I think, above all else, the story of RD’s success and rapid growth is what happens when you bring together a team of talented committed individuals with a shared passion and a shared goal to make an awesome brand even stronger. When we do this right all of our stakeholders win – our employees, our suppliers, our customers and our investors.”

people make our products, deliver our service and support our restaurants.

I am extremely motivated every day to have a strong and fast-growing business to create career opportunities for all. In doing so, our employees

Restaurants Development Co. Tel: +66 2-030-0079 www.rdthailand.com

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Pizza Passion From two brothers with $600 and an idea to outlets in 84 countries globally, the Pizza Hut brand has reached international stardom. Its Singaporean operations provide the evidence Project Manager: Lewis Bush

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izza. A household favourite food and one that has remained as such throughout the ages, from flatbreads topped with herbs, onion, garlic and cheese in Ancient Greece to the creation of its most common variation for Queen consort of Italy, Margherita of Savoy, in 1889.

The word pizza was in fact first documented in AD 997 in the Italian city of Gaeta, and quickly adopted into the vocabularies and culinary repertoires of other parts of the country thereafter. However, the modern version of the Mediterranean staple was no more than this during the early years of its existence.

This changed after the Second World War when allied troops stationed in Italy enjoyed the bel paese’s national cuisine.

From here pizza quickly became an international phenomenon, with the United States alone now consuming approximately 100 acres of pizza every day and $37 billion worth on an annual basis. Asian nations have also

welcomed the bread-based foodstuff, with South Koreans having added bulgogi as a topping and Peking duck pizza’s having emerged in China’s capital city.

Singapore is another among the long list of countries that have come to embody the universal love of pizza, evident in the rapid growth of quick service restaurant (QSR) chain Pizza Hut – one of the world’s most renowned restaurant brands.

Customer-first

Looking back at the company’s illustrious history, the Pizza Hut name can be found to have stemmed from Kansas, US, when two brothers borrowed $600 from their mother to open a small pizzeria on a busy intersection in their hometown of Wichita.

In the years since, the distinctive bright red logo has come to establish itself in 84 countries worldwide, Singapore having become one of these countries in 1981 with an outlet at Jalan Jelita. From this first national outlet, the company has continued to expand in the city state, now standing as its largest pizza chain restaurant with 77 stores.

Testament to this rapid national growth has been the innovative principles that have shaped Pizza Hut’s ambitions on a global level, remaining adaptive in the face of a fast-moving market and ever-changing consumer tastes.

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“Over the years, our service, menu offerings and ambience have evolved in keeping up with times and trends,” Pizza Hut Singapore states on its website. “Since then, we have embraced the affordable casual dining concept where the emphasis is on creating a fun and engaging atmosphere for our customers.

“We aim to make every dining experience a truly memorable one for our customers. One thing that you can be assured of through the times is that we, at Pizza Hut Singapore will always listen to you – our most valued customers.”

This customer-first approach has led to a number of forward-thinking

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We aim to deliver not just a wide array of pizzas, pastas and other quality foods that are always fresh, but also a casual atmosphere that is fun and friendly”

developments across Pizza Hut Singapore’s own offering, from its ‘2 for $22’ delivery promotion to discounts tailored for children, students and senior citizens and a range of other market-leading takeaway deals.

“We have an unmatched passion for and celebration of our pizzas,” the company adds. “We aim to deliver not just a wide array of pizzas, pastas and other quality foods that are always fresh, but also a casual atmosphere that is fun and friendly. All these without compromising what good restaurants have always stood for – service and customer satisfaction.”

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A family for all

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Consumers are not the only ones to benefit from Pizza Hut’s major presence in Singapore, however.

Across the three core pillars of its business, consisting of its Dine-in, Delivery and Express services, the company equally offers substantial employment opportunities and seeks to help its staff reach their full potential with a family-orientated culture.

Promotions are handed out to the top candidates as often as every six months, with a clear hierarchy marking a path for career progression. Within its restaurants, for example, there are six different promotion roles available, from Shift/Trainee Manager to Second Assistant Manager, First Assistant Manager, Deputy General Manager, Restaurant General Manager and finally Senior Restaurant Manager.

In fact, favouring this promotion-first culture has resulted in 99 percent of Pizza Hut has been in Singapore since 1981

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the company’s Restaurant Managers coming from within the firm’s own ranks.

Equally, the organisation was appointed as the ambassador of ASPN Delta Senior School (DSS) in 2011, a role that it values by providing its students with the chance to learn and hone both individual- and teamwork-centric skills.

According to the company’s website, there are currently seven DSS students working at Pizza Hut restaurants.

Through this multitude of different channels, the Pizza Hut brand has excelled in Singapore throughout the past 38 years. And it seems that this will not change in the years moving forward, and the company continues to adhere to its overriding brand vision: “To be the favourite casual dining place for families and friends to gather for great food and great time together, as it is affordable and offers a memorable service experience that makes one wants to return.”

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nfrastructure is set to spark Southeast Asia’s economic boom, owed to the expectation that spending on construction projects will grow substantially during the coming years.

According to PwC, for example, construction spending in Indonesia will grow to around $165 billion by 2025, while industry expenditures in Malaysia and the Philippines are forecast to grow at approximately nine and 10 percent a year respectively during the same timeframe.

As such, the opportunities in Asia are slated to represent almost 60 percent of the global market within the next six years, providing an abundant increase in demand that innovative industry figureheads such as Archetype Group are poised to capitalise on.

“We’re proud to be a leading construction consultancy for worldclass projects,” explains Mark

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MADE

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A world-class infrastructure consultant operating in 15 countries, Archetype Group is transforming Asia’s landscapes with proactive, entrepreneurial perspectives Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Tom Cullum

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Prowting, the Managing Director of Archetype Group’s Indonesian operations. “We harness the creativity of our people, enabling the company to be a pioneering and passionate multi-disciplinary business.”

Having begun life as a team of just eight employees stationed in Vietnam (seven in Hanoi and one in Ho Chi Minh City) in September 2002, the company has continued to go from strength to strength.

“We quickly expanded in Cambodia,” adds Prowting, “and soon after reached Thailand in 2004, India in 2005, France in 2006 and Laos in 2009. We also established Archetype Environment in partnership with Berim and Altereo during this time – our environmental consultancy.”

From these firm foundations, the past decade has seen Archetype Group equally gather presence in Indonesia, Mongolia, Qatar, Myanmar, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, China,

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Mark Prowting, MD, Archetype Group Indonesia

Singapore and the Philippines, with its operations now spanning vast swathes of Asia and parts of Europe.

Nurturing new capabilities

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Coupled with these expansions have been a number of key strategic acquisitions, namely Archetype Group’s incorporation of the Asia Pacific operations of Tebodin in 2016 – a Dutch company specialising in industrial projects.

“Through this, our APAC employee headcount reached 1,100 and the number of staff in our industrial

division rose to 500, all while adding China and Singapore to our footprint in the process,” Prowting reveals.

This steep growth curve, both in terms of stature and expertise, has not wavered throughout the company’s 17-year history, the enterprise having amalgamated an extensive portfolio of industrial project references during this time.

“These include factories and complexes for companies including Crown, Heineken, Khmer Brewery, Knauf, ABB, Dow Chemicals, Procter & Gamble, Schneider, Heinz, Unilever, Danone, CocaCola, Campbells, Mondelez, and ExxonMobil,” adds Prowting.

Equally, early 2019 marked the company’s acquisition of French engineering firm BECT which now operates as an additional subsidiary under the name Archetype BECT. The Indonesia MD continues: “We’ve strengthened our technical resources in France, allowing us to offer turnkey consultancy services to French-speaking and European companies wishing to pursue projects in Asia and other emerging markets, as well as Asian companies with developments in Europe.”

PROVIDING A SUPERIOR SERVICE With more than 1,100 project references and 1,100 employees spanning 15 different countries, Archetype Group has become renowned as one of the largest private construction consultancies in Asia Pacific.

Its core services cover key construction sectors such as buildings and real estate, industry and manufacturing, and energy and infrastructure. These include: • Architecture and master planning • Building and infrastructure engineering • Industrial and process engineering • Project, construction and cost management

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Offering solutions through a range of SERVICES including: • Electrical • Fire Detection & Protection • Mechanical • Instrumentation • Plumbing & HVAC • Camp Construction For almost 30 years, our customers have known us as an electrical, mechanical and fire services contractor with a track record of delivering complex projects on time and often under challenging conditions.

ODG has completed more than 400 projects across Indonesia and Papua New Guinea under high international HSE and quality standards in industries such as Manufacturing, Mining, Oil & Gas, Power and Commercial Construction.

ODG is a multi-trade contractor and a single point of contact for its customers.

For your next project contact: Indonesia: +62 21 780 1353 Papua New Guinea: +675 321 7114

ODG is certified to ISO 9001:2015 and will attain ISO 45001 safety certification in August 2019.

PT. ODG INDONESIA Tower A Beltway Office Park 7th Floor. JL Ampera Raya No. 9 – 10.

Jakarta 12550 Indonesia

ODG PNG LIMITED Section 50 Lot 20 Elanese Road, Konedobu, NCD 121, Papua New Guinea

T +62 21 780 1353 F +62 21 780 1041

T +675 321 7114 F +675 321 7112

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An employer of choice

Archetype Group’s progressive aspirations have not been limited to just the expansion of the business, however. Equally the company has sought to embody excellence on other fronts, evident in its reputation as an employer of choice for both the industry and the regions in which it operates.

To this end, the firm has rolled out its Employee Care initiative geared towards both attaining and retaining the best team possible.

Prowting reveals: “Other than competitive compensation and benefit strategy, we ensure that our staff are among the frontrunners in quality service delivery – we understand that our ultimate asset is our people.

“For training and development, in addition to conventional classroomstyle courses, Archetype Group has established the Archetype Academy, an e-learning platform which is

Other than competitive compensation and benefit strategy, we ensure that our staff are among the frontrunners in quality service delivery – we understand that our ultimate asset is our people” accessible by and user-friendly to our employees. We have various modules and subjects of trainings within this, ranging from architectural rendering to presentation skills, from building

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information modelling (BIM) to hazard operability (HAZOP), and negotiation skill development to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) certification.”

The chance to work for Archetype Group has not been limited either, the company proudly looking to hire locally for numerous positions across its site operations, while also providing equal opportunities to various nationalities and individuals with disabilities.

This people-first approach can also be found in the company’s multitude of corporate social investment programmes that include charity and not-for-profit initiatives at Group level.

“One example that springs to mind is our House of Hope Project – a facility for children in need that is located in West Nusa, Tengarra,” reveals Prowting. “Our commitment here is designing the project as free of charge without lowering our strict quality engineering standard practices.”

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1. Yoma Central, Myanmar. 2. Siem Reap International Airport, Cambodia. 3. Taj Mahal Palace Mumbai, India. 4. Metro, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. 5. BMW, Shenyang, China

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Outlook Creative Services

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Outlook Publishing’s awardwinning in-house team is now utilising its extensive production skills to offer a full and bespoke range of editorial, design and marketing services via its new Outlook Creative Services division.

TSRT will strive to become an excellence Contractor for Customer.

• Electrical System • Electrical Power Distribution • Information and Communication System • Mechanical Installation T: 021- 5253400 – 5200215 – 5202117 • Civil and Building Construction F: 021-5202105 – 5253089 • Steel Design and Fabrication E: info@taiyosinar.com • Plant Services https://taiyosinar.com • Engineering and Planning

F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N V I S I T: www.outlookpublishing.com/creative-services

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Calling upon some more local initiatives in Indonesia, the country MD is quick to highlight Archetype Group’s bi-monthly CSR programme that is run from Jakarta.

“Since its inception, our focus has been on stimulating and nurturing social awareness among our staff,” he adds in reference to the programme, “and particularly on the importance of education. It has reached an informal school in a scavenger compound, where our staff shared tea and snacks with children one afternoon and then

helped improve the school’s learning equipment.”

These practices combined with the optimistic outlook surrounding the Asian construction industry and Archetype Group’s steep growth curve within this mean the business stands to further bolster its esteemed reputation looking ahead.

Prowting concludes, eluding once more to the company’s core differentiators: “Our team combines fresh-thinking, international expertise and unrivalled local knowledge to deliver

successful projects. We are conscious of our social responsibility as a professional organisation in providing solutions that bring together a sustainable natural and built environment.”

Archetype Group Tel: +62 21 2940 6840 www.archetype-group.com

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Marina Bay Sands Podium, Singapore (Roof)

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Mastering a

CRAFT A Focused on designing, building and delivering tailored solutions that exceed client expectations, Craft Holdings is championing unorthodox and progressive construction innovation Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Tom Cullum

sia. Home to more than 4.5 billion people and accounting for roughly $30 trillion of global GDP, it is little surprise that this is the world’s largest continental economy.

Rewind to the turn of the decade, however, and the current status quo was entirely different, a time when Asia was bested by both Europe and North America and accounted for merely a third of the GDP that it does today.

Prolonged periods of growth and the rise of a number of emerging regional markets are key to this rapid rise over the past nine years, markets that have come to embrace globalisation, industrialisation and modernisation throughout this period.

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The movement of the construction industry is a key indicator of this, with Euler Hermes citing that over 57 percent of global construction growth over the past decade has come from emerging markets.

To say these recent years alone have dictated this upturn, however, would be untrue, as a number of enterprises with intelligent strategic ideas, such as Craft Holdings, have made the most of the growth in opportunities for prolonged periods.

Now standing as the region’s only specialist contractor able to provide a total solution for façade, unitised

Craft Holding’s expertise are characterised by three defined specialties: FAÇADES

Provides unitised curtain wall and bespoke façade systems utilising all types of materials including glass, stone, free form metal, aluminium cladding and louvers. Within this, Craft can offer a range of solutions such as frameless façades, light weight structures, retail façades and 3D steel and aluminium frameworks.

ROOFING

As standing seam experts, the company is able to design and construct any roof type, shape and configuration with the emphasis on a unitised production and installation approach rather than the conventional site build-up method still favoured by many of its competitors.

INTERIORS

Can build on wide experience with interior architectural features, custom ceiling cladding, lighting and retail shopfronts and interiors.

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roofing and interiors projects, Craft has continued to profit from these positive prospects for a quarter century, largely owed to its innovative and entrepreneurial approach.

“From an industry perspective, thinking outside the box isn’t typical of construction, but it’s a value which is highly regarded within the Craft company culture,” explains Huub van der Staak, Managing Director of Craft Holdings Southeast Asia.

An award-winning ethos

Having started his own career in construction in 1987, van der Staak’s personal journey largely mirrors that of Craft, the two having grown in tandem with the thriving Asian market over the course of many years.

He explains, recapping on an illustrious career to date: “After completing a bachelors degree in Engineering and a mandatory 18-month stint in the Dutch Army, I initially spent some time in New Zealand working for one of the country’s largest façade suppliers, before returning to Europe to find employment in the Netherlands as a project manager.

“It quickly became apparent that good construction opportunities could be found within emerging markets, which in the mid 90s meant moving to Asia. As such, I managed my first project on the continent in 1995, installing aluminium windows and pre-fabricated light concrete units on Shanghai Printemps Department Store.

“What was initially a six-month appointment quickly turned into a permanent stay where I ended up holding senior positions for one of the world’s major International façade companies, then moving to Craft Holdings in 2017.”

For van der Staak, the draw of Craft was the company’s willingness to be creative and proactive in its approach.

Utilising innovative industry practices and processes, and

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ALUFORM

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luform stands for decades of quality aluminum façade and roofing systems. Our high-end systems are used for public buildings, infrastructural projects and prestigious landmarks. Founded in 1910 and based in Germany, we truly rely on a vast experience which enables us to engineer innovative solutions for the dynamic construction market.

With Craft Holdings Ltd. we found an excellent partner in Southeast Asia for our FM-approved FalzRipp standing seam system. With its engineering and installation expertise we are a strong team which can take on any challenge.

Peter Mesman Director Sales & Marketing E peter.mesman@aluform.de Cell +49-1728102015

collaborating closely with architects, consultants and clients in a preconstruction agreement, the company is able to fine-tune project-specific designs in adherence with any demands from the outset.

“This is much more coherent than trying to adopt an existing system which might tick some of the boxes but most definitely not all,” van der Staak adds.

Equally, this outlook has allowed Craft to establish an esteemed reputation over the years, achieving the highest level of customer satisfaction on a consistent basis by providing tailor-made, bespoke construction solutions to meet each of its clients’ individual expectations.

“By looking at issues from a nonconventional perspective, we’re able to offer clients new practices and processes which allow us to deliver their projects on time, within budget and to the highest standards,” the MD continues.

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Aluform System and Craft Holdings: an unbeatable partnership for FalzRipp aluminum standing seam roofing systems.

Architecture in its best form.

Singapore Sports Hub, Singapore (roof)

One Central Park, Sydney - Australia (faรงade)

T-Park, Hong Kong (roof)

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“In an industry where safety is considered a key aspect of anything we do, Craft has also moved this requirement right to the front of the design process, resulting in several award winning installation methods that have since become industry standards, but which at the time were considered quite unorthodox.”

Opportunity in abundance

This modus operandi has seamlessly facilitated Craft’s natural expansion, its

SHOWCASING EXCELLENCE Some of Craft Holding’s most prestigious projects include, but are not limited to: • The National Stadium which is a multi-purpose stadium located in Kallang, Singapore.

presence now spanning nine countries.

In the face of this rapid rise, however, the company has remained humble all the same, no better reflected than by its extensive CSR practices.

One such example of this is the firm’s membership within the Lighthouse Club Hong Kong (LCH), a non-political organisation which supports the national construction industry, providing charitable assistance to distressed enterprises and individuals.

“LCH also promotes health and safety in HK, and its annual Health & Safety Awards ceremony is highly regarded in the industry, showcasing how safe work can be achieved on even the most challenging projects,” adds van der Staak.

Outside of these activities, the continent benefits from Craft’s substantial presence in other

• The Mactan–Cebu International Airport located in Central Visayas region in the Philippines.

Venetian Casino West Podium & Tower, Taipa, Macau

• Australian National Maritime Museum Warships Pavilion, Darling Harbour, Sydney.

• North Satellite and Midfield Concourse among some 16 projects completed at Chep Lap Kok, HKIA, Hong Kong.

• Venetian Casino West Podium & Tower, Taipa, Macau.

• One Central Park in the Sydney suburb of Chippendale, Australia.

• The Emerald Resort and Casino at Lapu Lapu City Cebu, the Philippines.

• The redevelopment of the University of Sydney’s Engineering and Technology Precinct at Darlington campus, Australia.

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ways, again evident through the organisation’s esteemed employment, training and talent retention strategies that help to uphold each of the local economies in which it operates.

“We recognise that a firm understanding and appreciation of each country’s cultures and business practices is essential, something that can only be achieved by hiring the best local talent available,” van der Staak continues. “And when we do hire internationally, we ensure that these employees have worked locally for the majority of their professional careers prior to joining the Craft team, and so have an adept understanding of the market and what we’re trying to do.”

Each of these employees are provided with both short- and long-term incentives and equal opportunities for progression that are achieved solely through merit and hard work.

Australian National Maritime Museum Warships Pavilion, Darling Harbour, Sydney

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Singapore Sports Hub, Singapore

Mactan Cebu Airport, Cebu The Philippines (façade)

Van der Staak continues: “Building on this communitive experience, young managers are given the opportunity to move up within the organisation, not only to gain experience but to fully understand the challenges and more importantly the benefits that a company such as Craft offers.

“With pan-Asia coverage and projects in various disciplines, from façade to roofing to interiors,

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National Arboretum, Canberra Australia (roof & façade)

the opportunities for growth and development are widely available.”

Taking strides

Moving forward, Craft’s status as a champion of coherent, progressive construction seems unlikely to change.

The company is partnered and working with major developers and architects in Asia, for example, to ensure its design and engineer projects have a minimised ecological footprint,

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recognising the environmental, economic, health and productivity benefits.

Further, March saw Craft sign a joint venture agreement with one of India’s leading building and construction materials suppliers to create an entity, named Aparna-Craft Exteriors Pvt, that will manufacture and retail aluminium exterior solutions.

“This latest cooperation with a wellestablished and extremely successful

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International Exhibition Centre HKIA, Hong Kong (roof)

Mactan Cebu Airport, Cebu The Philippines (façade)

Green Square Library, Sydney Australia (façade)

local entity is a continuation of Craft’s proven strategy of leveraging its own designing and engineering expertise with the execution capabilities of local teams to create the right type of synergy in order to successfully enter these new markets,” van der Staak says.

And it is this that will be a crucial part of Craft’s strategy moving forwards, the company looking to both grow and consolidate its position over the coming months.

Van der Staak concludes: “With the newly established joint venture in India we are entering the third biggest economy in Asia, where in the next three years we are planning to move from having regional coverage to full pan-India involvement.

“We’ll also continue to bolster our position in areas such as Australia, Philippines and HK, while closely monitoring the regions around us, in particular Thailand, which appears

to be on its way back up, and the ever-growing needs of the Indonesian construction market.”

Craft Holdings Tel: +852 2620 5168 info@craft-group.com www.craft-group .com

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Fertility Services

REBORN Sunfert International is stepping up to fulfil the growing need for affordable treatment by expanding its network of state-of-the-art clinics across Malaysia Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Callam Waller

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y 2026, the global demand for in-vitro fertilisation is expected to be worth $36.2 billion.

Projected to grow at a rate of 10.2 percent a year, the IVF market is being driven by numerous factors.

These include the increasing incidence of infertility owing to lifestyle changes, government initiatives to provide better reimbursement policies, and

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efforts by industry contributors to open up access to such services.

In Malaysia, the need for affordable IVF and other fertility services is rising.

“Fertility treatment in Malaysia is largely unfunded,” explains Dr Wong Pak Seng, Founder and Managing Director of fertility clinic operator Sunfert International.

“Though there are some

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allocations for free treatment in some government hospitals, this funding is erratic. Hence, the fertility services are predominantly in the private practice.

“There are about 40 fertility centres in Malaysia, mostly small centres scattered predominantly throughout the larger cities in the peninsular.

As treatment is expensive, most couples who require treatment cannot

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The global demand for invitro fertilisation is anticipated to be worth $36.2 billion by 2026

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ufter Sdn Bhd operates within the life sciences, healthcare, biotechnologies and microelectronics sectors. It provides engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), to support companies in the development and manufacturing of medical products.

Lufter Sdn Bhd was incorporated in 2007 and, since then, the company has gained much acclaim in the industry, particularly in EPC, and currently has a local assembly of independent professionals. Lufter has a wide spread of clients such as GlaxoSmithKline, Pharmaniaga, CCM Duopharma group, Fonterra, Parkway Healthcare group and many more.

Sunfert International prides itself on being innovative and patientcentred in its approach to patient management

T +603.7859.6218 E simonloh@lufter.com.my

www.lufter.com.my afford it. There is a definite need for affordable fertility services in the country.”

This is where his company Sunfert International comes in.

“Having worked in and visited several clinics both locally and overseas, I felt that there was a need for a patient-orientated fertility centre, offering value and good outcomes,” Pak Seng continues. “We were also able to draw on the expertise of our international partners, New Zealand’s Fertility Associates.

“Based on these principles, Sunfert International became the fastest growing provider in Malaysia and the largest fertility group in terms of IVF cycles in 2018.”

Affordable access

This year marks the company’s 10-year anniversary, a period which has seen it rise to prominence and gain a 15 percent market share. Such a position equates to around 1,500 IVF cycles

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“With a strong emphasis on research and quality assurance, we are key opinion leaders in Malaysia”

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performed annually across its network of centres and approximately 100 staff.

Sunfert International is headquartered in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, which is also home to its flagship centre that attracts around a third of its patients from China and Singapore.

Further branches are located in Ipoh, Seremban and Kuching, the company offering a full range of fertility services, from the basic IUI and IVF treatment to the most advanced pre-implantation genetics and timelapse imaging for embryo selection.

These services are importantly certified

by RTAC, a prestigious mark of top safety and quality compliance to an internationally accepted benchmark.

“We are innovative and patientcentred in our approach to patient management,” adds Pak Seng, describing what he believes differentiates Sunfert International from other providers.

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“Our IVFkasih low-cost IVF programme I would describe as very We have excellent much a CSR initiative, where low resource couples are able to access infrastructure and world class IVF treatment at an invest in cuttingaffordable cost,” Pak Seng continues. edge technology yet “We enable this by clever use of low stimulation protocols focusing are affordable in our on better embryos to maintain the pricing” success rates comparable to standard IVF treatment.”

Indeed, it is the company’s ambition to expand this low-cost coverage, with “With a strong emphasis on research plans to open another IVFkasih clinic in and quality assurance, we are key northern Malaysia. opinion leaders in Malaysia. We have excellent infrastructure and invest Built on knowledge in cutting-edge technology yet are Pak Seng also highlighted investment affordable in our pricing.” in technology and thought leadership The latter point is of particular as another key component of Sunfert significance. Through its low-cost IVF International’s decade-long success. centre IVFkasih in Shah Alam, Sunfert Its laboratory in Kuala Lumpur International is targeting low income houses four IVF labs and two operating groups who may otherwise not be able theatres, a major asset being its clean to afford fertility treatment. room air quality which provides the

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The company is planning to have offices in both China and Indonesia

optimal environment for the growth of eggs and embryos.

“The fertility field is a rapidly developing one where cutting-edge technology continuously improves pregnancy rates,” Pak Seng says.

“Sunfert International has always been an early technology adopter and contributes to the knowledge and use of these technologies.

“For example, we are among the pioneers in using morphokinetic markers of embryo development for further selection of genetically normal embryos for implantation.

Our research will be presented in the upcoming ESHRE 2019 in Geneva,

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which is the largest fertility meeting in the world.

“Also, recently we have commenced Karyomapping, which is an innovative way to select embryos free from specific genetic diseases that are present in some families such as thalassaemia or cystic fibrosis.”

Other ground-breaking technology utilised includes laser assisted hatching, which helps embryos to implant in the womb linings, while the aforementioned time-lapse imaging allows Sunfert International to select embryos with the characteristics that will most likely result in a healthy pregnancy.

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Looking ahead

This attention to detail and use of innovative techniques has transpired into an enviable track record, the company consistently achieving a high pregnancy rate for both fresh and frozen transfer in the last five years.

It is Pak Seng’s goal to build on this, and the introduction of new clinics forms a crucial part of Sunfert International’s future plans.

“We are acquiring a medium-sized fertility centre in Kuala Lumpur and will focus on moulding it to be a progressive Muslim IVF centre,” he says. “We hope to be able to capture the growing Muslim market both in

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“Sunfert International became the fastest growing provider in Malaysia and the largest fertility group in terms of IVF cycles in 2018”

“We focus on employing passionate and driven individuals”

We hope to be able to capture the growing Muslim market both in Malaysia and the Middle East, where there is a demand for advanced IVF in a Shariah-compliant environment” Malaysia and the Middle East, where there is a demand for advanced IVF in a Shariah-compliant environment.”

The firm is also expanding Sunfert Genetics, its wholly owned subsidiary focusing on genetic screening of preimplantation embryos. This division will be moving to a larger facility at the end of this year to cater for its growth.

“As for outside Malaysia, we are

planning to have a representative office in both China and Indonesia to cater for medical tourists,” adds Pak Seng, who concludes by taking the opportunity to praise his expert team of staff who will be critical in ensuring these expansion plans are realised.

“We focus on employing passionate and driven individuals who are willing to learn and develop in our company. Our

priority at the moment is to focus on our staff development and wellbeing, something we called Sunfert 2.0.

“We are also celebrating our 10-year anniversary this year with both public and scientific symposia scheduled for the last quarter. It is certainly a time for optimism at Sunfert International.”

Sunfert International Tel: +60 (3) 2242 3211 Fax: +60 (3) 2242 3168 www.sunfert.com

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3RD MINING INVESTMENT EUROPE

E V E N T

F O C U S

A leading global mining investment forum

EVENT DETAILS WHEN: 18-19 June WHERE: Frankfurt, Germany CONTACT: jarred.lau@spire-events.com WEBSITE: www.mininginvestmenteurope.com

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THE 3RD EDITION of Mining Investment Europe is a strategic mining conference and exhibition for the leaders of the mining, quarrying and construction materials industries, bringing together 250 attendees from 20 countries.  Ministers, mining companies, investors and service providers travel from all over Europe, Asia, Africa, North America and the Middle East for two days of partnering, networking and business matching in Frankfurt. As one of the world’s leading financial hubs, Frankfurt is the ideal location to attract mining companies, investors and their partners from across the entire region.

At the conference, various topics such as key issues disrupting and innovating

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the mining sector, insights on the mining landscape, mining finance and business strategies will be discussed.

Mining Investment Europe will bring in top notch business thought leaders to share their insights with the delegates.

The conference will also provide plenty of networking opportunities through roundtable discussions and cocktail drinks receptions.

Mining Investment Europe is organised by Spire Events (Singapore) and is part of the global Mining Investment Series that has successfully spanned across Asia, Africa, Middle East, Latin America and Europe. More details on the latest global Mining Investment conferences can be found at www.spireevents.com.

@Mininginvmt Mining Investment Conferences & Exhibitions Mining Investment Events Mining Investment Conference

3RD ANNUAL

18 - 19 JUNE 2019

EUROPE

Frankfurt, Germany

Where Miners, Investors and Service Providers Converge

Take Advantage of our Special Offer to Attend and Exhibit Today!

Contact Jarred at +65 6717 6017 | jarred.lau@spire-events.com Spotlight Sponsors

Organised by

www.mininginvestmenteurope.com

C W C W O R L D L N G & G A S S E R I E S : 1 1 T H A S I A PA C I F I C S U M M I T

E V E N T

F O C U S

The premier meeting place for LNG buyers and sellers in Asia Pacific

EVENT DETAILS WHEN: 24-28 June WHERE: Singapore WEBSITE: cwclng.com/asiapacific

NOW IN ITS 11th year, the most established and highly-regarded LNG Summit in the Asia Pacific region returns to Singapore.

Bringing together the key LNG buyers and sellers from across the globe, this summit provides the perfect platform to network and do deals with key decision makers.

The 2018 Summit saw 300plus attendees, 22 sponsors and featured presentations from key decision makers as well as buyers, sellers, portfolio players and traders from 23 countries.

Why attend?

• The most established and highlyregarded strategic LNG Summit in Asia Pacific. Gathering established and emerging LNG and gas buyers in Asia Pacific for over 10 Years.

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• Held in Singapore – the emerging trading hub for Asia.

• Senior representation from the new southeast LNG buyers.

• Unrivalled programme that honestly reflects the changing market.

• Understand how buyers are reshaping the way in which LNG is being traded.

• Spearheaded by an industry-led steering committee.

• Official support from EMA & IE Singapore.

• Celebrating excellence with the CWC Asia Pacific LNG Innovation Award.

• From the organisers of the industry acclaimed World LNG & Gas Series.

THE PREMIER MEETING PLACE FOR LNG BUYERS AND SELLERS IN ASIA PACIFIC PRODUCED BY:

OFFICIAL SUPPORTERS:

FROM THE PRODUCERS OF:

Andrew Walker VP Strategy Cheniere Marketing Ltd

Ye Yishu President GCL Petroleum Trading Singapore

Darshan Hiranandani CEO H Energy

Rajnish Goswami General Manager LNG Marketing Anadarko Petroleum Corporation

Tom Earl

Keita Enjoji Head of LNG General Manager Tokyo Gas Asia Pte. Ltd

Christophe Malet Senior Vice President Upstream LNG Hanas

Parulian Sihotang

Chief Commercial Officer Venture Global LNG

Deputy for Finance & Monetization SKK Migas

Ryosuke Tsugaru CEO Diamond Gas International

Kaushik Deb

Research Fellow Markets & Industrial Development KAPSARC

GOLD SPONSORS

SILVER SPONSORS

BRONZE SPONSORS

pantone 287C

pantone 355C

pantone 186C

For more information, please contact Elliott McGinn or Tyler Forbes on: +44 20 7978 0000 or email: LNGAsia@thecwcgroup.com

CWCLNG.COM/ASIAPACIFIC #LNGASIA

C H I E F D ATA & A N A LY T I C S O F F I C E R S I N G A P O R E

E V E N T

F O C U S

A forum for championing the data agenda

OUR 2019 EVENT boasts an inspiring speaker line-up with a really comprehensive agenda covering the biggest strategic concerns for leaders in the data and analytics

EVENT DETAILS WHEN: 23-24 July WHERE: Singapore CONTACT: info@coriniumintel.com

space. Chief Data & Analytics Officer Singapore (CDAO) will draw together senior executives responsible for championing the data agenda to share insights on the infrastructure, governance, privacy, innovation, culture and leadership required to effectively harness data as a strategic asset.

Discover how chief data and analytics officers are driving change and shaping their organisations to become analytically mature, businessdriven enterprises that outperform their competitors. With over 200 data analytics executives in attendance and an expert speaker faculty bringing together international and local leaders, this event will be a unique meeting place to discuss strategic objectives for 2020 and beyond.

WEBSITE: www.cdao-sg.coriniumintelligence. com

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Key themes will address:

How artificial intelligence can be ethically and responsibly used – sound approaches to data management and the governance of AI and other frontier technologies.

Embedding a culture of data analytics and insight-based decision making – democratising analytics to foster insight and cooperation throughout the organisation.

Advancing businesses and the economy – how to ensure AI is core to corporate strategy and business models and supporting data driven decision making across the enterprise with robust and evolved data strategies.

Future data talent – understanding innovative approaches to data staff training, increasing expertise and building effective teams.

Confirmed speakers include:

• Dr. Meri Rosich, Chief Data Officer, VP/Head of Data Science, Asia Pacific, VISA • Shameek Kundu, Chief Data Officer, Standard Chartered Bank • Anish Agarwal, Director – CPB Data & Analytics, Shared Services India, Royal Bank of Scotland India • Anwar Mirza, Global Head of Data Governance, TNT (The Netherlands) • Frédéric Ducros, Chief Transformation Officer, AirAsia Group • Budiman Rusly Djohari, Chief Data & Analytics Officer, PT. Asuransi Jiwa Sequis Life • Jonas Guingab, Head of Analytics and Reporting Division, Security Bank Corporation Asia Outlook members receive a 20 percent discount when booking.

Use code ASO20

CHIEF DATA & ANALYTICS OFFICER SINGAPORE 23-24 JULY, 2019

CDAO SINGAPORE IS THE LEADING EVENT FOR DATA AND ANALYTICS LEADERS IN THE APAC REGION. OUR 2019 EVENT BOASTS AN INSPIRING SPEAKER LINE-UP WITH A COMPREHENSIVE AGENDA COVERING THE BIGGEST STRATEGIC CONCERNS FOR LEADERS IN THE DATA AND ANALYTICS SPACE.

30+ Speakers | 200+ Attendees | Endless Inspiration

Chief Data Officer, VP/Head of Data Science, Asia Pacific, VISA

Director – CPB Data & Analytics, Shared Services India, Royal Bank of Scotland India

Director Data Science & Managing Director, Girls in Tech Singapore, Allianz SE Insurance Management Asia Pacific

RECEIVE A 20% DISCOUNT WITH CODE: ASO20 RESERVE YOUR TICKET AT WWW.CHIEFDATAANALYTICSOFFICERSINGAPORE.COM CONTACT OUR TEAM: INFO@CORINIUMINTEL.COM OR CALL +612 8916 6161

Chief Data Officer, Standard Chartered Bank

4TH ANNUAL MANUFACTURING EXCELLENCE CONFERENCE

E V E N T

F O C U S

Analysing the impact of industry 4.0

EVENT DETAILS WHEN: 30 July – 2 August WHERE: Singapore WEBSITE: http://manufacturingexcellencelse. marcusevans.com

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MARCUS EVANS TAKES great pride in organising one of our flagship events, the 4th Annual Manufacturing Excellence large scale event from July 30 to August 2, 2019. Manufacturing is entering a dynamic new phase. By 2025, a new global consuming class will have emerged, and the majority of consumption will take place in developing economies. This will create rich new market opportunities.

Meanwhile, in established markets, demand is fragmenting as customers ask for greater variation and more types of after-sales service. A rich pipeline of innovations in materials and processes from nanomaterials to 3D printing to advanced robotics also promises to create fresh demand and drive further productivity gains

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across manufacturing industries and geographies.

Industry 4.0 is expected to accelerate over the next two to three years transforming manufacturing processes on the way. Industry 4.0 will make supply chains and production processes more interconnected, efficient and flexible, allowing mass-customisation and virtual production.

The digital transformation of manufacturing, ongoing convergence of IT (Information Technology) and OT (Operations Technology) and the usage of IoT (Internet of Things), in combination with other technologies, are changing the face of the manufacturing technology landscape and the face of manufacturing itself (processes, people, work, business models and so forth).

Manufacturing earnings and exports are stimulating economic prosperity causing nations to increase their focus on developing advanced manufacturing capabilities by investing in hi-tech infrastructure and education.

For more information visit the Marcus Evans website.

POWERGEN ASIA

E V E N T

F O C U S

Discussing the entire energy spectrum under one roof

EVENT DETAILS WHEN: 3-5 September WHERE: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia WEBSITE: www.powergenasia.com

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FOR MORE THAN a quarter of a century, POWERGEN Asia has served as Asia’s premier forum for the power generation industry.

Attracting over 11,000 attendees from more than 70 countries, POWERGEN Asia covers all forms of power generation, from conventional to renewable energy and other lowcarbon options. This leading forum is where the power industry can meet, share and discuss solutions for Asia’s energy future.

On September 3-5, 2019, the 27th edition promises to be bigger and better than ever before, co-locating with Asian Utility Week, DISTRIBUTECH

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Asia, Energy Capital Leaders and SolarVision at MITEC, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The convergence of these leading events will bring you the world’s and market’s first end-to-end power mega event, covering power generation, distribution and digital transformation.

The combination of these leading energy shows will bring an unprecedented authority, with insights shared by the world’s most forward-thinking experts and innovators. Find out more at www.powergenasia.com

3-5 SEPTEMBER 2019 | MITEC | KUALA LUMPUR | MALAYSIA

REGISTER AND JOIN US FOR ASIA’S ONLY END-TO-END POWER & ENERGY EVENT POWER GENERATION

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

REGISTER ONLINE FOR YOUR

FREE VISITOR PASS

TRANSMISSION & DISTRIBUTION

SOLAR POWER

ENERGY CAPITAL

PARTICIPATE IN THE REGION’S FOREMOST BUSINESS PLATFORM FOR POWER PROFESSIONALS The co-location of POWERGEN Asia, Asian Utility Week, DISTRIBUTECH Asia, SolarVision and Energy Capital Leaders provides you with one show covering the whole value chain of power - from generation to transmission and distribution to its digital transformation.

The combination of these leading energy shows will bring an unprecedented authority, with insights shared by the world’s most forward-thinking experts and innovators.

Here you will discover the future of Asia’s Power & Energy industry.

11,000+ Attendees

350+

Leading Exhibitors

Cutting

Edge Content

350+

International Speakers

VISIT WWW.POWERGENASIA.COM OR WWW.ASIAN-UTILITY-WEEK.COM

▪ SEE CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS ▪ VIEW THE LATEST EXHIBITOR LIST ▪ REGISTER FOR FULL ACCESS

Endorsed by:

Host Utility Partner:

Organised by:

3RD ANNUAL GLOBAL HOTELS AND RESORTS

E V E N T

F O C U S

Placing ASEAN tourism strategy under the spotlight

Some of the key highlights to be discussed:

EVENT DETAILS WHEN: 23-24 September WHERE: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

THE 3RD ANNUAL Global Hotels and Resorts is a two-day conference that is being hosted on September 2324, 2019 at Mai House Saigon Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

We will bring the relevant ministries, hotels and resorts developers, architectures, solution providers and many more all under one roof where they would be presenting and discussing regarding the latest industry updates.

WEBSITE: www.bricsaconsulting.com/event/3rdannual-global-hotels-resorts

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• An insight on the development of seven tourism zones with specific tourism products, 46 national tourist areas, 41 national tourist spots, 12 tourist cities and other key tourist venues.

• Exploring the opportunity for over $340 million investment in tourism and infrastructure in the Delta region.

• Outlining the new marketing campaigns for ASEAN tourism in 2019 and beyond.

• Understanding of Decree Number 3 in regards to present and future regulations that can transcend the current trends in market.

3RD ANNUAL GLOBAL HOTELS & RESORTS 23 rd -24 th September, 2019 | Mai House Saigon Hotel - Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CONFERENCE 2019

GOLD PARTNER

SUPPORTED BY

• An insight on the development of 7 tourism zones with specific tourism products, 46 national tourist areas; 41 national tourist spots; 12 tourist cities and other key tourist spots.

• Exploring the opportunity for over $340 million investment in tourism and infrastructure at the Delta region.

ASSOCIATE PARTNERS

EXHIBIT PARTNER

ENDORSEMENT PARTNERS

• Outlining the new marketing campaigns for ASEAN tourism in 2018 and beyond.

• Review over the plans & policies implemented to promote tourism in 2017 with an introspect for 2018.

• Understanding of Decree Number 3 in regards to present and future

MEDIA PARTNERS

KNOWLEDGE PARTNER

regulations that can transcend the current trends in market.

For further details reach us at - mital@bricsaconsulting.com | www.bricsaconsulting.com

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W O R D

To round off each issue, we ask our contributing business leaders for their views on the same question

What inspired you to pursue a career at your company?

Rama Sridhar Executive Vice President of Digital and Emerging Partnerships and New Payment Flows for Asia Pacific, Mastercard “I entered banking after almost a decade in technology. At the time, the sector was the sunrise industry of the mid-90s. An opportunity to get in at ground zero and build a career in one of the highest growth markets was an opportunity not to be missed. Because of my background in tech, I naturally gravitated towards technology-led payments products, which built the perfect launch for my career with Mastercard.”

Thomas Debruyne Market Manager (F&B) & Digital Transformation Manager for Asia Pacific, Veolia Water Technologies “Joining Veolia was an easy choice for me as the group has the capabilities to support clients from all industries in their pursuit for sustainability, managing resources like water, energy, and waste. Presently, water is still a subsidised commodity and many companies find it difficult to justify any investment in more sustainable solutions. But this is beginning to change as people are seeing greater value in long-term returns, and I’m happy to be a part of this change.”

Dr Wong Pak Seng Managing Director, Sunfert International “Having worked in and visited several fertility centres both

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Volvo’s electric articulated concept bus

locally and overseas, I felt that there was a need for a patient-centred fertility centre, offering value and good outcome. Based on these principles, Sunfert International became the fastest growing fertility centre in Malaysia and became the largest fertility group in terms of the number of centres and IVF cycles in 2018.”

Håkan Agnevall President of Volvo Bus Corporation “There will be more progress in the commercial vehicle space in the next decade than there has been in the past 30 to 40 years. That’s why I’m thrilled to be working in this position.

“We have formulated a purpose at Volvo Bus Corporation – we want to make a difference as a pioneer in sustainable transport solutions, currently ensuring that millions of people reach their travel destinations every day. We have an impact on

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society, on people’s lives and on the future of the world, and for me this purpose is truly inspirational.”

Paul Abfalter Head of North Asia, Telstra “I was attracted to the pace of innovation and change both within the industry itself and as a catalyst for the rest of the economy. I’ve had a great journey with Telstra in Asia as a long-term leader across sales, networks, business transactions and transformation in the areas of information technology and telecommunications.

“I’ve had many highlights including building a new 4G network in Hong Kong to leading the restructure of our Reach joint venture - which kick-started our growth again in Asia - and the integration of the Pacnet acquisition. My roles have allowed me to develop pan-Asian experience over several countries in a gradual way and learn something new every day.”

Complementing the production of Africa Outlook, Asia Outlook and EME Outlook magazines, Outlook Publishing’s award-winning in-house team is now utilising these same specialist production

Outlook Creative Services

skills to offer a full and bespoke range of editorial, design and marketing services via its new Outlook Creative Services division.

For more information on how we can work with you in providing a plethora of completely flexible and customisable production services, please visit: www.outlookpublishing.com/creative-services

DESIGN:

E D I TO R I A L :

Stephen Giles +44 (0) 1603 959 656 steve.giles@outlookpublishing.com

Tom Wadlow +44 (0) 1603 959 657 tom.wadlow@outlookpublishing.com

Devon Collins +44 (0) 1603 959 661 devon.collins@outlookpublishing.com

Jonathan Dyble +44 (0) 1603 959 660 jonathan.dyble@outlookpublishing.com

BUSINESS TRAVEL GUIDES A complete guide to Asia’s leading business travel destinations

M A L D I V E S

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Maldives

MALDIVES, COMMONLY REFERRED to as Maldive Islands and formally know as Republic of Maldives, is a fascinating stretch of landmasses in the northern Indian Ocean.

The independent nation is made up of around 1,200 coral islands and sandbanks, of which 200 are inhabited, stretching more than 820 kilometres from north to south and 130 kilometres from east to west.

This unique geography has

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resulted in a reputation for tourist luxury, with resorts often being housed on their own island and offering the perfect, all-inclusive private getaway.

Permanent inhabitants are almost all Maldivian, an ethnic group formed as a result of various groups of settlers arriving throughout the country’s history, the first being Tamil and Sinhalese peoples from Sri Lanka and Southern India.

An important source of employment

ASIA for locals derives from tourism, with visitors to the islands spoiled by the pristine beaches and opportunities to explore sea life and partake in water sports.

The past decade has seen the industry open up, not least because inhabitants have been granted the power to build guesthouses on their islands, providing competition to resorts which have traditionally dominated the accommodation scene here.

The hallmark of luxury tourism, Maldives and its array of private resort islands continues to attract growing numbers of visitors looking for the perfect retreat Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Joe Palliser

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See page

22 Our Business Travel section not only gives executives the complete guide to the world’s most popular and populous locations, but also gives said locations the perfect opportunity to showcase their own businesses, events, venues and services to a truly international audience and readership of more than 220,000 each month.

To share in this unrivalled exposure and to put your own offering on our map, then please contact our Sales Managers, Joe Palliser, Jordan Levey or Matt Cole-Wilkin to find out more. joe.palliser@outlookpublishing.com

+44 (0)1603 959 676

jordan.levey@outlookpublishing.com

+44 (0)1603 959 668

matt.cole-wilkin@outlookpublishing.com

+44 (0)1603 959 669