Asia Outlook - Issue 42

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Issue 42

SHELL LUBRICANTS ASIA PACIFIC

Leveraging the power of data

COLUMBIA ASIA GROUP Delivering efficient, affordable private healthcare services

Hevilift Group continues to meet the needs of remote industry with best-in-class, bespoke aviation services

Reaching the

Unreachable Anita Richards, MD of IMARC, gives the lowdown on the 2019 edition of Australia’s premiere mining event

Our travel guides are moving

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OUTLOOK RECOMMENDS EAT: F O R H O M E - CO O K E D I TA L I A N S O U L F O O D… F O R B U D G E T T R AV E L L E R S …

Mama Lou’s is a business born out of a family kitchen in Las Pinas. It has now become Mama Lou’s Group, comprising two Italian concepts— Mama Lou’s Italian Kitchen and Nonna’s Pasta & Pizzeria.

At the branches of both restaurants you can expect home-cooked Italian soul food, such as pasta vongole and pepperoni pizza.

F O R A N E XC LU S I V E B E AC H F R O N T LO C AT I O N …

Crimson Resort and Bar Boracay has an enviable location on a pristine white sand beach. It has a minimalist design – venues such as the Pavilion have glass doors and walls, offering panoramic views of sea and sky. Guests stay in luxurious accommodation – we especially recommend the villas, which have their own private plunge pools.

PHILIPPINES TRAVEL GUIDE

PHILIPPINES

S

at in the estuary of the Tagus River, Philippines is the westernmost capital city in continental Europe and serves as Portugal’s chief port, largest and capital city, and commercial, political and tourist centre.

It was once considered by Europeans to be the furthest edge of the known world before it became basecamp for the renowned Portuguese explorers of the 15th and 16th centuries, Vasco da Gama being the most well-known.

The city is defined geographically by seven hillsides which overlook the river, these vantage points being a highlight for anybody’s visit. Much of the architecture is defined by a huge earthquake that destroyed much of Philippines in 1755, the rebuilding exercise that followed providing the template of what stands today.

As well as being scenically spectacular, Philippines is a crucial economic centre and lies on a strategic sea route. Its port is bustling with activity, handling a large proportion of the trade between Portugal and neighbouring Spain.

The city is also culturally one of the country’s most important hubs. Despite making up just three percent of Portugal’s landmass, the metropolitan area is home to more than a quarter of the nation’s population, owed much to the surge in migration from rural areas in the 1970s when industrial activity took off.

F O R E AST M E E TS W E ST F I N E D I N I N G …

Blackbird at the Nielson Tower F O R F I L I P I N O F L AVO U R S …

Rural Kitchen of Liliw

SLEEP :

Business Travel Guides joe.palliser@outlookpublishing.com Tel: +44 (0) 1603 959 676 jordan.levey@outlookpublishing.com Tel: +44 (0) 1603 959 668 krisha.canlas@outlookpublishing.com Tel: +44 (0) 1603 959 682 matt.cole-wilkin@outlookpublishing.com Tel: +44 (0) 1603 959 669 w w w. a s i a o u t l o o k m a g . c o m

Over 7,000 islands to choose from

F O R A N AT U R A L OAS I S N E A R CO R O N …

Bacau Bay Resort Coron is an upmarket resort, nestled in amongst the mangroves. You can expect luxurious accommodation and facilities, including a lavish spa and a lagoon-like outdoor pool. The resort also has its own private pier and dive school, so you can explore local attractions both across and under the water.

58 | Asia Outlook issue 42

The 7,641 islands of the Philippines are a patchwork of different cultures, renowned for their smouldering volcanoes, white sand beaches and emerald rice terraces Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: Krisha Canlas

T

he Philippines is a Southeast Asian nation consisting of 7,641 islands. It’s renowned for its pristine white sand beaches, emerald rice terraces and dramatic volcanic landscapes.

With so many islands to choose from, the Philippines caters to the tastes of many different tourists.

Adventurous travellers will enjoy playing at being Robinson Crusoe somewhere along Palawan’s deserted coastline or ascending the rugged peaks of the Sierra Madre mountains. Those who’re all about the beaches should head to the Visayas, where there are plenty of opportunities to island hop. Throughout the archipelago,

surfing, diving and kitesurfing are popular activities.

Luzon is the largest and most populous island, home to the sprawling capital Manila. However, even here you’ll find remote, mist-shrouded towns, volcanic mountains to climb and the lesser-explored Bicol region, renowned for its spicy food.

48 | Asia Outlook issue 42

The islands consist of a patchwork of different cultures, having originally been populated by competing tribes.

Thanks to their sea-trade connections, the islands saw migrants arrive from China, Japan, India and other Asian countries. Three hundred years of Spanish rule introduced Catholicism into the area. Now, Filipino culture is a blend Asia Outlook issue 42 | 49

Owing to the success of Asia Outlook’s business travel section, we are proud to announce the launch of a brand-new publication, Outlook Travel. Featuring leading travel destinations not just in Asia, but all over the world, this is the ideal platform to showcase the best of travel and tourism in your area.

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, Krisha Canlas or Matt Cole-Wilkin to find out more.

travel magazine www.outlooktravelmag.com/travel-guides

WELCOME

Lift Off

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

Most aviation services around the world involve landing and taking off from runways at airports.

PRODUCTION Art Director: Stephen Giles steve.giles@outlookpublishing.com Senior Designer: Devon Collins devon.collins@outlookpublishing.com

Be it long and short haul passenger flights or jumbo jet cargo carriers, air transport is reliant on solid (and lengthy) landing strips to operate efficiently and safely.

Junior Designer: Matt Loudwell matt.loudwell@outlookpublishing.com BUSINESS 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 HEAD OF PROJECTS Callam Waller callam.waller@outlookpublishing.com Thomas Arnold thomas.arnold@outlookpublishing.com TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Eddie Clinton eddie.clinton@outlookpublishing.com SALES MANAGER Donovan Smith donovan.smith@outlookpublishing.com PROJECT MANAGERS Josh Hyland josh.hyland@outlookpublishing.com Kyle Livingstone kyle.livingstone@outlookpublishing.com Ryan Gray ryan.gray@outlookpublishing.com Vivek Valmiki vivek.valmiki@outlookpublishing.com BUSINESS TRAVEL Director: Joe Palliser joe.palliser@outlookpublishing.com Sales Manager: Jordan Levey jordan.levey@outlookpublishing.com Sales Manager: Krisha Canlas krisha.canlas@outlookpublishing.com Sales Manager: Matt Cole-Wilkin matt.cole-wilkin@outlookpublishing.com

ADMINISTRATION Finance Director: Suzanne Welsh suzanne.welsh@outlookpublishing.com Finance Manager: Sophia Curran sophia.curran@outlookpublishing.com Office Manager: Daniel George daniel.george@outlookpublishing.com 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 SUBSCRIPTIONS Tel: +44 (0) 1603 959 657 Email: tom.wadlow@outlookpublishing.com www.asiaoutlookmag.com Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/asiaoutlook Follow us on Twitter: @Asia_outlook

But this is not always possible. Many industrial activities such as mining and oil exploration/production take place in hard to reach places, areas which are sometimes only accessible by air.

This month’s cover story sees us catch up with Hevilift Group, which continues to fly to far-flung corners of the Asia Pacific region with its bespoke aviation services.

“We’ve had clients who initially needed helicopters for exploration,” explains Peter Cannon, the company’s Director of Business Growth.

“If this has been successful, they’ve then required different aircraft to transport people and equipment to and from specific mine sites. Then, as production has begun and grown, they’ve requested a fly-in, fly-out service that requires larger aircraft.”

Sticking with the mining theme, towards the front of this issue you will find a roundup of the recent IMARC event held in Australia. In a Q&A with the exhibition’s Managing Director Anita Richards, we explore the key takeaways from the show which saw 359 mining companies on display.

Attendees heard from 352 speakers across five theatres covering a range of subjects including mining and exploration opportunities, finding capital, plant and processing, global opportunities, mine optimisation, technology and workforce and culture.

Our other exclusive insights include an extensive look into the region’s private healthcare scene, with features on Columbia Asia, Aikchol Hospital, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz and FV Hospital.

The latter is a particularly fascinating story, one that involves a series of chance events that saw French doctor Jean-Marcel Guillon establish a practice in Ho Chi Minh City, having worked in Saudi Arabia, Brunei and Turkey before a rollercoaster few years in Vietnam.

This will also be the final edition of Asia Outlook which houses our travel guides. Owing to the popularity of these features, Outlook Publishing is proudly launching a new standalone title, Outlook Travel, in December. For now, however, be sure to check out what the Philippines has to offer.

Enjoy the issue!

Tom Wadlow Editorial Director, Outlook Publishing Asia Outlook issue 42 | 3

CONTENTS

10 22

REGULARS

6 NEWS

116 RPW Thailand 2020

8 EXPERT EYE

Bigger and better than ever before

Telstra: How UK businesses can navigate Asian markets by leveraging technologies

BUSINESS INSIGHT

10 Oil & Gas

Data: The New Commodity An interview with Dr Felix Guerzoni of Shell Lubricants Asia Pacific

16 Mining

Making the Most of Mining A look inside this year’s edition of IMARC

26

TOPICAL FOCUS

22 Singles Day

1 day - $38.4 billion How Alibaba’s Singles’ Day profits from technology

BUSINESS TRAVEL GUIDES

26 Philippines Over 7,000 islands to choose from

16 4 | Asia Outlook issue 42

EVENT FOCUS

Around Asia Pacific in seven stories

118 Mining Investment Asia Southeast Asia’s foremost forum for the global mining community

120 Telecoms World Asia 2020 Exploring intelligent connectivity in Asia

122 THE FINAL WORD If you could offer one piece of advice for a young entrepreneur entering your industry, what would it be?

ASIA OUTLOOK MAGAZINE

54

44 86

F E AT U R E S

42 SHOWCASING LEADING COMPANIES

74 FV Hospital

Tell us your story and we’ll tell the world

The standard-bearer for Vietnam’s private medical sector

AEROSPACE

44 Hevilift Group

​Reaching the Unreachable ​A one-stop aviation services shop

TECHNOLOGY

54 CHENG HUA Engineering Works A Champion of Change

Meeting the demand for sophisticated materials handling solutions

Provision with Pride

80 Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz Better, Faster, Friendlier

Maintaining modernisation in Malaysia’s healthcare system

86 Aikchol Hospital

At the Heart of Healthcare Bringing international expertise to local people

MANUFACTURING

HEALTHCARE

90 JFE MERANTI​

64 Columbia Asia Group of Companies

Elevating standards in Myanmar’s building industry

Passion for People

Providing effective, efficient and affordable private healthcare services

64

Made of (Quality) Steel​

98 Beyonics

90

A Tale of Transformation​ Defining excellence in precision engineering

CONSTRUCTION

104 Ai Associates Designing Dreams

Helping people to live better, work better and play happier

110 Probuild

Transforming Ideas into Cities Delivering quality to Australia’s built environment

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NEWS Around Asia Pacific in seven stories…

TECHNOLOGY

Panasonic agrees $250 million sale of chip business to Nuvoton

M A N U FA C T U R I N G

HYUNDAI TO BUILD FIRST INDONESIA PLANT IN $1.5 BILLION INVESTMENT H YUN DA I HAS entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Indonesian government to build its first manufacturing plant in the country.

The state-of-the-art manufacturing plant will be located on an 8.35 million-square-foot site in Kota Deltamas, an integrated industrial, commercial and residential district on the eastern outskirts of Jakarta.

Euisun Chung, Executive Vice Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group,

said: “The establishment of Hyundai Motor’s manufacturing plant in Indonesia has been made possible thanks to the continuous cooperation and support from the Indonesian government.

“Hyundai will continue to listen actively and respond to the Indonesian government’s expectations and policies regarding eco-friendly vehicles, while continuously contributing to the ASEAN community.”

JA PA N ’ S PA N AS O N I C has agreed to sell its semiconductor business to Taiwanese firm Nuvoton Technology Copr for $250 million.

The unit, which produces chips for sensors in smartphones, cars and security cameras is currently a lossmaking venture, the company looking to cut fixed costs by more than $900 million by March 2022.

In statement Panasonic said: “The competitive environment surrounding the semiconductor business has become extremely severe due to aggressive expansion of competitors, huge investments in the focused area, and industry reorganisation through M&A… Accordingly it has concluded that the best option would be to transfer the business to Nuvoton.”

ENERGY & UTILITIES

South Korea to idle 15 coal power plants I N A bid to limit air pollution, South Korea has said it will close 15 coal-fired power plants between December and February.

The country’s energy ministry said that the remaining plants are expected to provide sufficient supply. The remaining coal 6 | Asia Outlook issue 42

sites are due to operate at no more than 80 percent capacity during the shutdown period.

South Korea has around 60 coal power stations which combine to produce approximately 40 percent of its electricity, a figure it wants to reduce amid public demand for cleaner air and power production. The next two most significant energy sources are nuclear (30 percent) and gas (20 percent).

SPORT

CONSTRUCTION

Man City owners to acquire majority stake in Mumbai City FC CIT Y F OOTBALL Group (CFG), which owns English Premier League champions Manchester City FC, has agreed to acquire a majority share in Indian Super League team Mumbai City.

According to Reuters, the deal will make CFG the world’s most valuable football enterprise after it sold a $500 million share to US investor Silver Lake.

Mumbai City is currently jointly owned by Bollywood star Ranbir G OV E R N M E N T

Indonesia plans to replace civil service roles with robots PR ES IDEN T JOKO Widodo has told Indonesian government agencies to replace public officials with artificial intelligence in a bid to cut red tape.

Overbearing bureaucracy is thought to be hindering the country’s ability to attract foreign investment, vital if it is

QUEENSLAND REVEALS FIRST SITE UNDER SPIT MASTER PLAN

Kapoor and has had the likes of Freddie Ljungberg, Nicolas Anelka and Diego Forlan feature for the team in the past. The Indian Super League currently has 10 competing clubs as it seeks to build up its popularity across the country.

to successfully diversify its economy away from its reliance on natural resources.

President Widodo won power earlier this year and is eager to establish Indonesia as a hub for smart manufacturing, utilising its resources for such activities rather simply generating receipts from exporting to other countries. The switch to AI in some government agency functions is aimed to cut bureaucratic layers from four to two.

AU STR A L I A N STATE Queensland has announced the first commercial development site under its Spit Master Plan project.

The Spit is the northernmost section of the Gold Coast, incorporating Main Beach and Surfers Paradise all the way south to Coolangatta.

“The master plan secures the future of 138 hectares of green space, unlocks the potential for up 1,800 new jobs, provides for up to 800 new short-term accommodation rooms and creates vibrant community spaces and outstanding natural areas,” the Queensland Government states on its project webpage.

A 9,858-square-metre plot with a marina allotment adjacent to Sunland’s Mariner’s Cove is the first section that will be developed.

FINANCE

CHINA RECORDS ITS BIGGEST EVER INTERNATIONAL BOND SALE TH E C H I N E S E finance ministry has raised $6 billion in what has been the country’s largest ever sale of international sovereign bonds.

Taking advantage of low borrowing costs, China sold the bonds in four groups in an exercise which saw it double its initial target.

Bank of China said in a statement that the move will “provide a pricing benchmark for Chinese enterprises issuing US dollar bonds”.

It is only the third dollar bond sale since the country restarted its international debt issuance programme in 2017 following a 13-year absence.

Asia Outlook issue 42 | 7

EXPERT EYE

Expanding into Asia: Ensuring digital readiness Matt Williams, Head of EMEA at Telstra, discusses how UK businesses can capitalise upon the growing opportunities emerging in Asian markets by leveraging critical technologies and IT infrastructure Written by: Matt Williams, Head of EMEA, Telstra

ABOUT THE EXPERT Matt Williams is the Head of EMEA at Telstra, based at Telstra’s offices in London. He has 20 years’ experience in the industry, with ten of those spent at Telstra. As businesses in EMEA look to digitally transform and access new growth markets, Williams and his team are responsible for expanding Telstra’s customer growth and services within the region.

T

o say there are huge business opportunities in Asia would be an immense understatement. With a population of over 2.3 billion spread across 16 countries, it is one of the most sought-after consumer markets for global businesses. Research suggests that today, 40 percent of global economic activity now occurs in Asia, and world growth is expected to be led by the region over the next decade.

The World Economic Forum predicts that next year, in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP), Asian economies will become larger than the rest of the world combined for the first time since the 19th century. With figures like these, very soon Asia will not just be the biggest global producer of goods and services – it will also be the biggest global consumer.

Understandably, Asia continues to buck the global trend for trade fragmentation. Its emergence as the world’s most dynamic economic region has focused many minds on the 8 | Asia Outlook issue 42

opportunities and challenges of what we see as the Asian century. International expansion would seem to be the logical next step for many UK-based companies, but in today’s increasingly digital global economy, success is based on more than just logistics and products.

Crucially, getting IT support and infrastructure right plays a crucial role for organisations. With ICT and technology getting faster and smarter, and the cloud playing an increasingly significant role in the global economy, the way tech supports business in Asia continues to change.

To navigate these challenges, there are five things UK businesses should consider on their journey into Asia.

Local country infrastructure Whilst data may be stored in the cloud, companies need to ensure it reaches their end-users in a timely and reliable manner. Without a resilient global network that can intelligently handle

latency issues and network outages, a cloud solution can be rendered useless. Bandwidth costs are another aspect to consider when comparing suppliers, as costs in Asia can be higher than in Europe.

Each country has very different technological infrastructures and capabilities, so access rights differ from country to country, and companies need to consider local regulation. For example, if a UK organisation’s data is stored offshore, it could be subject to the laws of the country in which that storage facility is located, leading to scenarios such as a foreign government requesting access to stored information.

Security and data governance Security attacks are becoming an increasingly pervasive phenomenon in Asia. A 2018 report found Asia-based companies to be twice as likely to experience multiple security incidents from multiple attackers compared to organisations in Europe or North America. Further, when an APAC business experiences a significant attack, the chance of experiencing another attack in the following year is more than 90 percent.

To mitigate these issues, UK businesses should consider adopting a cloud infrastructure platform that enables them to host data offshore safely.

Cloud computing gives unprecedented access and options to businesses of all sizes, but organisations need to not only be aware of the different types of

puting services. In addition, well-implemented capacity management processes can allow an organisation to mitigate the risks of change and growth while controlling and optimising the costs of running the IT environment.

As well as embracing the cloud, businesses should also consider measures such as configuring servers to allow for additional capacity and ensure their software is optimised for scalability

Greater collaboration and support

cloud, but also which is the best option to serve their individual needs.

Public cloud offers cost savings and ease of management, while private cloud focuses on flexibility, performance and security. Hybrid environments attempt to offer the best of both, but ultimately, companies must think about what types of tasks they need to accomplish daily, the software applications required and how they want to fund their technology when making the decision to invest in cloud technologies as part of their broader digital channel strategy.

Culture and language An important component of ICT that is often ignored is the understanding of local markets at a granular level. Many businesses consider Asia as a single market entity, but the reality is that there are many different markets with vastly different ways of doing business.

To excel in these markets, businesses need to have technical expertise within each region. One important feature to

consider is choosing an IT partner that is a member of the Asia Cloud Computing Association (ACCA), an organisation focused on creating awareness and understanding of the cloud market and associated capabilities in countries across Asia. This membership is ideal because ACCA also engages with governments and regulatory bodies across the region to share insights and encourage greater consistency and transparency on policies and capabilities in each country.

Increased flexibility Due to today’s fast moving and changing business landscape, organisations need to be flexible enough to tackle any unexpected changes in the market or meet fluctuations in business demands – especially when operating in a new region. This approach does not just apply to processes but must be reflected in the agility of a company’s IT infrastructure.

Thankfully, business IT scalability is an advantage to utilising cloud com-

As businesses expand into Asia and the surrounding regions, the need for collaboration between offices across the globe is crucial in order to maintain productivity. Cloud computing helps to make the complex simple by acting as a globally consistent platform upon which applications can be built and delivered.

This means that by using the cloud, multinational customers can quickly seize new business opportunities and get projects up and running faster.

The opportunity ahead Although each market presents unique opportunities and challenges, businesses should rest assured that they are not alone in trying to interpret and understand the challenges around localisation, regulatory, security, and accessibility. Asia presents significant opportunities for UK businesses, and success cannot be achieved by just taking a long-term approach to market entry, but by being flexible and adaptable, and leaning on the wisdom of trusted partners to ensure approaches are well informed.

To ensure expansion into Asia is a profitable venture, companies should look for advice and expertise from connectivity and technology services partners that have the experience in the market and knowledge to guide them.

By taking these actions, organisations can be sure their infrastructure will be ready for the business opportunities that Asia presents.

Asia Outlook issue 42 | 9

SHELL LUBRICANTS ASIA PACIFIC

Data: The New Commodity Dr Felix Guerzoni of Shell Lubricants Asia Pacific discusses how leveraging the power of data can help the region to futureproof itself against rising demands for energy Writer: Tom Wadlow

E

ight of the world’s most populated countries are situated in Asia Pacific.

China, India and Indonesia among them, the region is developing at breakneck speed both in terms of economic growth and urbanisation.

The upshot? A spiralling demand for energy.

China alone in 2018 saw its electricity demand increase by 8.5 percent, a trend which shows no sign of slowing down, while emerging economies such as Malaysia continue to invest in generation and transmission infrastructure to cater to its own electricity needs.

But is enough being done to keep up? Dr Felix Guerzoni, Product Application Specialist, Team Lead Asia Pacific, Shell Lubricants, is better placed than most to answer.

“The demand being experienced is being met by tangible action to an extent,” he comments. “This is

10 | Asia Outlook issue 42

demonstrated by an expansion of services and advancement of grid infrastructure as the transition from outdated coal power stations gains more momentum.

“And indeed, this shift is clearly reflected in the figures, with the Asia Pacific region now existing as the biggest market for power transformers Dr Felix Guerzoni recently globally, at $8.14 billion – all of which is spelled out five ways that opening a large market for engineerAsia Pacific can prepare ing procurement contractors, OEMs for peak energy demand and utilities alike.” during a speech at the However, as Guerzoni hints, there is POWERGEN Asia conference more work to do.

For example, coal still represents 69 percent of energy consumption in India and 58 percent in China, and with populations set to continue growing and the emergence of electric vehicles set to accelerate in coming decades, the question of how to transition to cleaner power still remains.

OIL & GAS

Asia Outlook issue 42 | 11

SHELL LUBRICANTS ASIA PACIFIC DEMAND = DATA Digitisation, and especially data, provide many possible answers.

In the eyes of Guerzoni, the emerging role of digitisation throughout the industry has largely been a consequence of two things – the increase in energy demand and the consequent pressure for reducing the levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) and maintenance costs.

He cites the ability to increase efficiency, enable greater flexibility and reduce the likelihood of grid overload and outage as three major benefits.

“The proliferation of digital technol-

FIVE STEPS TO PREPARE FOR PEAK ENERGY DEMAND As part of a presentation delivered at POWERGEN Asia in September, Guerzoni outlined five practical steps to successfully meet rising energy demand. These are: GO BACK TO BASICS: “With in-house maintenance teams under strain, there is a clear demand for third-party expert advice and support. OEMs, lubricant suppliers and independent maintenance experts can all play a vital role in bridging today’s knowledge gap, improving maintenance and lubrication practices, and helping to set businesses up for success.”

SMART MAINTENANCE THINKING: “Most power companies are already some way along this path, accustomed as they are at making decisions based on statistics about equipment usage, efficiency and so on. Now is the time to start looking at the kind of insights that smart maintenance can yield, to begin working out how to make operations more efficient.”

MAP EQUIPMENT: “Mapping where equipment is along maintenance and replacement cycles – and noting how frequently they are experiencing unplanned downtime – can be extremely useful. This will help provide a better understanding of where new maintenance technologies could have the biggest impact on the equipment, while allowing to plan for the optimal time to test new technologies, to minimise unplanned downtime and maximise performance.”

TRAIN FOR TOMORROW: “It’s imperative to identify opportunities to upskill team knowledge regarding new maintenance technologies, data analytics and other skills that will be needed as these technologies evolve.”

BUILD PARTNERSHIPS: “Working with partners, such as Shell Lubricants, who have an understanding of these new technologies and who know the industry well, can help provide companies with a head start in the marketplace.”

12 | Asia Outlook issue 42

ogies has become increasingly inevitable, with those not embracing the advancements running a genuine risk of falling behind in a business sense,” Guerzoni adds.

“Again, this development is borne out by the industry figures, with the digital utility market in the Asia Pacific region projected to grow at the fastest rate globally until 2022, largely as a result of increasing investment in electrical infrastructure, developing smart grid projects and investments in smart cities.”

In terms of his own area within the Shell business, lubricants, the case for data-driven solutions could also not be stronger.

“The way power plants are operated today – with more peaking or cycling duty rather than base-load operation and with increased percentage of renewables integration into the grid – creates new challenges which need to

OIL & GAS “JUST ONE PLANT IS EQUIPPED WITH MORE THAN 10,000 SENSORS. NOW, IMAGINE HOW MUCH DATA THESE GENERATE ALONE. AND THIS NUMBER IS ONLY DUE TO INCREASE WITH THE GROWING ADOPTION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND MACHINE LEARNING” DR FELIX GUERZONI, PRODUCT APPLI­CATION SPECIALIST, TEAM LEAD ASIA PA­CIFIC, SHELL LUBRICANTS

these generate alone. And this number is only due to increase with the growing adoption of artificial intelligence and machine learning.”

PLUGGING THE SKILLS GAP

be addressed,” Guerzoni continues.

“The more frequent start-stop duty, with fast ramp-up and ramp down rates, places additional stress on the equipment and the lubricants which are their lifeblood.

“With the advent of connected technologies and digital solutions, operators have access to a vast amount of information which may prove overwhelming and difficult to identify real actionable alarms. Asset management and maintenance scheduling has become increasingly digitalised from the largely paper-based processes.”

And the opportunity is spelled out by financial industry forecasts.

According to the World Economic Forum, $1.3 trillion could be generated by 2025 simply through digitising electricity generation around the world, a projection which backs up Guerzoni’s warning that companies which do not act face missing out.

His message is that big data is no longer a conversation which has perpetually been on the horizon of the industry. Rather, data is here today and companies need to learn how to manage it, or be left behind.

“Take the modern gas-fired power plant,” says Guerzoni. “Just one plant is equipped with more than 10,000 sensors. Now, imagine how much data

While the technology needed to achieve what Guerzoni describes is already in the midst of being deployed, a greater challenge lies in developing the human skills en masse required to exploit it.

The industry’s ageing workforce is a problem. As new technologies and therefore demanded skills enter the market, added strain is being placed on already-stretched maintenance teams who have been brought up in the sector the old school way.

To help tackle the current knowledge gap around maintenance, Shell operates a training programme named Shell LubeCoach, specifically designed to empower maintenance teams to deliver the benefits of a well-designed strategy surrounding lubricants.

Courses are delivered via workshops by technical experts with substantial experience working in the field, the company also partnering with tech companies to deliver futuristic solutions to overcome logistical and operational obstacles.

Asia Outlook issue 42 | 13

SHELL LUBRICANTS ASIA PACIFIC “For example, we have teamed up with Honeywell to connect our workers with back office expertise through the use of a new augmented reality hard hat,” Guerzoni explains.

“It comes with a built-in voice-controlled computer that’s equipped with a micro-display and a camera. This makes it possible for workers in the field to send pictures and video back to the office in real-time and receive over-the-shoulder assistance from remote operations experts when making repairs and doing work on sensitive equipment around the globe.

“These helmets from RealWear are the first wearable device certified to operate in hazardous conditions where explosive gases are present.”

Further, the Shell Digital Realities team is also working with EON Reality to adopt mainstream VR and AR solutions to provide a global on-demand immersive training programme for its teams.

“THE BENEFITS THAT DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES CAN HAVE ON ENERGY SUPPLY, DEMAND PREDICTION AND PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE ARE NOW TOO SIGNIFICANT TO IGNORE, AND THEY CONTINUE TO CREATE FRESH OPPORTUNITIES FOR POWER COMPANIES” THE FUTURE ENERGY MIX It is collaborations such as these which Guerzoni believes will enable a smarter global energy industry and, ultimately, a pathway to achieving the goals set out in the Paris Agreement.

Shell sets out its vision in what it calls the Sky scenario, an illustration of a technically possible albeit challenging route towards these ends – ends that will only be reached through adoption of disruptive technology and a culture of partnership and knowledge exchange.

For Guerzoni, this will dictate the makeup of any future energy mix.

SHELL LUBEANALYST In response to the need for companies to learn and embrace all things data, Shell has released its new oil condition monitoring service.

Named Shell LubeAnalyst, it is a predictive maintenance solution which streamlines the oil analysis process, allowing oil sample details to be input digitally and submitted instantly.

“The easier and faster it is to enter test oil samples – and to match these consistently to the same vehicle or equipment – the more data accumulates in the system,” comments Guerzoni. “As a result, Shell LubeAnalyst has built up more than 25 million data points over the past 30 years, covering over 700,000 components, a figure that is expected to experience a sharp increase with the new system in place.

“This gives a consistent view of each machine over time, making it possible to: plot trends; accurately predict failure; recommend pre-emptive action to mitigate risk; and more reliably manage maintenance schedules, all of which help to save power companies time and money.”

Such high quality can then be fed into other solutions powered by emerging technologies like AI-driven predictive analytics, providing yet further actionable insights and possibilities to enhance the overall efficiency of power plant operations.

14 | Asia Outlook issue 42

OIL & GAS

He adds: “Due to its dependence on coal, this will be largely driven by the extent to which industry collaboration is encouraged, and whether governmental policies are introduced to enforce greater energy supply security that can help to accelerate the development and introduction of innovative technologies.”

But despite the size of the task ahead, a recent Powering Peak Performance survey conducted by Shell shows a significant level of optimism.

Almost 60 percent believe new equipment maintenance technologies such as connected equipment, autonomous equipment, robotics, cloud-

based and big data-based technologies will lead to improved operational efficiency, while just over 60 percent believe they will create cost savings.

However, while these are a sign that awareness is improving, Guerzoni does believe there are arguably too many companies which have not yet fully realised the connection between digitisation and operational efficiency.

“Beyond optimism, it’s imperative that technology now begins to play a leading role in the region’s future energy mix, for all the reasons we have discussed,” he says, rounding off the conversation.

“The benefits that digital technol-

Shell’s lubricants plant in Indonesia is one of the company’s key hubs in the Asia Pacific region ogies can have on energy supply, demand prediction and predictive maintenance are now too significant to ignore, and they continue to create fresh opportunities for power companies in the pursual of smarter, more effective and more accessible systems.

“Building deeper partnerships with equipment manufacturers, operators, academia and lubricant suppliers is also key to driving further efficiency gains and optimising equipment design and operation.”

Asia Outlook issue 42 | 15

IMARC

Making the Most of Mining Anita Richards, Managing Director of IMARC, provides a lowdown on the 2019 edition of Australia’s premiere mining event Edited by: Jonathan Dyble

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he mining industry is a key staple of the global economy.

From the technological innovations steaming out of Silicon Valley to China’s booming manufacturing industry, numerous markets worldwide are entirely reliant on the supply of commodities, minerals and metals found beneath the earth’s surface.

It’s big business, the world’s top 40 global mining companies having reported a combined revenue of $683 billion through the course of 2018. And Australia has long played a pivotal role.

Dating back to the gold rushes of the 1850s, the expansive country’s resource rich plains have consolidated mining’s position as one of the nation’s best-established sectors. Today it accounts for roughly seven percent of Australia’s $1.3 trillion-strong annual GDP – now considered to be a global top five producer of gold, iron ore, lead, zinc and nickel.

Such stature, and the presence of many global mining players that has come in tandem, makes Australia the perfect place for global mining confer16 | Asia Outlook issue 42

ences to blossom.

Indeed, this is exactly what the International Mining And Resources Conference & Expo (IMARC) has succeeded in doing, its sixth annual edition (concluded October 31, 2019) having reached new highs. Here, Anita Richards, Managing Director of IMARC, gives us the lowdown.

Asia Outlook (AsO): Now the dust has settled on 2019’s IMARC, tell us how the event went overall? Would you define it as a success?

Anita Richards (AR): IMARC 2019 was another successful event, bringing together thousands of people across the entire mining supply chain to discuss challenges and opportunities for the mining industry in the years ahead.

Despite protests outside the venue, the conference itself was not disrupted and, inside, it was business as usual with more than 4,500 meetings taking place inside and many thoughtful and positive discussions on responsible and sustainable mining practices.

Attendees heard from 352 speak-

ers across five theatres covering a range of subjects including mining and exploration opportunities, finding capital, plant and processing, global opportunities, mine optimisation, technology and workforce and culture.

2019 brought 359 mining companies to IMARC, a 10 percent increase year-on-year, who were vying for the attention of investors with a cumu-

MINING

lative total of $4.12 trillion in assets under management and $29.28 billion ready to invest at IMARC. AsO: What are some of the key statistics to take away from this year’s IMARC? AR: The 2019 conference was the sixth annual IMARC conference, run in conjunction with the Victorian gov-

ernment. As Australia’s largest mining event, it attracted 6,639 delegates including participation from leading names in mining and technology such as Microsoft, IBM, Accenture, Sandvik, Caterpillar, BHP, FMG, Rio Tinto, Anglo American, Mitsui and more.

We featured 352 speakers and hosted 91 countries, including delegations from India, Chile, Saudi Arabia, China

and Canada. The event attracted more than 100 journalists, with a strong international contingent from countries including Latin America, Canada, Indonesia, Russia, France and the US. More than 253 companies were on display across the 12,000-square-metre expo floor showcasing the latest mining projects, leading machinery, equipment, technology and innovations.

Asia Outlook issue 42 | 17

IMARC

AsO: What were some of the key messages and themes discussed during IMARC? AR: The focus for 2019 was on knowledge-sharing and exchanging ideas related to technology, sustainability, social licence to operate and job creation. Hundreds of discussions were held on responsible and sustainable mining practices. Speakers from major mining companies including Newcrest, Anglo American, FMG and BHP discussed the need for an engaged workforce with the right skills for a new decade, recognising the community and economic benefits of a social licence to operate, and the keys to ensuring productivity gains in a rapidly changing mining environment.

In the five concurrent conference theatres, other speakers detailed global opportunities in Africa, Mongolia, Canada, Latin America, and China; the dire need for more Australian engineering students in universities across the nation; digital transformation and the vital need to protect data; the value of diversity and inclusion; meeting the challenges of changing energy dynamics; and solving the problems of operating in remote locations.

18 | Asia Outlook issue 42

The mining industry recognises that it is under ongoing and increasing scrutiny. Newcrest’s Chief Development Officer Michael Nossal, in his keynote address, told delegates they only had to “look at the conference programme or stop and talk to some of the people demonstrating outside to understand how the sustainability message is really affecting everything we do”.

“We have to walk into new communities, sit with new governments and set out how we operate and basically pass that test every time we look at moving into a new country,” he said.

“But we actually have to deliver on these promises from the very beginning.”

The importance of dealing ethically and responsibly with communities and ensuring those values are shared by contractors were major themes that ran through many of the presentations.

Conferences such as IMARC give representatives of the entire mining supply chain the opportunity to come together in a collaborative way to discuss these challenges and to find solutions.

AsO: Did you feel a sense of optimism about Australia’s mining industry from the discussions and interactions?

AR: There is every reason to be optimistic about the Australian mining industry. State and federal government representatives explained the initiatives taken to assist and promote mining. A presentation by the Office of the Chief Scientist said that while current market conditions were challenging, hydrogen and gas were bright sparks and Australia was positioned to take advantage of growing demand for battery commodities. Manager of Resource Economic David Thurtell told us: “Potential growth is significant; for battery consumption alone demand could grow more than 20 percent a year for copper, nickel and lithium.”

The Victorian government used IMARC to announce the release of ground for gold exploration, the SA government said it had set long-range objectives for exploration investment, exports and competitive energy, and the WA government promoted the state’s strength not only in iron ore and LNG, but battery and critical minerals

MINING

and its vast lithium deposits.

Miners large and small and the businesses that support them feel that the next decade will be one of transformational change in the sector. Importantly, they believe they are ready to answer the challenges.

AsO: Are you already looking ahead to next year’s edition?

AR: Planning is already underway for IMARC 2020 which will be bigger and better – contributing to the understanding and development of ideas that will make mining safer and more sustainable so that companies can continue to support the communities in which they operate. In fact, planning for next year started even as delegates, partners, sponsors and exhibitors reviewed this year’s outcomes on the final day of IMARC 2019.

AsO: How are you planning to make IMARC 2020 the best edition yet?

AR: Since inception IMARC has grown 245 percent. Our goal for 2020 is to continue this growth trajectory with

more delegates, speakers, companies and exhibitors and continuing to hold our position as Australia’s largest mining event, and as a key pillar on the global mining event calendar.

Based on the success of this year’s newly launched features, 2020 will also see the return of the ASCENT startup and scaleup village, the core farm and a silent theatre, all of which will be back bigger and better.

IMARC’s reputation has been built on the quality of its presentations and in the collaborative way it tackles industry issues. No other single event brings together so many leading industry experts in one place – and the value of those connections is reflected in the billions of dollars of business that flows directly from the conference each year.

Early figures reported are showing that more than $361 million was invested, and a further $315 million of business has been generated or forecast to come in over the next 12 months as a result of attending IMARC 2019.

I look forward to continuing to receive reports of the value derived from this year’s conference, and we will continue working hard over the next 12 months to develop IMARC’s growing importance and reputation globally.

Asia Outlook issue 42 | 19

Exhibitor Profile

AMC Consultants O

ne exhibitor on display at IMARC was AMC Consultants. A company with a sole purpose to help miners find smarter ways to mine and unearth hidden business value, its technology-based offering is being utilised by clients to extract greater efficiencies.

Andrew Hall, Director and General Manager of AMC’s Melbourne office, comments: “In my experience the benefits of getting the mining strategy right typically provides significantly greater value than efficiency improvements alone.

“While bigger and more powerful equipment enables higher productivity, evidence suggests that this approach typically doesn’t reduce operating costs, but it can often reduce profit margins. Technology by itself is not the answer – good people selecting, developing, and using the right systems and technology is most likely to deliver the best outcomes.”

Continuing the conversation, Hall answers our questions.

Q: What inspired you to get into the mining industry? Has mining always been an interest of yours?

A: “My first hands-on experience with mining was visiting the Sovereign Hill tourist mine in Ballarat near Melbourne with my family when I was young. We panned for gold and visited the old underground workings. I have had an interest in rocks and minerals ever since. I joined the mining industry in 1995 and since then I have been very fortunate to visit a large number

of mines in more than 20 countries. I have had many great experiences working in an industry that is fundamental to our way of life.”

Q: Why is IMARC an important event for AMC? A: “IMARC helps to connect us with the international resources industry and its leaders and enables collaboration on new and emerging technologies and practices with industry peers. As consultants we spend a lot of time travelling across Australia and the world so to have such a high profile and well-attended event in my hometown of Melbourne is a great opportunity to make new connections and renew existing ones.”

Q: I see you spoke about underground hard rock mining during the keynote at the conference. What were some of the main points you made?

A: “AMC has benchmarked hundreds of mines worldwide, enabling us to establish the largest validated global database of open pit and underground hard rock mining costs and productivities. We analysed the changes in mining productivities and operating costs at Australian underground hard rock mines over the last decade to assess the impact that new technologies have had on performance.

“The analysis revealed that there have been significant increases in development rates and long hole drilling productivity. This is predominantly due to increased average rockdrill power which enables faster penetration rates

and more accurate drilling. Substantial increases in underground loading and trucking productivity were also apparent which is mostly attributable to increasing machine capacity.

“While equipment productivities have increased mechanical availability, utilisation of available time has not materially changed. Consequently, there has been no material change in equipment operating hours in the recent past. This is surprising given the significant industry focus on digitisation and automation of underground hard rock mines which should help to reduce the large quantity of unproductive time. (lose this amoutn coloumn)

ADVERTORIAL “Underground mining operating costs have, on average, escalated by approximately $1.50 per tonne of ore each year above inflation based on the Australian consumer price index during the same period.

“The analysis suggests that, excluding the more widespread use of larger and more powerful machines, new technologies have not led to significant efficiency improvements and their use has not been effective in controlling rising operating costs at most Australian underground hard rock mines. Similar results have been observed at other highly mechanised mines worldwide.”

Q: How does your Improve solution tie into increasing efficiencies in underground hard rock mining?

A: “AMC Improve provides a logical and transparent process that includes comparative benchmarking, detailed analytics of existing mine data, knowledge of industry best practices, and extensive practical mining experience to quickly identify and prioritise the best improvement opportunities. These range from easy to implement operational improvements that provide quick wins through initiatives such as reducing non-productive time to developing strategic initiatives that right-size the mine and maximise value.

AMC at IMARC 2019 Highlights

“Our data-driven process and deep mining expertise enable us to identify opportunities that others can’t.”

Q: Can you briefly detail one or two case studies of Improve in action?

A: “We have been working with a client in Asia who has eight underground hard rock mines. Over more than 10 years we have helped them to develop the right mining strategies and guide them in transforming their operations from conventional mining methods to high levels of modern mechanised mining, including selecting and implementing the necessary supporting practices and systems. This has resulted in an increase in underground metal production of more than 400 percent while maintaining operating costs amongst the lowest in the world.

“AMC Improve is an integral part of many of our clients’ business improvement processes.

“By undertaking regular reviews of our clients’ operations and working closely with their technical and business improvement teams, we help them to establish and realise their improvement targets. We pride ourselves on delivering practical and achievable improvements that realise a significant return on investment.”

Q: Looking ahead, are you generally optimistic for the future of Australia’s mining industry?

A: “The Australian mining industry is at the cutting edge in many areas and we continue to produce many great mining professionals and technologies that are helping to improve mining practices and performance around the world.

“However, we do face some big challenges, in particular the need to better manage rising mining costs. I am confident that we can do this but to maintain our competitive advantage we need to be smarter about the way we use new technologies and derive a greater benefit from what is typically a large investment.

TOPICAL FOCUS

SINGLES DAY

1 DAY$38.4 BILLION

Alibaba’s Singles Day raked in $38.4 billion in sales, thanks to sophisticated tech including its cloud infrastructure, AI and live streaming Writer: Dani Redd

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herever you live, chances are that you’ve heard of Singles Day. It began as an obscure Chinese holiday celebrating the country’s bachelors – the date it’s held, November 11 (11.11) is a graphic representation of four single people. However, these days Singles Day is better known for being the world’s largest 24-hour shopping sale, run by Chinese ecommerce giant Alibaba.

This year, Alibaba smashed sales

records on ‘Singles Day’. $13 billion was notched up in the first hour, rising to a total of $38.4 billion by the end of the day. What explains these meteoric figures? In a word, technology.

Alibaba draws upon various sophisticated technologies for two fundamental reasons: to keep its ecommerce platform running smoothly and to drive sales.

At its most recent Singles Day, the Alibaba ecommerce platform was used by over 500 million people in 24 Asia Outlook issue 42 | 23

TOPICAL FOCUS

hours. With orders coming in thick and fast, it needs powerful technology to support it.

That’s why Alibaba Cloud was developed.

Up until 2009, Alibaba relied on technology from Yahoo, one of its largest shareholders. But Jack Ma, Alibaba’s founder, wanted the company to develop its own technology.

He pledged to invest a billion yuan ($140 million) per annum into building Alibaba’s own computing systems. A team of engineers developed Apsara, a cloud computing system that can cluster thousands of PCs together, implementing a powerful performance.

“Alibaba is investing at a tremendous rate to build up its cloud services.

It has become one of the world’s hyperscale cloud players, catching up with Amazon, Microsoft and Google,” 24 | Asia Outlook issue 42

‘THIS YEAR, ALIBABA CLOUD PROCESSED AROUND 970 PB OF DATA TO SUSTAIN A 24-HOUR SHOPPING SPREE WITH A PEAK ORDER RATE OF 544,000 A SECOND, OVER A THOUSAND TIMES THAT OF THE INAUGURAL SINGLES DAY FESTIVAL IN 2009’ said Martin Garner, Senior Vice President at CCS Insight.

This year, Alibaba Cloud processed around 970 PB of data to sustain a 24-hour shopping spree with a peak order rate of 544,000 a second, over a thousand times that of the inaugural Singles Day festival in 2009.

The seamless performance of the Alibaba Cloud at this year’s Singles Day has highlighted the adaptability and maturity of the system.

Alibaba Group CTO and President of

Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Jeff Zhang said: “Alibaba Group is like a highspeed jet that is capable of upgrading its engine during the course of flight.

We are the first company in the world to run all core business systems on our own public cloud platform.”

Aside from its increased processing speeds, there’s another great result of the Apsara Cloud’s sophistication – it consumes less energy. Thanks to self-developed green technologies such as liquid immersion and

SINGLES DAY deep-water cooling, overall data centre energy consumption dropped 70 percent from 2018.

But that’s not all. Alibaba has also been leveraging various AI technologies to drive sales. On Tmall – the company’s business to consumer platform – thousands of merchants were upgraded to Version 2.0 storefronts in time for Singles Day. Version 2.0 provides a unique interface where a 3D avatar can try on clothes and jewellery, helping consumers make purchasing decisions. The conversion rate per purchase increased by 20 percent on last year.

More than a million orders were processed through voice command using Alibaba AI Lab’s smart speaker, Tmall Genie. Items purchased by voice command included 1.4 million tonnes of rice and 810,000 eggs – a sign that AI technology is becoming part of the everyday shopping experience.

Meanwhile, shoppers with inquiries were helped by Alime Shop Assistant, Alibaba’s customer service chatbot.

During Singles Day, Alime Shop Assistant handled 97 percent of all online enquiries.

Another key sales driver is live streaming, or “shoppertainment” – a term used to describe the combination of entertainment and commerce that characterises livestreaming in China.

Livestreaming combines three popular elements: mobile videos, KOLs (key opinion leaders) and exclusive offers.

It’s particularly popular in China, where urban consumers spend around 4.5 hours a week watching online videos, often on their mobile phones.

Discussing the success of livestreaming, Wang Xiaofeng, senior analyst at Forrester Research explains: “Recommendations from KOLs and real-time comments from peers help consumers make purchase decisions faster. Livestreaming sessions often include exclusive limited-number and limited-time offers that create urgency to buy.”

On Singles Day 2019, Alibaba used livestreaming to its full advantage through its livestreaming website Taobao Live. It began the Singles Day streaming extravaganza with a three-song performance from Taylor Swift in front of a 71,000 strong crowd.

Throughout the livestream, video AI identified products mentioned by broadcasters and influencers – product links were simultaneously displayed on screen, allowing instant purchasing. All in all, Tabao Live generated nearly $2.8 billion, which is around 7.5 percent of total Singles Day sales. ​But for Alibaba, Singles Day is about more than financial profit. It’s also the day where it can stress-test its technology systems at an event that will only continue to grow with every passing year. Singles Day has prompted Alibaba to push the boundaries of technological innovation, especially in the areas of cloud technology and AI. Asia Outlook issue 42 | 25

T

he Philippines is a Southeast Asian nation consisting of 7,641 islands. It’s renowned for its pristine white sand beaches, emerald rice terraces and dramatic volcanic landscapes.

With so many islands to choose from, the Philippines caters to the tastes of many different tourists.

Adventurous travellers will enjoy playing at being 26 | Asia Outlook issue 42

Robinson Crusoe somewhere along Palawan’s deserted coastline or ascending the rugged peaks of the Sierra Madre mountains. Those who’re all about the beaches should head to the Visayas, where there are plenty of opportunities to island hop. Throughout the archipelago, surfing, diving and kitesurfing are popular activities.

Luzon is the largest and most populous island, home

PHILIPPINES TRAVEL GUIDE

S

at in the estuary of the Tagus River, Philippines is the westernmost capital city in continental Europe and serves as Portugal’s chief port, largest and capital city, and commercial, political and tourist centre.

It was once considered by Europeans to be the furthest edge of the known world before it became basecamp for the renowned Portuguese explorers of the 15th and 16th centuries, Vasco da Gama being the most well-known.

The city is defined geographically by seven hillsides which overlook the river, these vantage points being a highlight for anybody’s visit. Much of the architecture is defined by a huge earthquake that destroyed much of Philippines in 1755, the rebuilding exercise that followed providing the template of what stands today.

As well as being scenically spectacular, Philippines is a crucial economic centre and lies on a strategic sea route. Its port is bustling with activity, handling a large proportion of the trade between Portugal and neighbouring Spain.

The city is also culturally one of the country’s most important hubs. Despite making up just three percent of Portugal’s landmass, the metropolitan area is home to more than a quarter of the nation’s population, owed much to the surge in migration from rural areas in the 1970s when industrial activity took off.

The 7,641 islands of the Philippines are a patchwork of different cultures, renowned for their smouldering volcanoes, white sand beaches and emerald rice terraces Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: Krisha Canlas

to the sprawling capital Manila. However, even here you’ll find remote, mist-shrouded towns, volcanic mountains to climb and the lesser-explored Bicol region, renowned for its spicy food.

The islands consist of a patchwork of different cultures, having originally been populated by competing tribes.

Thanks to their sea-trade connections, the islands saw

migrants arrive from China, Japan, India and other Asian countries. Three hundred years of Spanish rule introduced Catholicism into the area. Now, Filipino culture is a blend of these different countries and traditions, making it a fascinating place to visit. Whether you enjoy active holidays or simply lounging on the beach, the Philippines will captivate you with its dramatic beauty.

Asia Outlook issue 42 | 27

PHILIPPINES TRAVEL GUIDE

H O T E L A N D R E S TA U R A N T A S S O C I AT I O N O F T H E P H I L I P P I N E S THE HOTEL AND Restaurant Association of the Philippines (HRAP) aims to take the lead role as the single voice organisation representing the Philippine private business sector in the hotel and restaurant industry.

It is comprised of several sectors, representing the many facets of the country’s tourism industry: the hotel sector; the restaurant sector; suppliers and academe.

Representing so many different organisations and businesses has its challenges. We sat down with Eugene Yap, President of HRAP, to discuss the association’s core activities, difficulties and goals.

Asia Outlook (AsO): Can you tell me about the history of the association?

Eugene Yap (EY): Back in 1951, the Philippines barely had a tourism industry. The nation had only one thing in mind – recovery from the war.

28 | Asia Outlook issue 42

Eugene Yap Amidst the rebuilding, there were only four hotels in Manila. There were no plush restaurants, just unpretentious family eateries. The only tourists were journalists and photographers, chronicling the bombed-out rubble of Corregidor and Intramuros.

The hotel owners struggled with issues such as employee theft, breakages and losses. Deciding to take a common stand, they founded the Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines (HRAP) in 1951, and officially registered the organisation with the Securities and Exchange Commission. It was reincorporated

for another 50 years in 2001.

Now, almost seven decades later, the association is a fully-fledged organisation representing the interests and concerns of the hotel and restaurant industry for the entirety of the Philippines.

AsO: Have there been any challenges for the association, either when it was initially incorporated, or today?

EY: We started when the Philippines’ economy was still recovering from the war. This was a challenge, but even so, the association’s members banded together to upgrade their management skills and services, and to keep up with trends abroad.

The country had begun to reap the rewards of these industry-wide innovations when the economy started to pick up. When tourists began to arrive in ever-increasing numbers,

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PHILIPPINES TRAVEL GUIDE

more five-star hotels were built.

These days our challenges are different. We have a problem with the swift turnover of skilled labour, due to increasing competition from other industries. Many hospitality business owners struggle to hire and retain staff.

Small businesses also struggle to keep up with technology-driven innovations and changing guest expectations. Competition by shared space providers is also disruptive, as many are not bound by the same rules and regulations as traditional establishments, making it easy for them to undercut pricing.

However, despite these difficulties, the warmth and friendship of Filipino hospitality never diminishes.

AsO: What are HRAP’s key visions and goals?

EY: Aside from being the single voice representing the Filipino hospitality industry, we also want to promote unity and cooperation both within and beyond the industry. We desire to encourage and foster high ethical standards in business, resulting in fair and honest competition. We also provide industry representation in matters of government regulatory policies and laws affecting the industry.

Another goal is to undertake programmes and projects that will upgrade and professionalise the industry – something that may, ultimately, prevent high staff turnover.

AsO: What are HRAP’s core activities?

EY: We have general membership meetings every quarter, allowing members to network with each other.

There are also sectoral meetings, which address specific issues faced by individual sectors in the industry.

HRAP has a commitment to training and education. In 1995, we collaborated with Singapore Hotel Association Training and Education Centre (SHATEC) to offer training and management programmes.

We concern ourselves with all issues affecting the hotel and restaurant industry, including but not limited to environment, governmental liaison, ethics, health, legislation, finance and more. As the umbrella organisation of the hospitality industry, we actively participate through consultancy and position papers.

AsO: Are there any products in the pipeline you wish to highlight?

EY: We hope to revive a project known as Chefs on Parade next year. It’s our flagship culinary competition project,

30 | Asia Outlook issue 42

The warmth and friendship of Filipino hospitality never diminishes which encourages and nurtures talented chefs and culinary artists to seek improvement in their craft and become world-class experts.

This flagship project is also inspiring other competitions by independent culinary organisations, helping create a dynamic, flourishing culinary scene in the Philippines.

Recently, we conducted a digital marketing workshop for our members through SHATEC and have lined up several modules for next year. This is to keep our members up to date with current global technologies.

AsO: Lastly, do you feel optimistic about the future of the tourism industry in the Philippines?

EY: With the current infrastructure of the government almost in place, hotels are now able to provide the country with more employment opportunities and create a better playing field for all the stakeholders in the industry.

The fact is, as long as there are people who invest in this country, who are willing to put up structures and invest in the hotel and restaurant industry, the only way to go is up.

THE PHILIPPINES’

TOP THREE UNESCO W O R L D H E R I TA G E S I T E S THE PHILIPPINES BOASTS six UNESCO-designated sites – three natural and three cultural – and a further 26 on its tentative list.

UNESCO chooses sites according to their cultural, historical or scientific significance, and they then become protected spaces. There are no shortage of stunning natural sites or cultural attractions in the Philippines, but these three places constitute the islands’ most iconic landmarks.

BAROQUE CHURCHES OF THE PHILIPPINES These four Baroque Churches – variously located in Manila, Santa Maria, Paoay and Miagao – were designated as a UNESCO site in 1993, thanks to their influence on architectural design in the Philippines. They were conceived of by Spanish missionaries, who wanted to build churches inspired by the architecture of their homeland.

However, since they weren’t trained in architecture or engineering, they

32 | Asia Outlook issue 42

had to rely on residents and Chinese migrants, who gave the Spanish designs an Asian twist.

The churches’ final designs were shaped by limited access to materials, and a need to rebuild after natural disasters such as earthquakes, leading to shorter churches with wide bases and buttresses – a style now known as Earthquake Baroque.

Inside, the churches are elaborately decorated, with biblical scenes incorporating island iconography such as palm fronds, or saints dressed in traditional Filipino attire.

THE IFUGAO RICE TERRACES These dramatic, emerald coloured rice terraces hug the steep contours of the Philippine Cordillera mountains, providing a breath-taking site. There are five clusters, located across four municipalities, each with slightly different patterns. For 2,000 years, they have been maintained by the Ifugao ethnic group, and have been passed on from generation to generation.

UNESCO states: “The Ifugao Rice Terraces epitomise the absolute blending of the physical, socio-cultural, economic, religious and political environment. Indeed, it is a living cultural landscape of unparalleled beauty.”

PUERTO-PRINCESA SUBTERRANEAN RIVER NATIONAL PARK This park is a protected conservation area, renowned for its different types of forest, and a karst landscape of sinkholes, caves, springs and mountains. What elevates it to UNESCO status, however, is its 8.2-kilometre-long underground river. This subterranean river system is important because it flows directly into the sea, making it a significant global phenomenon.

The cavern that houses the river is characterised by dramatic, eye-catching rock formations. As well as being a UNESCO site, it was also designated one of the “New7Wonders of Nature” in 2011. Unsurprisingly, taking a boat tour down the river is a popular tourist activity. However, despite its popularity, the park is excellently well-preserved.

Bacau Bay Resort Coron opened its magnificent doors to the public in March of 2019. Since then, this new slice of paradise has gained immense popularity as top luxury resort in the Philippines. Bacau Bay Resort Coron offers guests a sophisticated experience and an abundance of places to visit, shop, dine, and unwind.

Situated just 30 minutes away from the Francisco B. Reyes Airport in Busuanga Island, this 1.5 hectare resort bids travellers a marvellous holiday adventure.

Guests have the chance to explore wonders of the Philippines’ last frontier, and discover several beautiful sites at their own privacy, nestled nearby mangroves. The resort was built with a medley of modern luxury and contemporary feel, dwelling with details and elements that capture Filipino hospitality at its best.

- SLEEP Rest from a whole day wander at Bacau Bay Coron’s luxurious rooms. The resort boasts 64 Deluxe Rooms, 15 Premier Suites, and a Presidential Suite with the coziest beds. It also melds the feel of a modern luxury room with a hint of contemporary sensibilities. Rooms range from 32sqm to 144sqm, each room has a balcony extension where guests can lounge as they watch the Coron’s beautiful sunset.

- EAT Satiate your appetite with the best cuisine at Bacau Bay Resort Coron’s Amihan Restaurant where dishes are masterfully prepared by skillful chefs.

Guests are treated to a distinct dining experience with the restaurant’s array of international delicacies and well- loved local dishes. Pugon Café takes you straight to Italy overwhelming your taste bud with Italian dishes while enjoying the view of the resort’s mangroves and man-made beach. To cap off the night, guests can swing by at the Isla Pool Bar or at Serena Pier Bar while bonding with friends over delicious cocktails.

- DO Guests will never run out things to do in Bacau Bay Resort Coron! With its exclusive pier, island hopping has never been easier. Guests also have the exclusive access to a secluded portion of Paca Island, an extension of Bacau Bay Resort’s offers to its guests. For those who would like to take it easy and stay at the resort for a day, activity areas where guests can enjoy sungka (mancala), table tennis, badminton, kayaking, paddle boarding, and more, are incorporated within the resort’s 1.5 hectares of open green space and majestic mangrove plantation. While, for guests who would like to maximize their rest and relaxation period, they may go to the resort’s Alon Spa which offers a wide variety of massages and body scrubs.

For more information about Bacau Bay Resort Coron, visit: www.bacaubayresortcoron.com or email at reservations@bacaubaycoron.com

PHILIPPINES TRAVEL GUIDE

IN FOCUS

MANILA

MANILA IS THE Philippines’ capital – a megacity with a greater metropolitan population edging towards 13 million. At first glance, the city is an overwhelming sprawl of malls, skyscrapers and congested roads. But look a little more closely and you’ll find a whole host of hidden gems, from crumbling ruins to hip new art galleries.

To delve deeper into the city’s

Spanish colonial past, head to Manila’s historic centre, the remnants of a walled city known as Intramuros.

Fort Santiago is a landmark bearing traces of the city’s troubled history – it was occupied by the British in the 16th century and used as a prison and torture chamber by the Japanese during World War II. You’ll find heritage churches and art galleries here as well.

If you’re getting hungry, check out Binodo – the oldest Chinatown in the world. The winding streets are home to hundreds of hole-in-the-wall restaurants serving mouth-watering Asian cuisine.

Manila has plenty of bars, museums and other landmarks for you to explore. There’s never a dull moment in this energetic city.

Come home to the

Best location in Manila Whether staying for business for leisure, the Makati Diamond Residences is ideally located in the heart of the Philippines’ business district, with easy access to many multinational corporations, shopping, dining and entertainment destinations.

410 guestrooms • 1,500 square meters of function room space • 24 hour restaurant and gym • Indoor lap pool • Club Lounge

MAKATI DIAMOND RESIDENCES

118 Legazpi Street, Legazpi Village, Makati City 1229 Philippines Trunk Lines +632 5317 0999 or +632 8878 9699 • www.makatidiamond.com Makati Diamond Residences

OUTLOOK RECOMMENDS EAT: F O R H O M E - CO O K E D I TA L I A N S O U L F O O D… F O R B U D G E T T R AV E L L E R S …

Mama Lou’s is a business born out of a family kitchen in Las Pinas. It has now become Mama Lou’s Group, comprising two Italian concepts— Mama Lou’s Italian Kitchen and Nonna’s Pasta & Pizzeria.

At the branches of both restaurants you can expect home-cooked Italian soul food, such as pasta vongole and pepperoni pizza.

F O R E AST M E E TS W E ST F I N E D I N I N G …

Blackbird at the Nielson Tower F O R F I L I P I N O F L AVO U R S …

Rural Kitchen of Liliw

SLEEP: F O R A N AT U R A L OAS I S N E A R CO R O N …

Bacau Bay Resort Coron is an upmarket resort, nestled in amongst the mangroves. You can expect luxurious accommodation and facilities, including a lavish spa and a lagoon-like outdoor pool. The resort also has its own private pier and dive school, so you can explore local attractions both across and under the water.

36 | Asia Outlook issue 42

F O R A N E XC LU S I V E B E AC H F R O N T LO C AT I O N …

Crimson Resort and Bar Boracay has an enviable location on a pristine white sand beach. It has a minimalist design – venues such as the Pavilion have glass doors and walls, offering panoramic views of sea and sky. Guests stay in luxurious accommodation – we especially recommend the villas, which have their own private plunge pools.

OUTLOOK RECOMMENDS F O R E L E VAT E D B U S I N E SS T R AV E L …

Makati Diamond Residences is a chic hotel located in Manila’s Central Business District. The F O410 R Bluxury UDGE guest T T Rrooms AV E Lhave L E RaSmodern … design and amenities, including a fully equipped kitchenette.

Guests can enjoy an elevated hotel experience with the hotel’s 24-hour gym, an indoor lap pool and a restaurant serving American-inspired cuisine.

A business centre and function rooms are available to hire.

F O R M O U N TA I N TO P LUXU RY… Sierra Pines Baguio Hotel is our top pick for Baguio, located in spacious, forested grounds in a quiet city suburb. The hotel offers deluxe rooms and fantastic facilities, including a spa and wellness centre, and a gallery displaying works by Filipino artists. You’ll love dining in the onsite steak house, or tucking into Filipino comfort food at the airy Atrium Lobby Café.

F O R ST Y L E A N D CO N V E N I E N C E …

Mella Hotel is located in Las Pinas, mere minutes from Manila’s international airport. Both business travellers and families will love the stylish and comfortable rooms, the lavish spa and the outdoor swimming pool. The hotel can cater to a variety of events, thanks to its tech-enabled meeting rooms and conference halls.

DO: F O R S C U B A D I V I N G I N C E B U… Kontiki Divers F O R P L AY I N G AT B E I N G A M E R M A I D… Philippines Mermaid Swimming Academy F O R L E A R N I N G H OW TO CO O K F I L I P I N O F O O D… El Kusina El Nido 38 | Asia Outlook issue 42

Discover Local

Contact Details C5 Extension, Global South, Las Piùas City, Metro Manila, Philippines 1742 Tel (+ 632 ) 8882 – 8181 mellahotel.com

VULCAN POINT A tiny island in the middle of a large lake in the middle of a volcano, located on the island of Luzon

LANDMARK AT T R A C T I O N S

BARRACUDA LAKE A shimmering turquoise lagoon, where underwater temperatures can rise to 38ËšC

40 | Asia Outlook issue 42

PHILIPPINES TRAVEL GUIDE

GETTING THERE AND AROUND THE PHILIPPINES IS a popular tourist destination, with frequent international flight connections. The largest airport is Ninoy Aquino International Airport near Manila, which handled 42 million passengers in 2017. More than 30 airlines offer direct flights to destinations ranging from Hong Kong to New York.

Air Asia, Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific are the three largest domestic carriers, offering scheduled flights to destinations across the archipelago. The islands are also linked by a network of ferry routes, ranging from multi-decked passenger ferries to “bangkas” – small, motorised outriggers.

Get around cities using metered taxis or use local jeepneys – jeeps left behind after World War II, customised with religious art, neon-coloured paintings and colourful headlights.

CADLAO ISLAND A gorgeous island renowned for its white sand beaches and coral gardens

PHOTO BY BY MITHRIL CLOUD AT ENGLISH WIKIPEDIA, CC BY-SA 3.0

Asia Outlook issue 42 | 41

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With content compiled by our experienced editorial team, complemented by an in-house design and production team ensuring delivery to the highest standards, we look to promote the latest in engaging news, industry trends and success stories from the length and breadth of Asia.

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In joining the leading industry heavyweights already enjoying the exposure we can provide, you can benefit from FREE coverage across both digital and print platforms, a FREE marketing brochure, extensive social media saturation, enhanced B2B networking opportunities, and a readymade forum to attract new investment and to grow your business.

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FREE

HEVILIFT GROUP

w w w. a s i a o u t l o o k m a g . c o m

SHELL LUBRICANTS ASIA PACIFIC

Leveraging the power of data

Reaching the

Delivering efficient, affordable private healthcare services

Hevilift Group continues to fly to far-flung corners of the Asia Pacific region, meeting the needs of remote industry with its best-in-class, bespoke aviation services Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Donovan Smith

Hevilift Group continues to meet the needs of remote industry with best-in-class, bespoke aviation services

Reaching the

Unreachable

2 | Asia Outlook issue 42

rtunity

AEROSPACE

Issue 42

COLUMBIA ASIA GROUP

Marketi ng Oppo

Last week I was in Sydney, tomorrow I’m travelling down to Melbourne and then I’m heading to Adelaide on Friday before coming back home on Saturday. On Tuesday I’m then off to Cairns and will be flying to Papua New Guinea the following week.”

Catching Peter Cannon on the phone during one of his fleeting windows of availability, it wasn’t hard to see from his hectic (something of an understatement) schedule that business is more buoyant than ever at Hevilift.

It’s been two years since Asia Outlook last spoke with Cannon. But the Director of Business Growth is able to pick right up from where we last left

off, pointing to numerous opportunities that have presented themselves to the leading fixed and rotary wing aviation services provider in recent times.

“Aviation is always exciting – I don’t think that will ever change to be honest,” he states. “The main thing that’s causing a bit of buzz I suppose at the moment is the upward trajectory of the resource sector. Prices have gone up, more people are exploring, and that’s kept us busy of late as we’ve moved with the market.”

Important as they are, market movements are not the only factor dictating Hevilift’s continued success. In many ways, this is self-induced by its flexible offering.

The company’s fleet comprises a multitude of different fixed wing aircraft including the ATRs and the DCH6-300/400, and rotary wing helicopters such as the Bell 407, 412 and 212 to the Sikorsky S76, the Leonardo AW139, MIL-8 and many others.

As a result, it is able to operate as a one-stop aviation services shop,

A ONE-STOP AVIATION SERVICES SHOP

Asia Outlook issue 42 | 3

Anita Richards, MD of IMARC, gives the lowdown on the 2019 edition of Australia’s premiere mining event

www.asiaoutlookmag.com/get-involved

HEVILIFT GROUP

44 | Asia Outlook issue 42

AEROSPACE

Reaching the Hevilift Group continues to fly to far-flung corners of the Asia Pacific region, meeting the needs of remote industry with its best-in-class, bespoke aviation services Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Donovan Smith

Last week I was in Sydney, tomorrow I’m travelling down to Melbourne and then I’m heading to Adelaide on Friday before coming back home on Saturday. On Tuesday I’m then off to Cairns and will be flying to Papua New Guinea the following week.”

Catching Peter Cannon on the phone during one of his fleeting windows of availability, it wasn’t hard to see from his hectic (something of an understatement) schedule that business is more buoyant than ever at Hevilift.

It’s been two years since Asia Outlook last spoke with Cannon. But the Director of Business Growth is able to pick right up from where we last left

off, pointing to numerous opportunities that have presented themselves to the leading fixed and rotary wing aviation services provider in recent times.

“Aviation is always exciting – I don’t think that will ever change to be honest,” he states. “The main thing that’s causing a bit of buzz I suppose at the moment is the upward trajectory of the resource sector. Prices have gone up, more people are exploring, and that’s kept us busy of late as we’ve moved with the market.”

Important as they are, market movements are not the only factor dictating Hevilift’s continued success. In many ways, this is self-induced by its flexible offering.

The company’s fleet comprises a multitude of different fixed wing aircraft including the ATRs and the DCH6-300/400, and rotary wing helicopters such as the Bell 407, 412 and 212 to the Sikorsky S76, the Leonardo AW139, MIL-8 and many others.

As a result, it is able to operate as a one-stop aviation services shop, Asia Outlook issue 42 | 45

HEVILIFT GROUP

The Sanctuary Hotel The Sanctuary Hotel in Port Moresby and Rapopo Plantation Resort in East New Britain offer two ideal accommodation choices for visitors to Papua New Guinea.

Respectively housing 64 and 32 wellequipped bedrooms, these locations will ensure a comfortable stay for any guest, be it a holidaymaker or business traveler. Both venues offer complimentary airport shuttle services, taking the stress out of finding them after landing.

catering to a multitude of bespoke needs often required by its customers who work in niche, highly specialised operating environments.

“Say we have a client that wants to start in Australia and get 50 people to PNG on a large aircraft,” Cannon reveals.

“Maybe they then want to get into the highlands of the country, and get onto a smaller aircraft that can land on a grassy strip near a specific mine site with 19 passengers, before using another helicopter to carry out survey work, or evacuations, or medical work, or lifting work.

“Our crew and fleet will almost always be able to meet any needs by delivering an end to end service that’s under one safety system and one management structure.”

From lifting pylons and generators to delivering firefighting and emergency medical services, it is this highly diversified, highly adaptable approach that truly sets Hevilift apart.

MOVING WITH THE MARKET Developing a catch-all status and such a broad offering is not something that has happened overnight, however.

New services have been added to its now extensive portfolio year by year, Hevilift meeting new needs as and when they arise in a coherent and measured manner.

46 | Asia Outlook issue 42

THE WHO’S AND WHAT’S OF HEVILIFT Established in Papua New Guinea in 1994, Hevilift is a leading fixed and rotary wing aviation services operator, providing charter solutions for the transportation of personnel and equipment in a variety of sectors.

The firm has a diverse fleet of aircraft, manned and backed by an experienced team that spans a multitude of professions, from management professionals and flight crew to maintenance and support personnel.

Its footprint includes almost the entirety of the Asia Pacific region, with offices in PNG, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Myanmar.

VISION: To be the provider of choice for fixed and rotary wing aviation services.

MISSION: To provide aviation services safely, efficiently and cost effectively while delivering benefits to all stakeholders.

While Rapopo serves as an ideal base from which to plan activities such as diving, snorkeling and other marine adventures, the Sanctuary Hotel offers the perfect setting for a business meeting or event.

www.thesanctuaryhotelpom.com

The Stanley Hotel & Suites The Stanley Hotel & Suites is a five-star 433-room hotel located in Waigani the commercial and government district of Port Moresby.

Just a five-minute drive to the airport, it is perfectly situated by being connected to Port Moresby’s only integrated shopping complex, Vision City Mega Mall, with nightclub, cinemas and a number of restaurants and bars, all without having to leave the hotel complex. The Stanley Hotel & Suites provides exceptional service and superb accommodation.

The Stanley boasts six food and beverage outlets, business centre, retail shops, grand ballroom and an expansive pool, state-of-the-art gymnasium and so much more.

T +675 302 8888 E reservations@thestanleypng.com www.thestanleypng.com

AEROSPACE

LOCATION IS EVERYTHING. The only hotel connected to a large upmarket shopping centre Largest resort swimming pool and gym Six food and beverage outlets Safe and secure

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Asia Outlook issue 42 | 47

HEVILIFT GROUP

“We’ve had clients who initially needed helicopters for exploration,” Cannon explains. “If this has been successful, they’ve then required different aircraft to transport people and equipment to and from specific mine sites. Then, as production has begun and grown, they’ve requested a fly-in, fly-out service that requires larger aircraft.

“In each instance and with each diversification, we remain dedicated to offering charter services, giving our customers sole use of entire aircraft within the select, flexible terms that they may require. We always ensure we provide them with a very focused service.”

Indeed, this ethos underpinned by customer centricity is Hevilift’s modus operandi, most recently precipitating further growth into the cargo sphere on a more dedicated basis.

The Director is quick to iterate that the company can’t claim all the credit for these strides, however. Here, he 48 | Asia Outlook issue 42

also points to role of vendors and suppliers – relationships viewed as being as important as those which Hevilift has with its customers.

“It’s not often that I personally get the chance to see our partners. I always try to buy them a decent coffee when I do,” he laughs. “But in all seriousness, we work on the principle that our vendors are just as important as our clients, and their efforts definitely reflect that.

“The clients see the end product, granted, but without adequate support behind the scenes, from those assisting in spare parts to fuellers and ground handlers, our solutions would not be nearly as effective.

“Our partners work hard to support us in a whole range of facets, and for that we are very much grateful.”

PROJECT PRIDE AND INTUITIVE INVESTMENT Clearly, collaboration remains critical to Hevilift and its success stories. And

these are indeed abundant.

Casting an eye of over the past two years in particular, Cannon is able to call upon three major contracts signed with major global mining and resource companies in Australia that have led the firm to flying between seven and eight scheduled flights on a weekly basis.

“This project was set up from scratch in 2017, where we had to secure an air operators certificate, hire staff, adhere to regulations and eventually get our aircraft up and running on a regular basis,” he explains.

“It was a massive challenge for the whole group and took a lot of time and investment, so to see it pay off is something that we’re very proud of.”

Meanwhile, the organisation has also been busy in PNG, having introduced its new generation Leonardo AW139 helicopters into its offering – renowned as the market-leading medium multi-engine helicopter, and considered to be the current

AEROSPACE

CAIRNS INTERNATIONAL AIRFREIGHT

Proud to be the Exclusive Cargo Partner for Hevilift in Cairns 15 Industrial Avenue Stratford (Cairns) Qld 4870 Australia Tel: +61 7 40551409 Email: chris.m@cairnsfreight.com.au

• Aircraft ramp & cargo handling • Customs Brokerage • Deconsolidation bond facilities • Freight forwarders • Charter Aircraft • Consolidators to major PNG mines and airlines for 30 years

A LITTLE SOMETHING ABOUT US The McRoyal Hotel was opened in 2015 and since has grown to be ranked first in the Hospitality and comfort among the other Hotels in Mt Hagen. The Hotel is 100% locally owned thus give the homely feel of Western Highlands Province.

OUR VISION IS TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AMONG THE BEST HOTELS IN PNG, AND TO SET A BENCHMARK FOR THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY, WHILE GAINING INTERNATIONAL CREDIBILITY AND ENSURING THE PROVISION OF DEDICATED CUSTOMER ORIENTED, AND MULTI-SKILLED EMPLOYEES. Contact us on +675 545 1955, +675 7905 7602 | Email us on reception@mcroyalhotelpng.com | www.mcroyalhotelpng.com

Asia Outlook issue 42 | 49

HEVILIFT GROUP benchmark for safety design, performance capabilities and productivity in multi-role operations all over the world.

“The AW139 was integrated into our offering in the space of just 90 days,” Cannon continues.

“This timeframe might not sound like much at face value, but when you consider it included the delivery of two new aircraft as well as training of all the staff, engineers and pilots in line with global oil and gas standards, as well as the sourcing of spare parts, it’s a massive feat for any company.”

In many ways, this speedy integration comes of little surprise when considering the stature of Hevilift’s in-house training programmes, and the robust safety team that conduct full risk assessments and management of change processes to ensure that all risks are mitigated.

Human resources are an area considered to be extremely valuable, the firm needing a vast array of skillsets

50 | Asia Outlook issue 42

“PEOPLE CAN DO COURSES ONLINE, BUT WE BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE TO TEST THEIR SKILLSETS AND DEVELOP A PRACTICAL UNDERSTANDING OF THESE LEARNINGS” – PETER CANNON, DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS GROWTH in order to prevail, so investments both in way of time and finances are prioritised.

“It can be quite hard for organisations such as ours that cover such a broad spectrum of specialisms to provide a standardisation programme in regards to training, so that the whole group has the same reference,” Cannon explains.

“Many opt to use online resources, which we tap into as well, but we also have an in-house training department

that actively covers all of our bases, be it remote or fairly cosmopolitan areas, providing hands-on training that’s often required to teach things such as proper first aid, firefighting and working at heights.

“People can do courses online, but we believe that they have to test their skillsets and develop a practical understanding of these learnings.”

From technical instructors specialising in pilot and simulation training to those adept in providing cabin crew

AEROSPACE

Pacific Energy Aviation (PNG) Ltd is the #1 Aviation into-plane fuel supplier at Port Moresby International Airport (PMIA) and also the approved Shell South Pacific Macro Lubricants distributor in PNG

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LOCATION Sect4 Lot 7 Romba Street Mt. Hagen

Asia Outlook issue 42 | 51

HEVILIFT GROUP learnings, this department covers the entire spectrum of Hevilift’s diverse 500-strong team, the latest technologies having also been acquired and implemented in support of this.

“We’ve been using flight, dial and monitor technologies, for example, equipping aircraft with cameras and in-flight data monitoring capabilities, providing analysis of flight patterns and other trends,” Cannon affirms.

“Our teams can then evaluate how each model of aircraft operates, looking at bank angles, take offs and landings, and the information gathered can in turn be used to tailor specific training programmes to specific aircraft.”

MAINTAINING A COURSE These training efforts are undeniably important in keeping Hevilift ahead of the curve and maintaining its bespoke offering. Yet their purpose is not entirely motivated by the desire for productivity and service improvements, the company also acknowledging the aspirations of its people to learn and upskill.

Tailored development and career progression programmes are cultivated accordingly, the enterprise running cadetships, traineeships and apprenticeships for engineers, for example.

“We’ve people here who started out as co-pilots and have gone on to become the heads of flight operations, and engineers who’ve gone through their apprenticeships to become senior base professionals,” Cannon affirms.

This is not the only way in which the organisation looks after its people, however, Hevilift providing a multitude of other benefits such as a corporate mental; health programme that includes site visits and a dedicated after-hours counselling line.

The pressures that come from being away from home and working remote locations for long periods can create a heavy burden, but the firm works tirelessly to ensure that both the

AEROSPACE

physical and mental health of its staff take precedence above all else – an emphasis which has served to create a family-like culture.

“We’re a hardworking company,” Cannon states. “Working in the oil and gas and mining sectors – it’s a tough gig. But we make sure our staff feel valued, equipping them with what they need, running our highfliers award programmes and holding social awareness meetings.”

Be it employees, partners or Hevilift’s own philosophies, the firm’s sustainability seems assured moving forward.

Indeed, Hevilift is currently a

“WE’RE HANDS-ON AND LOOK AT OUR VALUE PROPOSITION IN RELATION TO ANY OPERATION, FOCUSING HEAVILY ON MAINTAINING THE HIGHEST SERVICE LEVELS” beneficiary of the fact that the resource sectors are bearing fruit. Yet Cannon remains hopeful that its reputation, structure and customer-centric focus will help to maintain its upward trajectory should the sector face turbulence in the future.

“It’s hard to say we’re always optimistic,” Cannon reveals in his concluding statements.

“Work is always out there but getting to it isn’t as easy as that. I think what will continue to stand us in good stead is the fact that we’re a relatively lean company. We’re hands-on and look at our value proposition in relation to any operation, focusing heavily on maintaining the highest service levels.

“You’re only as good as your last flight, and there’s a lot of competition in the market. But we are where we are today, and have the reputation that we do for good reason.

“We know that markets move, and we will continue to ensure that we move with them.”

HEVILIFT GROUP Tel: +61 7 3261 8300 commercial@hevilift.com www.hevilift.com

Asia Outlook issue 42 | 53

CHENG HUA ENGINEERING WORKS The world is in the midst of the fourth industrial revolution where automation and robotics, computers and IoT are all converging to create a new cyber-physical environment.

“Materials handling technology is at the helm of this revolution – infusing AI, machine learning, vision systems together with advanced system automation. It will lead the manufacturing and warehousing industry into a new era of decentralised, network intelligence, advanced robotics and self-organised processes, paving the way for giant steps forward in efficiency, flexibility and productivity.

“At the same time, the explosion of ecommerce and the rapid evolution of consumer demands for same day delivery, and the competition-pressure to lower the cost of logistics – ‘The Amazon Effect’ – to manage and handle very high volume throughput and high numbers of stock keeping units is pushing retailers, manufacturers and logistics providers alike to automation as their key saviour – to adapt or die!”

Lim Chee Keong (CK) has spent the past three and a half decades helping companies to adapt with cutting-edge technologies.

Having graduated with a mechanical engineering degree in 1983, he joined his father’s Malaysian business, CHENG HUA Engineering Works Sdn. Bhd., which at that time had begun to capitalise on a growth in foreign investment brought about by the country’s Look East Policy – a national strategy to transform Malaysia into a centre of service and technological excellence.

Opting to expose itself to the internationalism that ensued, the firm was able to embrace global best practices, ethics and values in its early years, becoming one of the region’s leading suppliers of conveyor systems by the turn of the millennium.

“The influx of foreign entities experienced during the 1980s and 1990s led to increased demands for local 54 | Asia Outlook issue 42

TECHNOLOGY

CHAMPIONS OF

CHANGE Embracing the innovations provided by industry 4.0 technologies, CHENG HUA Engineering Works is successfully meeting the demand for sophisticated materials handling solutions the world over Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Vivek Valmiki

Asia Outlook issue 42 | 55

CHENG HUA ENGINEERING WORKS

engineering services and factory automation,” CK, now CHENG HUA’s Chief Executive Officer, explains.

“Materials handling equipment became popular solutions for assembly lines and warehouses to consistently deliver high quality, accuracy and productivity, and we engaged with a wide base of Japanese companies to provide them with engineering support.”

“In doing so, we developed deep bonds, trust and respect with our customers. And when they expanded their reach across Southeast Asia, it was CHENG HUA’s equipment that was chosen and exported to their overseas plants.”

Two decades on, the organisation looks somewhat different compared to its startup years.

Its competencies have grown to include fabrication and assembly installation, mechanical engineering 56 | Asia Outlook issue 42

design, electric engineering and controls and complete project management. And it has taken on new challenges in the process, proactively adapting and evolving in line with new opportunities and changes in the market.

“In the late 2000s, when Malaysia launched its national car plant project, we saw good-fit opportunities in our capabilities to deliver on automotive projects,” CK reveals.

“We worked with global brand names such as Toyota, Hino, Honda, Nissan, Mitsubishi, General Motors, Daihatsu and Suzuki. These, in turn, provide us with strong credentials which won us recommendations and connections to break into tyre manufacturers.”

Capitalising on these open doors and windows of opportunity, the enterprise now serves seven of the world’s top 10 tyre manufacturers,

with its integrated materials handling technologies.

THE CHENG HUA WAY Indeed, as is described by CK in the opening quote, these technologies have become a crucial part of socioeconomic ecosystems and key pillars of the ecommerce market – a global industry amounting to $3.53 trillion in 2019.

Today, CHENG HUA plays a crucial role in meeting the demand for sophisticated materials handling solutions, having completed more than 3,000 installations in Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, the Americas and Australia.

“We’ve achieved a lot in the 50 years since our inception,” CK affirms, calling upon some particular highlights of this vast portfolio.

“Having been awarded the Prime Minister’s Product Excellence Award

T: +607 859 0288 E: sales@sew-eurodrive.com.my www.sew-eurodrive.com.my

Products

Systems

Solutions

Industry know-how

Life Cycle Services

Industry 4.0

When the name SEW-EURODRIVE is mentioned, one of the first things people are quick to mention is “electric motors”. That is right, as electric motors formed the beginnings of our company. In the meantime, however, the SEW-EURODRIVE name stands for much more, and our range of products and services has grown significantly.

Gearmotors, gear units, motors, components for decentralized installation, electronically controlled drives, mechanical variable-speed gearmotors, as well as drive solutions that involve a lot of engineering. Of course, we shouldn’t forget supplementary services and service offerings.

CHENG HUA ENGINEERING WORKS

Q: How important are partner and supplier relationships to the success of your business?

Lim Chee Keong: “Partners and suppliers are key stakeholders in any business. Material delivery is often given short lead time, and material shortage and quality issues are always requiring immediate attention.

and been ranked in the top five of Malaysia’s Enterprise 50 award during our entrepreneurial years, we also became the first Malaysian company to penetrate into the Japanese market in the 1990s, exporting two advanced assembly lines to PANASONIC for their plant expansion into plasma technology televisions.

“In the early 2000s, competing against a world-class pool of material handling suppliers, we won a major automotive conveyor project to supply Malaysia’s automotive car plant – a project that was most gratifying as no one at the outset believed it was possible.”

In more recent times, the firm has commissioned an advanced logistics sortation and conveyor system for leading footwear and apparel company New Balance at its Taicang, China-based distribution centre; a centre operated under the Itochu Logistics Group.

Meanwhile, last year it also completed a full turnkey conveyor project for a German integrated bulk container company in Italy – a business that it

has completed in excess of 15 plants for, spanning more than 10 countries.

This latest development, built on repeat business, particularly speaks to CHENG HUA’s core ethos, focused on delivering great customer experience across each and every project by ensuring its core capabilities and competencies translate into quality, cost-effective solutions that bring critical impacts and values to its customers.

“Inherited from our Founder Mr Lim Koh Hua, we hold the strong belief that when customers trust us with their orders, we must honour these trusts by doing everything to execute excellence,” CK reveals.

“We do this by providing unwavering support to all, remaining loyal to them in every sense and protecting their intellectual properties and business interests. This level of trust is rare and especially important in the Asian market.”

It is for this reason that between 50 to 70 percent of CHENG HUA’s annual sales typically comprise repeat contracts.

“Without our partners’ and suppliers’ unwavering support and services, it would not be possible for CHENG HUA to achieve an overall high-level customer satisfaction. Our partners’, including financial institutions, and suppliers’ abilities to provide CHENG HUA with strong support has been and always will be crucial.

“They are an undeniably integral part of a strong healthy ecosystem that has been built and developed over time, enabling us to serve our global customers successfully. Operating on the belief of co-prosperity with our stakeholders has allowed CHENG HUA to expand healthily and continuously over the past 50 years. This crucial factor is more so when we expand our operation overseas.”

58 | Asia Outlook issue 42

“WE ALSO BECAME THE FIRST MALAYSIAN COMPANY TO PENETRATE INTO THE JAPANESE MARKET IN THE 1990S, EXPORTING TWO ADVANCED ASSEMBLY LINES TO PANASONIC FOR THEIR PLANT EXPANSION INTO PLASMA TECHNOLOGY TELEVISIONS”

CHENG HUA ENGINEERING WORKS

Rittal Rittal. Power and Vision!

Since 1961, Rittal has continuously evolved into the world’s leading systems provider for enclosures, power distribution, climate control, IT infrastructure and software and services.

Today, ‘Rittal - The System.’ offers a perfectly coordinated system platform which unites innovative productions, pioneering engineering solutions and global service to accommodate the most diverse requirements. It caters to a whole host of industries, from machinery and plant engineering, to the automotive industry, through to information technology.

GIVING BACK An essential component of CHENG HUA’s strategy is ensuring that it gives back to local communities through an extensive corporate social responsibility programme.

“CHENG HUA is grateful for its good fortune,” CK states. “We express our gratitude to our customers, employees, partners and stakeholders, through continuous Work of Hearts contributions and community participation.”

Since 2005, the company has contributed in excess of RM5 million ($1.2 million) to its Work of Hearts efforts. These include: COMMUNITY SERVICES (RM2.6 MILLION) • Funds provided to Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation Malaysia (2008-2010).

• Funds provided to local orphanages, disadvantaged school children, scholarships and critical healthcare (2006-present).

EDUCATION (RM1.5 MILLION) • Building eight schools in remote areas via its HOPE projects in China (2005-2011).

• Helping to provide poverty relief in Malawi by supporting Amitofo Care Centers (2009-2018).

DISASTER RECOVERY (RM1 MILLION) • Assisting with disasters recoveries related to the 2014 Malaysia floods, 2011 Japanese tsunami and 2008 Sichuan earthquake.

CONNECTING DOTS ACTIVITIES • Encouraging employee engagement in communities, visiting homes and remote areas where there is poverty and a lack of facilities.

60 | Asia Outlook issue 42

All from a single source, all in top quality.

“Rittal – The System. Faster – better – everywhere.”

EFFECTIVE INVESTMENT Further building on such numerous achievements and taking CHENG HUA to even greater heights will not be an easy task by any means. Yet a number of new developments underway at the business already suggest that it is headed in such a direction.

In the way of product development, for example, the company is looking to incorporate a new wave of stateof-the-art logistics technologies to its offering.

“We’ll be expanding our successful sortation series, MegaSort, to better cater to low cost markets,” CK explains.

“Meanwhile, bolstering our warehousing control software to meet changing demands and launching our new swivel wheel and cross belt sorters for high throughput are also current priorities.

“These are just some of our exciting developments in the pipeline.

Together with our in-house digitisation

TECHNOLOGY

Asia Outlook issue 42 | 61

CHENG HUA ENGINEERING WORKS

CHENG HUA, Malaysia

implementation, we’re expecting to see a vast opportunity to bring new innovations and further redefine market competitiveness.”

Geographical expansion is also on the agenda. In India, the firm has opened a new office space as part of its 10-year local anniversary, and in China it is set to inaugurate a second manufacturing plant in Yangzhou, China.

Once complete, the latter of the two will double the business’s production capacity, operating under an end-toend (from ordering to manufacturing) model with higher degrees of agility.

“In Malaysia, we have also secured a new 10-acre plot of land to prepare for further growth,” the CEO adds.

Capital investments aside, similar attention is equally paid to CHENG HUA’s growing human resource base, the organisation recognising the value of coherent, effective training policies.

Its staffing focus is multi-fold; leadership development, career development and building an operating system within the organisation based on the concept from the best seller book, Four Disciplines of Execution.

“Four Disciplines of Execution is aimed at empowering our people at work,” CK explains. “It includes achieving high clarity and focus in the deployment of our company’s Wildly 62 | Asia Outlook issue 42

Important Goals (WIG); aligning and leveraging in lead measures to act on and then in a disciplined, weekly structured session, execute with cadence of accountability by all team members.

“All team members systematically commit to overcoming challenges and problem solving one bite at a time. The process has helped to discover and develop leaders within the organisation while achieving important strategic plans for the company.”

Building an enviable workplace environment and culture comprises the fourth aspect of its development programme, the company acknowledging this as being fundamental to ensuring that its employees embrace CHENG HUA’s customer-centric values.

And finally, retention packages are delivered in the form of performance driven bonuses and other benefits to bolster its offering to both new and existing staff.

“Our workforce recognise that our organisation is constantly going through change – change affects our business, and changes are happening in the economy and markets,” CK reveals. “We’re grateful of this, and realise our role in ensuring that the right people are in the right seats to drive the business forward in such an environment is critical.”

TECHNOLOGY EMBRACING THE FUTURE Indeed, the company’s proactive acknowledgement of the increasingly digital 21st century environment will prove to be fruitful moving forward.

The coming decade is expected to experience a greater amount of digital change than the past century – a forecast that CK and his team are prepared to embrace and adapt to should it come to fruition.

“The ubiquitous adoption of robots and AI in the industry will change the landscape and create major disruption to the labour market in the industries where they are adopted,” the Chief Exec explains. “These are part of the consequence of the industry 4.0 revolution, which is why we must continue to innovate and evolve, for our future to stay promising.”

Combining these trends with a compound annual growth rate of 7.8 percent, the materials handling industry can only be described as a highly agile, highly competitive, highly pressurised environment.

“While I am confident that the industry will continue to expand, the potential of a global slowdown in the near term is imminent,” he affirms, voicing the tone of a realist in his concluding statements.

“As the global economy slows down, I see consolidation will take place in the industry. Meanwhile, markets within Asia will simultaneously become more and more competitive with the emergence of new players from low cost countries like China and India.

“It’s safe to say that it will be an exciting few years ahead – change is unavoidable in any direction.”

CHENG HUA ENGINEERING WORKS Tel: +60 (3) 5514 3000 www.chenghua-m.com

Asia Outlook issue 42 | 63

COLUMBIA ASIA GROUP OF COMPANIES

64 | Asia Outlook issue 42

HEALTHCARE

Passion for

PEOPLE Columbia Asia continues to provide efficient, affordable private healthcare services to patients across its 29 hospitals, the backbone of its operation being a team of impassioned, empowered people Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Callam Waller

D

emand for healthcare services across Asia is set to reach $2.66 trillion by 2020.

Growing and ageing populations, pioneering technologies and new treatments are all contributing to the growing tide of people who can and are being treated by public and private institutions.

The ability to identify and treat so many illnesses is arguably one of humankind’s greatest achievements, one that has required enduring ingenuity, patience and willpower over the course of civilisations.

But the current tide is growing to a point where health systems are beginning to buckle.

“The growing demand for good, effective and efficient private healthcare continues to exceed supply,” observes Kelvin Tan, CEO for Malaysia and Vietnam at Columbia Asia.

“Populations are growing and getting older, and this is combined with increasing reports of non-communicable diseases which require long-term care.

“Most private healthcare facilities tend to emulate the public healthcare model. Large in structure, cumbersome in delivery, high cost in maintenance and excessive manpower structures driven by many manual and time-consuming processes.

“The escalating cost of healthcare worldwide demands a more efficient delivery system that minimises excesses and cuts back on wastage.”

Asia Outlook issue 42 | 65

A PASSION FOR MAKING PEOPLE BETTER

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customercare.tebrau@columbiaasia.com

columbiaasia

COLUMBIA ASIA GROUP OF COMPANIES

Columbia Asia is unlike most private healthcare providers.

Having commenced operations in 1997, the group now runs 29 hospitals across the region, with 13 in Malaysia and the others located in Indonesia, Vietnam and India.

Its facilities provide comprehensive medical services such as orthopaedics, general surgery, urology, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, ENT, ophthalmology and dermatology.

“With the rapidly rising non-communicable disease (NCD) rates as well as an ageing population which leads to the increase in age-related disorders in the country, Columbia Asia has expanded its medical programmes in recent years to provide more subspecialty focused services,” Tan adds.

“This includes services in cardiology, bariatric surgery, neurosurgery, neurology, spine surgery, reproductive medicine, nephrology and sports medicine.”

These speciality solutions are 68 | Asia Outlook issue 42

supported by ancillary services such as pharmacy, radiology, laboratory and physiotherapy, with additional services including an intensive care unit, special care nursery, labour rooms, and fully equipped operating theatres and ER departments.

For Tan, the idea of joining the Columbia Asia journey in 2006 was to help build an organisation that provides effective, efficient and affordable healthcare; an inspiring mission that is both rewarding and meaningful.

“I have always found the healthcare industry interesting and rewarding,” he says. “The advancement in medical research and new technologies have certainly added years to the lives of many patients. New precision diagnostics, advanced pharmaceuticals and pin-hole surgeries have helped minimise the traumatic phase of the patient’s recovery period.

“The development of medical health insurance over the past decade has also helped alleviate the pressure on public hospitals – being part of this evolving

and transforming industry is both inspiring and satisfying.”

BUILT BY PEOPLE So, why is Columbia Asia unlike most other private healthcare entities?

Tan identifies three differentiating factors, the first being the knowledge and passion of its employees who are dedicated to saving and transforming lives.

He comments: “As Peter Drucker once said, culture eats strategy for breakfast, operational excellence for lunch and everything else for dinner.

The success of Columbia Asia today, we believe, is because of the strength of the people in the organisation. The values that they hold on to forms the culture of the organisation.

“And this culture of continuous improvement and the intrinsic values of Columbia Asia’s people must be firmly entrenched on trust and integrity, and consistently lived out day to day. This is one of the key pillars that will set us apart.”

ANTARA ELEKTRIK SDN BHD

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COLUMBIA ASIA GROUP OF COMPANIES Medical professionals, not surprisingly, are in high demand. Tan admits that it is an ongoing challenge to find ideal candidates, explaining how Columbia Asia looks beyond the fundamental academic and job skills and into the beliefs and values of every applicant.

LEADERSHIP FOCUS

WHAT HEALTHCARE MEANS TO KELVIN TAN… “Private healthcare requires grit – a passion and perseverance for long term and meaningful goals.

“It’s not for the fainthearted. It’s not for private enterprise seeking short term profits. It’s not just about financial formulas and financial equations, nor is it about sophisticated financial ratios.

“It’s about a real honest to earth passion for making people better. It’s about being rewarded for caring for those who can’t care for themselves. It’s about defending the rights of every patient who walks through your door.”

70 | Asia Outlook issue 42

“Skills can be developed,” he says.

“Training is provided to the medical staff, especially the nursing team.

We offer sponsorships for post-basic training. Upon completion of the training, the trainee will be employed in a related field.”

Furthermore, Columbia Asia has also launched a succession planning programme, a scheme which selects operational managers from the existing pool of high potential employees who are then placed onto a development programme with a view to becoming operational managers or general managers.

This ensures a high degree of clinical governance runs through the organisation, Tan’s second differentiating factor, and one which ultimately leads to superior patient care across the board.

“Our clinical governance follows our very comprehensive standards of care as spelt out in our medical bylaws, focusing primarily on service quality, conduct and ethics,” he adds.

“Our medical advisory board oversees the overall function of the medical advisory committees, which are established at each Columbia Asia hospital as required by the local Private Healthcare Facilities & Services Act.”

OPERATING SMART The third point of difference centres around operational efficiency and ensuring best possible value for patients.

Columbia Asia’s hospitals are designed to reduce excesses in the patient ecosystem, and located as close as possible to the communities they are built to serve.

“Big hospitals incur a lot of structural costs, maintenance costs, utility bills, manpower costs and ultimately result in long gestation periods to achieve breakeven,” Tan explains. “All these inflated costs will be transferred somewhere, and often it will end up in the patients’ bills.”

Technology is also helping Columbia Asia to operate smarter.

ITF Associates ITF Associates provides interior services and construction fit-out for renovation and interior contracts.

For Columbia Asia, ITF worked closely with CPH to produce a modern, clean, and conducive place for patients and visitors of the hospital.

ITF Associates’ in-house joinery factory provided consistent and quality carpentry fit-outs in public rest areas, operating theatres and ward rooms. Material selection for all fit-outs were carefully detailed in compliance to medical grade safety and user friendliness.

ITF takes pride in the meaningful relationship made with CPH for works done in Columbia Asia Hospital.

itf@itfasb.com

Kindah Builders Kindah Builders Sdn Bhd would like to express our utmost congratulations to Columbia Asia for its celebrated success and achievements in the healthcare industry, in addition to our appreciation for their continued support and opportunities to be included as its trusted project contractors.

We look forward to a continuous working relationship with Columbia Asia and strive to maintain our quality of work to be in par with its highest standard of healthcare services.

kbsb@kbuild.com.my

HEALTHCARE

ITF

ASSOCIATES SDN BHD

Interior Builder Services T + 603 62518188 E itf@itfasb.com

THE BEST WORK BEGINS WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE

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Tel: Fax: Email:

+603 – 5124 6290 +603 – 5124 6280 kbsb@kbuild.com.my

ISO 9001: 2015 certification

Asia Outlook issue 42 | 71

COLUMBIA ASIA GROUP OF COMPANIES

KONE Established in 1982, KONE Malaysia provides sustainable People Flow™ solutions for Malaysia’s rapidly growing cities.

KONE has launched 24/7 Connected Services, which uses the IBM Watson IoT platform and other advanced technologies to bring intelligent services to elevators and escalators. It means a completely new experience for KONE’s customers, with less equipment downtime, fewer faults and detailed information on maintenance work. For people using elevators and escalators, it means less waiting time and more personalised experiences. The system enables vast amounts of data from elevator sensors to be monitored, analysed and displayed in real-time, improving equipment performance, reliability and safety.

www.kone.my

COMMUNITY CARE As well as providing healthcare services to its patients, Columbia Asia gives back to the communities around its hospitals through numerous CSR activities.

It supports many NGOs through fundraising events, including Diabetes Malaysia, Cleft Lip and Palate Association of Malaysia (CLAPAM), Breast Cancer Welfare Association (BCWA), Great Heart Charity Association, and many orphanages and other foundations.

Detailing Columbia Asia’s collaboration with Diabetes Malaysia and CLAPAM, Tan says: “Columbia Asia has been contributing to Diabetes Malaysia for years through organising health awareness activities such as the Magical 5k Diabetes Awareness Run, My Life as a Diabetic Child story contest and the Master Chef Challenge.

“These CSR efforts support diabetic children. It is a life-long disease so managing it is essential, and although patients can get insulin for no charge from government hospitals, they still need to buy their own monitoring equipment that consists of glucometers, strips, needles and lancets. They need these items on a daily basis to check their blood glucose level. For underprivileged families, this can be a struggle.

“Over the past 15 years we have also been working closely with CLAPAM in carrying out cleft lip and palate corrective and reconstructive surgeries for the underprivileged across Sarawak. As of 2018, a total of almost 400 corrective surgeries have been successfully carried out.”

72 | Asia Outlook issue 42

For example, it has installed an advanced hospital information system (named CARE21) that creates a near paperless working environment for both staff and patients, and enables doctors to make faster and better decisions regarding diagnosis, treatment and recovery.

Average length of stay (ALOS) is another area in which Columbia Asia has emerged as a healthcare leader, something which Tan explains is further enhanced by technological innovation.

“New medical technologies over the recent decade have helped to decrease the number of invasive surgeries and improved recovery time, resulting in shorter average length of stay,” he says.

“The new technologies have allowed us to achieve better and more efficient patient outcomes. Generally speaking, Columbia Asia’s ALOS for most patients is approximately two days, which we have found to be 20 to

HEALTHCARE

30 percent shorter than most other healthcare facilities.”

Patients are also benefiting from a recently launched app through which they can book appointments, send enquiries and make payments.

REMAINING COMPETITIVE Such technological advances will continue to keep Columbia Asia competitive in the future, a future which Tan admits will be a challenging one.

“We have been consistently analysing and realigning our business strategy,” he adds. “Issues faced by the public hospitals, rising private healthcare costs, medical tourism, ageing populations, increases in non-communicable disease and technological disruptions are impacting the healthcare industry.”

“To remain competitive in this challenging environment, Columbia Asia has been taking approaches like improving case mix intensity through pursuing higher acuity cases,

optimising our central procurement processes, investing in more efficient operating systems and upgrading our diagnostic equipment to stay ahead with technology.

“We are focusing on more customer centric initiatives by implementing continuous improvement programmes and improving our marketing mix in both conventional and digital media to help uplift the brand.”

The company is also expanding its capacity and capability at a rapid rate, whether it be developing services in nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery or expanding the size of its hospitals in Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and India.

Indeed, the latest addition to the group (at Tebrau in the Johore Bahru district of Johor, Malaysia) is set to be operational by end 2019. In addition, two new Malaysian hospitals are also being developed in Batu Kawan (Penang) and Miri (Sarawak).

Columbia will continue to consider

greenfield and brownfield developments as and when opportunities arise, Tan’s concluding remarks painting a positive picture for the future of the organisation.

“We believe that the Columbia Asia’s strategic direction with the vision of ‘we have a passion of making people better’ has differentiated the brand from the competition, as we remain inspired by that same passion across the group.

“Good quality healthcare focusing on driving towards efficient and effective patient outcomes will continue to place us as a top of the mind healthcare provider.”

COLUMBIA ASIA GROUP OF COMPANIES Tel: +603 5521 5151 www.columbiaasia.com

Asia Outlook issue 42 | 73

FV HOSPITAL

74 | Asia Outlook issue 42

HEALTHCARE

FV Hospital proudly stands as a standardbearer for Vietnam’s private medical sector, its French founder never looking back having relocated and discovered a love for the nation Writer: Tom Wadlow Project Manager: Callam Waller

PROVISION WITH

PRIDE

I always wanted to be a doctor. Apparently at the age of five or six I already told everyone of this plan, which is strange as there was nobody in the family that belonged to this profession.”

While Frenchman Jean-Marcel Guillon was destined to pursue a career in healthcare, he was by no means expecting to be standing here today as the CEO of a private hospital in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.

Trained in Paris and practicing as a pulmonologist and internist, a senior consultant, his expertise took him to Saudi Arabia after the Gulf War, spending a further two years in Brunei before returning to his home country. Guillon had, however, picked up the travel bug that would never leave him.

But how did he emerge as the boss of FV Hospital? It is the result of a remarkable series of events, beginning with a somewhat chance encounter.

“My ex-girlfriend told me that a childhood friend of her current boyfriend was part of a group of people led by an architect who wanted to set up a hospital in Vietnam,” Guillon recalls. “I met with him and a couple of his partners and didn’t like them.

There was also a group of doctors loosely connected to the project and with near zero experience, so I wasn’t impressed.”

With Vietnam not even on his radar, Guillon headed to Turkey to work for a contact who had set up a SOS Doctors company, a venture which fell through in 1997, prompting a return to Paris after a month’s holiday in Cuba.

“I had a message on my answer machine from one of the doctors associated to the Vietnam project, so I met with them, changed my mind and decided to give it a go,” he says. “In November 1997 I travelled for the first time to Saigon (the common name for Ho Chi Minh City) with the developers and some doctors. We had a plan to buy an unfinished building that looked terrible to tell you the truth – the developers had found it.”

Asia Outlook issue 42 | 75

FV HOSPITAL Guillon also had to teach himself the hospital business manual from scratch, a daunting prospect given he had never cast eyes on an Excel spreadsheet up until this point. However, utilising what he calls the sponge technique, he grasped the concept and in 1999 decided to part ways with the original developers after the owner of the unfinished building was jailed for falsifying the construction permit.

It was around this time that Guillon met with the International Finance

FV HOSPITAL KEY SERVICES FV Hospital houses an enormous array of expertise and services covering the likes of cardiology, ophthalmology, cancerology, paediatrics, obstetrics, and general and vascular surgery, among many others.

Its specialities and services can be broken down into three key areas: MEDICAL SPECIALITIES: Includes accident and emergency, general practice and family medicine, paediatrics and neonatology, internal medicine, dermatology, skin and laser treatment, cancer treatment and clinical psychology.

SURGICAL SPECIALITIES: Includes general and thoracic surgery, vascular surgery and phlebology, bone and joint care, urology and andrology, obstetrics and gynaecology, dental surgery, ophthalmology and refractive surgery.

SUPPORT SERVICES: Includes imaging, nuclear medicine, laboratory and blood bank services, and rehabilitation services such as physiotherapy, osteopathy and speech therapy.

76 | Asia Outlook issue 42

Corporation (IFC), the World Bank organisation providing key financial support alongside other investors and the 10 founding partners – nine doctors led by Dr Luc Mercadal and lawyer Gilles Célimène.

“The IFC invested on three conditions,” Guillon says. “One, you get an investment licence; two, you find a piece of land; and three, you find a hospital management company.”

But the challenges didn’t end there.

The parties reached an impasse when the hospital management company laid down the conditions for the management side of the agreement, Guillon having to go back to the IFC who told him to run FV Hospital himself.

“I kind of babbled that I had no experience, that this was a crazy idea, and that I have no idea how to do it,” he continues. “Two of my doctor partners were in Saigon at that time and attended the negotiation with the hospital management company’s representatives, and just after the call with IFC they looked at me and said – ‘I don’t know what you’re thinking but man you have no choice, it’s a done deal, you’re the Director’.

“We kept raising money, got the loans from the bank and built the hospital which opened March 11, 2003.”

RAISING THE BAR Guillon and FV Hospital have never looked back.

Today, it stands as the first JCIaccredited hospital in south Vietnam, provisioned with 220 beds and more than 1150 service staff which include 130 doctors, mostly Vietnamese with some expatriate doctors, as well as leading edge equipment.

FV also operates an outpatient clinic in Ho Chi Minh City’s business district, the two sites catering for the local population (75 percent of the patients are Vietnamese), expatriates and medical tourists from Cambodia.

Since opening, it has become known for its international standard of care,

commitment to clinical quality and patient-centric service, what Guillon believes stands it apart in Vietnam’s healthcare industry, its high standards also providing an example to follow for other providers for the betterment of the entire sector.

“One of the major reasons a group of French doctors chose Vietnam in the first place is because of the close ties between our countries,” he explains. “A large number of doctors here have been trained in France, and Vietnam is one of the only Southeast Asian countries where foreigners can practice without knowing the local language.

“More important is that Vietnam was starting from a very low base in terms of its medical sector, and we saw an opportunity for it to develop very quickly by introducing international standards. This is where we stand out – we are a premier hospital and have been ambitious right from the very start.

HEALTHCARE

Asia Outlook issue 42 | 77

FV HOSPITAL

A CHANCE ENCOUNTER Architect Réda Amalou designed FV Hospital and has been working with Guillon for two decades, most recently on a new restaurant which the Frenchman opened in October 2019, the P’ti Saigon.

He tells the story of how the two met.

“At the end of June in 1999 I called my brother and d we want to a bar called The Bedford Arms in St Germain, a kind of rugby bar that opens just before midnight and closes when the last client leaves, sometimes at 9am (my personal record).

There was a nice guy at the table who had not been at the rugby match. We talked and he told me he was an architect.

“Fast forward three months and I am with my brother drinking gin and tonics, when the same architect enters the bar. I recognise him and ask him whether he knew about hospitals.

It turned out that he had studied in London, spoke perfect English, and during his studies had designed hospital toilets. I said “that’s a beginning…” and we agreed to meet on the next day, a Sunday afternoon, and this how it started.”

“A few months earlier I had attended a rugby match in the Stade de France, and the French team lost for the first time in years against the Scots. On the evening my friends, all males, wanted to have a dinner all together. I politely refused because a friend of mine wanted to introduce me to someone more attractive. But on that evening Paris was gripped by a terrible traffic jam and my friend called me around 9pm to tell me that we would meet up in a night club later, so I called the other one and asked him where they were having dinner, and joined them.

“Our success has reverberated through the wider healthcare picture, and this makes me proud.”

This is made possible by FV Hospital’s team of dedicated personnel and medical professionals.

Finding and developing talent has been an ongoing challenge since the hospital was established, but for Guillon it has been the most important aspect to get right.

78 | Asia Outlook issue 42

Jean-Marcel Guillon, CEO of FV Hospital

Meticulous effort was put into compiling his management team and staff cohort, a blend of expats and young, impassioned local Vietnamese men and women combining to create a winning formula, one which is demonstrated by the group’s enviable retention rates.

For example, 50 percent of employees have been with FV Hospital for more than five years, while 25 percent have served more than a decade and 11 percent over 15 years at the organisation.

“Finding doctors willing to risk practicing at a new hospital set up by a group of French people in Vietnam was a challenge,” Guillon recalls, “but over time our team has got stronger and stronger, reflected by the fact

HEALTHCARE

Hy Vong cancer care centre, chemotherapy area that so many of our people have been here for many years, and now we are attracting great Vietnamese doctors who find in FV Hospital the working place they wanted, where they can develop their skills and build the future of the profession.”

Progressive investment in technology has also been key, FV Hospital also recognised as having the best equipment and information systems, able to provide leading edge treatments at extremely competitive prices compared to nearby countries such as Singapore.

DUAL FOCUS And Guillon’s aim is to extend the affordability, capacity and breadth of the services provided by FV Hospital in the future, what he refers to as the organisation’s seven-year plan.

“There are two major parts to this,” he says. “The first is constructing a third building, which will add new activities and increase our capacity so we can present the complete offering.

Alongside this, we are working with medical universities across Vietnam to help train the doctors we need for this growth.”

The second component involves expansion via acquisitions of private hospitals across other areas of Vietnam, the details of which the CEO is unable to reveal at this stage, although plans are afoot to kickstart this process in the near future.

It is here that Guillon reflects on the latest chapter in his career. The past 16 years in Vietnam have been something of a whirlwind ride for the Frenchman, who has treasured every one of those years in the country he has grown to love, now standing proudly as the father of two children in their teens, both born in FV Hospital.

Indeed, the country has developed enormously alongside his family’s growth, a journey which he says has been a privilege to be a part of.

Guillon concludes the conversation by reflecting on the progress Vietnam’s healthcare industry has

made and looking ahead to what is possible in the coming period.

He says: “As I referred to earlier, we started with a low base in Vietnam. I still have a government report from 1997 which stated a real need for private investment in the medical profession.

“Back then there was I think just one private hospital in Saigon, whereas today there are around 35. Huge progress has been made in the public sector as well and it needs to continue as the Vietnamese population keeps on growing and the country keeps on developing at a rapid speed.

“You ask if I am optimistic about the future of the health sector here? My answer is certainly yes.”

FV HOSPITAL Tel: +84 (0) 28 5411 3333 information@fvhospital.com

Asia Outlook issue 42 | 79

HOSPITAL CANSELOR TUANKU MUHRIZ

Better, Faster, Friendlier By embracing new technologies and patient-centricity, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz is helping to uphold the best-in-class reputation of Malaysia’s worldrenowned healthcare industry Writer: Jonathan Dyble Project Manager: Callam Waller

D

eveloping and developed economies. From political studies to annual economic outlooks, these two terms have come to separate the nations of our planet into two broad categories – but what are their differences and where is the line drawn?

Indeed, there is no universally accepted definition for either, the World Trade Organization allowing its members to define their own status on this theoretical spectrum. But there are a number of commonly recognised traits.

The Business Development Bank of Canada, for example, cites developed countries as those which have mature and sophisticated economies, advanced technological infrastructure, diverse industrial and service sectors, and access to quality healthcare and education.

However, with such a vast multitude of factors of play, it’s rare to find case studies written in black and write, and ambiguity or debate can be common.

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HOSPITAL CANSELOR TUANKU MUHRIZ Take a look at Malaysia, for instance.

It’s a nation defined as developing, yet its diversified economy houses robust manufacturing and service sectors, now standing as one of the world’s most open economies and a leading exporter of electronic goods and components.

Socially, Malaysia has made great strides too. Less than one percent of Malaysian households currently live in extreme poverty and its education structure is on par with that of many western nations, comprising 11 years of compulsory schooling (six years primary and five years secondary).

And that’s before we even get to the country’s impressive healthcare record.

“Malaysia’s healthcare industry has maintained international recognition as the best in the world according to the International Living Annual Global Retirement index for four years consecutively,” reveals Dr Hanafiah Harunarashid.

“Being under the governance of the Ministry of Health, the sector receives great support from both the public and private sectors who simultaneously strive to spearhead modern medicine, cutting-edge surgery, technology and impeccable service.”

Harunarashid himself is one individual at the forefront of this thriving industry.

Currently he stands as the Director of Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (HCTM) – a teaching hospital under the umbrella of the Ministry of Education that plays an important role in the education, research and training of specialists, doctors and healthcare workers, driving the field and healthcare leaders of tomorrow forward.

“Our role is as challenging as ever in this evolving industry. Adaptability has become the key to success,” Harunarashid continues.

“It is exciting to see Malaysia already taking part in revolutionary change with its involvement in big

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A BRIEF HISTORY OF HCTM Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM) was first established in July 1997 to serve as a teaching hospital to produce local doctors. It then merged with the Faculty of Medicine in 2008 to form UKM Medical Centre (UKMMC). The hospital was then renamed Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (HCTM) in 2014 to honour UKM Canselor, His Royal Highness Tuanku Muhriz ibni Almarhum Tuanku Munawir, Yang di-Pertua of Negeri Sembilan.

The merger of the faculty of medicine and the hospital in 2008 was to create greater operational synergies, bridging the gap between medical education, healthcare research and clinical excellence. Subsequently, after a decade, another major restructuring occurred separating the management of the faculty and hospital to cater to the challenges of today.

As a result, HCTM is now part of the UKM Kuala Lumpur Campus – the result of the merger of four faculties (medicine, pharmacy, allied health sciences and dentistry), two institutes (UMBI and I-Hears), and two teaching hospitals under one single administrative roof.

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HEALTHCARE

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data, precision medicine, genomics, augmented intelligence and predictive medicine. And it’s a country that has a lot more potential to grow in terms of both capability and capacity.”

PRESERVING PROGRESS It has been 12 months since the Director last spoke with Asia Outlook.

Yet, similarly to 2018, a lot has been achieved by HCTM in this relatively short period.

“We have consolidated many things,” he states, first highlighting how restructuring has remained ongoing following the merger of four faculties, two institutes and one hospital at the health campus of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur – what is now HCTM’s core base.

“Management is more organised and transparent, and our administrative efficiency has improved. Meanwhile, closer ties have been fostered between the different disciplines, allowing us to successfully

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develop a holistic healthcare model, and a more efficient discharge process and postal drug delivery service have also been implemented.”

On top of this, recent statistics show that waiting times in both the hospital’s emergency department and pharmacy have reduced, while patient and staff satisfaction have risen – strides resonating with its tagline, ‘Better, Faster and Friendlier’ (BFF).

Every standard operating protocol is scrutinised in accordance with BFF, the healthcare specialist continually striving to improve both its end service offering and internal processes to stay ahead of the curve. Even finance management and corporate communications have been reviewed, audited and optimised.

“In the past year we have also placed emphasis on talent management and recruitment,” Harunarashid affirms.

“As part of this initiative, a series of leadership lectures were organised, with top corporate figures including

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former cabinet ministers delivering their lectures and insights to our senior administrative staff.

“Through a more significant involvement between the hospital and industry, and government bodies, HCTM has been flourishing with more collaborations and memorandums of understanding to better improve the services rendered to our patients.”

BUILDING WITH COLLABORATION Further, HCTM is currently in discussions with SingHealth to develop an educational module on health economics and leadership and will be launching its healthcare programme at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia business school, with first intake slated for next year.

Evidently, its role as a teaching hospital and heavy involvement in research and development activities make it a critical player in Malaysia’s healthcare ecosystem.

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HOSPITAL CANSELOR TUANKU MUHRIZ

“Throughout the year we have been approached by many suppliers who wish to collaborate further with HCTM,” the Director states. “And of course, we welcome new relationships wherever possible.”

Indeed, MySalam provides some recent evidence of this point.

A national health protection scheme initiated by the current government to help the Malaysian public who are eligible for free healthcare and compensations, HCTM was chosen to be part of the public-private partnership.

“One entity we currently work with is clinical microbiology diagnostic solutions specialist Thermo Fisher Scientific, for example, using 31 of their solutions which provide us with accurate and fast results, and further support our BFF mandate,” says Harunarashid.

Collaboration is in the very blood of HCTM, also embraced by Harunarashid on a more personal level.

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“Internationally, I have been elected to be the President of the Asia Surgical Association and the International Adviser to the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh. And in Malaysia, I am a council member of the Malaysian Medical Council, the highest regulatory body in Malaysia for healthcare,” he reveals, these roles combining with his work for HCTM, UKM, the Ministry of Education and humanitarian medical relief NGO Mercy Malaysia.

A PROGRESSIVE HORIZON Personal and organisational achievements combined, it’s been an exceptional year for HCTM and its Director.

And the future remains similarly bright for 2020 and beyond.

Progress continues to be made with Health Technopolis, a flagship project set to become something of a healthcare city involving not only the hospital but research labs, industry offices and retail outlets. Indeed, this

HEALTHCARE “MAINTAINING A REPUTATION FOR HAVING BOTH ONE OF THE BEST AND MOST AFFORDABLE, ACCESSIBLE AND QUALITY HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS WILL BE CHALLENGING...” will be the next critical stage in the organisation’s ongoing growth.

“The groundworks are still being executed, but we’re very excited about its development, and are hoping to begin its first framework soon,” Harunarashid affirms.

In addition, 2020 will see the opening of HCTM’s very first children’s hospital, making UKM the first university in Malaysia to have two separate teaching hospitals, enabling it to cater for more patients, research and training.

Further, there are also major plans to build a new operating theatre, new intensive care unit, and new emergency unit in the latter stages of next year.

“Diversification of our revenue streams is also a priority,” the Director states.

“We’ve now launched our very own philanthropy unit to further help more patients financially by hosting events for our patient welfare fund, produced our corporate video and have identified specific spaces to be rented for eateries and/or health related stores.

“This initiative, alongside our current policy to review our charges and expenditure and central procurement processes, have led to a more efficient fund management and avoidance of wastage. This exercise has resulted in the generation of income in excess of over RM120 million ($27.8 million) last year for the first time in the hospital’s history.”

Be it an emphasis on technologies, R&D or patient-centric practices, it is safe to say that HCTM will be crucial in

upholding Malaysia’s esteemed status as a regional hub of medical excellence moving forward.

“I am certainly looking forward to seeing which new directions this country’s healthcare industry takes,” Harunarashid states.

“Maintaining a reputation for having both one of the best and most affordable, accessible and quality healthcare systems will be challenging, especially with rises in operational costs and non-communicable diseases.

“In order to prevail, the industry will need to further incorporate cutting edge technologies and ensure they’re available to the many.”

HOSPITAL CANSELOR TUANKU MUHRIZ Tel: +60 3 9145 5555 prohukm@ppukm.ukm.edu.my www.ppukm.ukm.my

AIKCHOL HOSPITAL

At the Heart of Healthcare Aikchol Hospital, an organisation driven to apply international medical expertise on a local level, is proof that Thailand’s private hospitals are broadening access to critical healthcare services across the country Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Callam Waller

I’m an interior designer by trade. After I finished my undergraduate degree I studied in New York as a lighting designer for my masters and ended up staying there, working in the field for a further six years until 2013.”

Six years on, Siriphot Manoch – the voice behind the opening quote – now works on the other side of the world in an entirely different field as the Director of Business Development at one of Thailand’s leading private healthcare companies, Aikchol Hospital.

So how does such a sharp career and lifestyle combined U-turn come about? An interesting question, but one that can be answered in just three syllables – family.

“Aikchol Hospital was founded by my grandfather Dr Aikapojana Vanich and his friends, while my mother is the current CEO,” Manoch reveals.

“When I moved back to Thailand, my mother was attempting to secure JCI accreditation for Aikchol Hospital, the first of Aikchol’s two hospitals, and I came on board to help manage the facilities’ development because of my background in interior design.

“It’s how I became first involved in the healthcare sector. I’d initially planned on working on a consultancy basis, but it quickly became clear this was a full-time job. And honestly, even 86 | Asia Outlook issue 42

after we secured the accreditation, I haven’t looked back since.”

Today, the Business Development Director has almost half a decade’s worth of experience in the healthcare sector, now also working for Thailand’s Ministry of Health on a consultancy basis, helping to determine the standards for the design and development of Thailand’s private hospitals.

It’s been a whirlwind five years to say the least. Yet the most existing aspect of this period in the eyes of Manoch is not the trajectory of his own career, but that of the entire industry.

“Healthcare is one of the fastest growing sectors in Thailand right now, with more than 300 hospitals open locally,” he states.

“In some countries, the best hospitals are only built in key cities or the capital. But here, this is no longer the case. Private healthcare companies are broadening access to healthcare services, and it’s painting a better picture for the people of Thailand everywhere.”

BRINGING INTERNATIONAL EXPERTISE TO LOCAL PEOPLE Aikchol Hospital itself is helping to facilitate this enhanced availability.

Situated in the city of Chonburi, roughly 100 kilometres southeast of Bangkok, it operates the only hospital outside of the capital that is JCI

accredited in AMI (acute myocardial infarction, also known as heart disease) treatment.

“We’re particularly proud of this accreditation,” Manoch reveals.

“AMI is one of the biggest killers of people not only in Thailand, but around the world. Lifestyles are changing and eating habits in many households have worsened, while the

HEALTHCARE

stress of busy jobs and growing families often don’t permit time for regular exercise, ultimately resulting in a rise in heart-related health problems.”

The statistics are shocking.

According to the World Health Organization, fatal outcomes of heart disease including heart attacks and strokes claim 17 million lives around the world every year, equating to just

short of one in three deaths globally.

Yet, by bringing the very best AMI treatments to the population of Chonburi – to those who would otherwise lack access to such specialised services – Aikchol Hospital is playing a critical role in saving countless lives every year.

“We might be a local hospital, but we want to provide international

standards,” Manoch affirms.

“It’s a key reason why my grandfather decided to pursue this business in the first place. Before Aikchol, there was no private hospital in the region, so the goal was to provide the very best medical services at a reasonable price for local people.

“This same vision is what inspires us today.”

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AIKCHOL HOSPITAL CAPITALISING ON COLLABORATION Indeed, it’s of no surprise that such high self-imposed standards are accompanied by numerous challenges.

Operating in a highly complex line of work, recruitment and training can both pose problems, for example. However, the firm successfully leapfrogs these hurdles through its innovative and collaborative efforts.

“We have good relationships with both Chonburi Hospital and Burapha Hospital – two nearby medical schools that many of our staff graduate from,” Manoch explains.

“We’re open and transparent with them both, letting them know what technologies and techniques we’re working with. Many of the doctors who are employed by us also work for the medical schools, providing the basis for sound relations in terms of consultancy.”

AN INTRODUCTION TO AIKCHOL HOSPITAL Aikchol Hospital was initially established in 1978 and in the 40 years since has been continuously striving to bring medical services comparable with the best in the world to the Chonburi region in southeast Thailand.

The goals of its two facilities, Aikchol Hospital and Aikchol 2 Hospital, include: • Increasing the excellent services of all clinics; • Developing service systems to meet the needs of users; • Becoming hospitals of information technology; • Improving hospital quality to meet universal certifications.

VISION: To be a quality hospital operator with excellent health services.

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HEALTHCARE

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Manoch’s mother (centre), is the CEO of Aikchol Hospital Partnerships with other private hospitals are equally critical, Aikchol cooperating with Bangkok-based Bumrungrad Hospital – one of the country’s top medical centres. The two hold teleconferences with academics and doctors on a monthly basis for the purpose of knowledge sharing, looking at new trends, technologies, diseases, cures, discoveries, developments and more.

“Combining expertise is critical,” Manoch continues. “It can help bridge gaps, raise standards and ultimately improve patient care.”

AN EYE TO THE FUTURE Emphasising collaboration is just one way in which flexibility and agility has helped to ensure the company’s esteemed status, never resting on its laurels but instead striving for increasingly improved service delivery.

To date, Aikchol has in many ways “maximised its potential per square foot” as Manoch puts it. But that does

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not mean the business will shy away from new specialities, technologies and techniques moving forward, the firm opting to find additional methods to complement its existing portfolio wherever possible.

“For the next three years, we want to continue to align our offering with global best practices, and are looking to really focus on less invasive procedures that will serve to reduce recovery times and post operation discomfort for our patients,” the Director reveals, outlining current endeavours.

Looking beyond this, optimism can also be drawn from the Thai government’s current masterplan – a strategy expected to entice social and economic affluence.

“The plan on a national level is to turn Thailand into a medical tourist centre,” Manoch continues.

“Meanwhile, blueprints to turn the eastern part of the country into a special economic zone, courtesy of the Eastern Economic Corridor, are

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underway which will facilitate major infrastructure developments including high speed train networks and bolstered airports.

“This in turn will undoubtedly facilitate industrial advancements in the region, attracting more local citizens and medical tourists alike to Chonburi and allowing us to meet the healthcare demands of more people in the future.”

For these reasons, the long-term stature and sustainability of Aikchol Hospital as one of the country’s most renowned healthcare organisations seems assured.

AIKCHOL HOSPITAL Tel: +66 (0) 38 939 999 info@aikchol.com www.aikchol.com

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JFE MERANTI

MADE OF (QUALITY)

STEEL JFE MERANTI was set up with a clear mission in mind – to elevate standards in Myanmar’s building industry by providing products based on endurance and long-term affordability Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Kyle Livingstone

While we as humans have made tremendous progress over the past 10 years in our virtual, digital world, the real world has not progressed that much.

“To the contrary, low-quality building products have flooded the markets, and I believe that we need to dedicate more time and focus on making the real world better.

“Offering quality roofing and walling materials is one way of doing so. The inspiration to set up my own business came from what I saw in the Myanmar roofing and walling market. I thought if no one is seizing that opportunity, then I just have to do it myself.”

The company and person in question is JFE MERANTI and Sebastian Langendorf, a man who is passionate about all things coated steel.

Describing it as a fascinating and unique product full of complexity, from supply chain and engineering through to production and marketing, he saw huge potential to not only create a successful business, but to also uplift 90 | Asia Outlook issue 42

standards across Myanmar’s construction sector at large.

And the opportunity is certainly there. Myanmar’s building sector is growing at around 10 percent per annum and is set to continue doing so for the foreseeable future, driven by infrastructure, residential, commercial and industrial projects springing up all over the country.

Langendorf now serves as CEO and Managing Director of JFE MERANTI, a firm whose high-quality coated steel products are relevant in all of the aforementioned construction subsectors.

The challenge? Communicating the message that investing in such quality pays long-term dividends.

“While low quality coated steel roofs might look ok for the first one or two years, colour fading and corrosion set in soon thereafter, making a replacement necessary and costly,” Langendorf says. “Also, under strong winds corroded roofs pose a tremendous safety risk.

MANUFACTURING

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JFE MERANTI “We are aware that very often price is raised as a reason for buying low-quality roofs. But for roofing material we recommend consumers to look at the CYL, the cost-per-year-oflife. Building owners must know that the CYL is much higher for low-quality coated steel because of the short lifetime of those products.

“One of our key challenges in the market is the lack of that knowledge, resulting in an inflow of cheap low-quality imported products which are dumped onto the Myanmar market.”

INTRODUCING ALZU In response, JFE MERANTI has released its first product, ALZU. A quality-laden aluminium-zinc coated product for roofing and walling, it comes in 10 colours and with a guarantee against corrosion and colour fading, ideal for constructions in sub-tropical climates such as Myanmar.

Customers also benefit from short lead times (which help to keep their inventory levels low) and technical services and advice, vital if the company is to address the knowledge gap identified by Langendorf. ALZU is also available for export, the JFE MERANTI team in Singapore ready to answer any inquiries.

JFE MERANTI – THE BACKSTORY JFE MERANTI was formed in 2017 as joint venture between JFE Steel, MERANTI Steel, JFE Shoji, Marubeni-Itochu Steel, and HANWA. Investing US$85 million, the partners’ aim was to jointly design, construct, and operate a world-class steel galvanising and colour coating facility.

“We all know that joint ventures are not always easy, with partners sometimes having different perspectives,” says Langendorf.

“But like in any group, a diversity of views can be a huge opportunity.

Provided we have an open mind and positive attitude, diversity can be the source of innovation and synergies. We feel that our shareholders have such an open mind and positive attitude, and we are grateful for their strong support.”

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The product will be produced at the firm’s industrial plant the Thilawa Special Economic Zone near Yangon from December 2019, a site which is sat on eight hectares of land and comprises two processing lines for metal coating and painting, raw material and finished good warehouses, utilities, and an admin building.

Having broken ground in March 2018, the completed facility can produce 90,000 tonnes of painted products and 180,000 tonnes of metal coated products every year, although Langendorf is eager to expand this in the near future.

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JFE MERANTI “We have the space and layout ready to expand production to 360,000 tonnes per year by adding a second metal coating line, and to add a cold rolling mill,” he explains. “By the end of 2019 we will employ around 300 people, with a potential to increase to 500 people in the coming years.

“Around 70 percent of our sales is for the domestic market, mostly to rollforming businesses who buy our coils to form the coated steel into roofing and walling profiles. Our export business is also in the form of coils which we ship to rollforming customers around the world.”

With high quality also comes heightened sustainability credentials, a crucial factor for the CEO and MD who highlights how a longer lifespan

inevitably results in a reduced carbon footprint.

“But not only do we produce long-lasting products, we also use world-class processes on our site,” Langendorf continues. “This includes a modern wastewater treatment plant that treats water onsite before it goes into the processes of the industrial zone.

“Furthermore, we are using a technology that is burning the fumes from our painting process and feeding the heat back into the production, instead of just emitting the paint fumes into the atmosphere. Also, we focus on using paints that have high solar reflection to reduce the temperature in buildings that are covered by our coated steel, thereby limiting the need for cooling and air-conditioning.”

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THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIP As well as shareholders, JFE MERANTI relies on partnerships up and down the supply chain in order to operate successfully.

“Partnership is one of JFE MERANTI’s core values,” says Langendorf.

“Partnership to us means to build strong relationships with our stakeholders and to forge a long-term view in those relationships.

“We regard our suppliers as one of the most esteemed partners. What is important for us when choosing our suppliers is that we must have a strategic fit. This includes our suppliers’ and our own approach to consistent quality, trustworthiness and responsiveness.”

“At the centre of our belief in partnership are our customers. Partnership with our customers also means not to integrate downstream of the supply chain which could result in conflicts. And we have clearly communicated this message to all our major customers.”

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Asia Outlook issue 42 | 95

JFE MERANTI

BUILDING A SAFE AND SOLID FUTURE The foundations are therefore set for JFE MERANTI to progress into a sustainable future, one which will see the company offer even greater employment opportunities to local people.

Through 2020, Langendorf aims to increase the ratio of non-expat workers to more than 90 percent, up from the current figure of 85 percent.

To help drive this, the firm is collaborating with two leading universities in the country (Yangon Technological University and Thanlyin Technological University), offering both internships and recruitment opportunities for graduate students who excel in mechanical, electrical, chemical, mechatronics and IT disciplines. “Skills development is critically important to us, not only for the newly hired graduates,� the CEO and MD adds.

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MANUFACTURING

“We provide technical training and guided on-the-job training across all teams. In addition, we have a Future Leaders Program and a Leaders Program with the objectives to develop our highest performers over the longer term, by equipping them with the relevant leadership, business, and strategic skills.”

Worker safety is another key priority for Langendorf, who states upholding high HSE standards as one of the company’s major objectives for 2020 alongside the successful production and selling of ALZU. Beyond this, JFE MERANTI is also looking to launch three new products and fully upscale production, the ultimate ambition being the recognition of the company as a world-class partner for coated steel, both in Myanmar and internationally.

Asked about the wider impact his

company can have on the country’s building standards, Langendorf signs off in upbeat and confident fashion.

“The great thing about quality coated steel for roofing and buildings is the visible impact on the country as a whole,” he says.

“Good looking, long lasting roofs and buildings just make our environments so much more attractive and prompt overseas visitors to speak positively of Myanmar. We look forward to seeing many JFE MERANTI roofs and buildings in Myanmar and beyond.”

JFE MERANTI Tel: +95 1966 9831 info@jfemeranti.com www.jfemeranti.com

Asia Outlook issue 42 | 97

BEYONICS

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MANUFACTURING

A Tale of Transformation 24 satellite operations turned five flagship facilities of precision engineering excellence, Beyonics has consolidated its position as a leading light of Asian manufacturing Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Kyle Livingstone

C

hina and America, the world’s two largest economies, have been at economic loggerheads since early 2018.

What began with the Trump Administration placing tariffs on the importation of solar panels and washing machines has escalated into a full-blown trade war, the rival countries placing billions of dollars’ worth of duties on each other’s goods.

Even now, almost two years later, negotiations surrounding a resolution continue to stagnate and the heavy burden of uncertainty carried by the global economy remains.

Against this cloud, however, there are silver linings – silver linings that advanced manufacturing firm Beyonics is successfully capitalising upon.

“With our headquarters in Singapore and footprint across the surrounding region, we have very fortunately been a beneficiary of the US-China trade war,” explains Anthony Sandeen, the company’s Chief Commercial Officer.

“We operate near-identical manufacturing facilities in China and Malaysia, making it easy to shift our output from one location to another in the face of unforeseen, uncontrollable circumstances, whether that’s an earthquake, a flood, or indeed a trade war.”

And that’s exactly what the business

has done, its Malaysia site having been instrumental in helping customers, new and existing alike, to minimise the effects and navigate the risks of tariffs that have been borne out of current tensions.

As a result, business is buoyant for Beyonics. Yet this recent upturn in fortunes is not the be all and end all of the company. Rather, it is a small boost to the organisation’s historically fruitful endeavours.

A specialist in the manufacturing of precision-engineered components and provision of integrated design, production, engineering and fulfilment solutions, its foundations are built on adaptability and proactivity.

“Beyonics will soon be heading into its fifth decade,” Sandeen reveals, “but we’re changing all the time, drawing on markets and our customer experience to ensure we’re positioned to address future challenges.”

MOVING WITH THE TIMES Indeed, this poses the question of where the company’s pool of expertise lies today.

The answer? For Sandeen, it is in the development of enterprising innovations for the medical, industrial, consumer and automotive industries.

“Looking at the automotive sector, we’re helping to facilitate the shift from petrol to electric; from driver Asia Outlook issue 42 | 99

BEYONICS to driverless,” he reveals. “We see applications of the future in this space.

Because everything is relatively new, we’re able to engage with customers at the design level, meeting their expectations in both yield and value.”

Many of these same principles apply to the medical space, where Beyonics has a perfected a niche in producing fluid delivery system devices, be it insulin pumps, syringes or other components that require high durability and repeatability.

Manufacturing critical, highly scrutinised products for markets such as these where accuracy and consistency is of paramount importance comes with its challenges. Nonetheless, the firm continues to prevail in the face of adversity, a point emphasised by its recent internal transformation strategy.

Sandeen provides the context: “Much of Beyonics’ history is defined by a very Asia-centric model in going to market, expanding with customers

COMPANY BACKGROUND

EXCELLENCE IN PRECISION Founded in 1981, Beyonics merged with Chosen Holdings Ltd in 2016 to become a vertically integrated company featuring two distinct core business divisions: BEYONICS PRECISION PARTS: Dedicated to the manufacturing of precision-engineered components, specifically plastic injection moulding, aluminium die-casting and machining, precision machining, and deepdrawn metal stamping.

BEYONICS MANUFACTURING SOLUTIONS: Provides an integrated range of design, production, engineering and fulfilment solutions, with an emphasis on turnkey electronics sub-assembly and complete product manufacturing.

Today, the company is responsible for more than 5,000 staff and 960,000 square feet of precision parts manufacturing space across Malaysia, Thailand, China and Singapore, and is focused on serving the automotive, medical, industrial and consumer markets.

100 | Asia Outlook issue 42

and growing through the establishment of numerous satellite facilities.

“As the company evolved and this footprint reached a size of 24, the old model became increasingly unsustainable. And for that reason, we’ve just now consolidated our operations into five facilities – one in China, one in Thailand, two in Malaysia and our HQ in Singapore.”

No longer having to spend on 24 leases, 24 plant managers, 24 security guards (you get the idea) are some of the obvious outcomes derived from this transformation. But these merely touch the surface.

“By operating five strategically located plants, which combined have a greater net square footage than their 24 predecessors, we can do more in fewer locations and capitalise on a range of associated benefits,” adds Sandeen.

Primarily, this overhaul offered the opportunity to modernise Beyonics’ current operations and implement

MANUFACTURING

Beyonics has consolidated its operations from 24 to five plants

Asia Outlook issue 42 | 101

BEYONICS

LEADERSHIP FOCUS

ANTHONY SANDEEN Having spent 18 months of his undergraduate and postgraduate studies learning Chinese in China, Sandeen secured a job straight out of university with General Electric, paving the way for a timely concoction of relevant skills and employment.

“During the latter stages of the GE interview process, the hiring manager asked if I could ever envision myself taking an overseas career assignment,” Sandeen reveals.

“When that opportunity then arose four years after I first joined the company, I jumped at the chance. GE Plastics was an industrial business in the early 2000s, and Chinese manufacturing was really starting to take off at that time.

“Honestly, my interest in manufacturing really stems from being in the right place at the right time.”

Since then, Sandeen has remained in Asia, leaving GE in 2004 and going on to work for Amphenol, Laid, Peal Engineered Solutions and Beyonics in the 15 years since.

102 | Asia Outlook issue 42

state-of-the-art processes including efficient, effective, clean automated manufacturing lines. In turn, greater emphasis has been shifted onto supporting the engineering and R&D teams, propelling internal innovation forwards.

“With our most recent consolidation effort, in China we merged three operations into one and renovated and expanded the campus to include tooling and fabrication,” Sandeen adds.

“Meanwhile, we’ve also commenced a pilot smart factory programme in Malaysia and have turned on a Coperion compounding line which

allows us to do custom colour, filled and small batch engineering in-house.”

Recently integrated customer relationship management (CRM) technologies have also helped to improve productivity by better facilitating company-wide collaboration, streamlining previously complicated procedures such as financial reports and auditing.

AN EXCITING NEW CHAPTER Six years in the making, this monumental transition was largely finalised in Q3 2019.

Moving forward, Beyonics will

MANUFACTURING

largely be able to enjoy the fruits of its modernised labours. But the company is not done here, having additionally begun to remphasise the importance of culture and values across the organisation of late.

“We recently sat down with stakeholders across the company and asked ourselves, what is it that we want to be?” the CCO affirms.

“Understanding these aspirations rather than trying to define what we are today has been crucial in providing a goal and a purpose from both the bottom up and the top down. We recognise where we are, of course,

but seeing where we want to be tomorrow and how to get there is both more inspiring for everyone and more sustainable.”

Combining this progressive modus operandi with a diverse, international, independent board of directors and the distinct Singaporean values upon which the firm’s entire reputation has been built, the future certainly looks bright for Beyonics.

“We’ve transformed a lot over the last four to six years, and a tremendous amount in the last 12 months in particular,” Sandeen reiterates as he looks forward to what will be an exciting new

chapter in the company’s evolution.

“We’ve gotten our customer focus right and our strategy right, and we’re looking to use these enhancements as a springboard to grow. A long time has been spent perfecting our plan. Now is the time to execute it.”

BEYONICS Tel: +65 6349 0517 www.beyonics.com

Asia Outlook issue 42 | 103

AI ASSOCIATES

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CONSTRUCTION

Designing Dreams

Having pursued his own dream to start his own interior design business, Jeff Choo and Ai Associates are helping people to live better, work better and play happier Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Ben Weaver

Asia Outlook issue 42 | 105

AI ASSOCIATES Be prepared for the many challenges that lies ahead. It will not always be a smooth sail, but if you keep your sights focused on the dream that you want to create, follow your heart and it will eventually come true.”

Jeff Choo has been following his dream ever since discovering a passion and talent for design at high school.

Now Managing Director of his own company, Ai Associates, he has built a career for himself having graduated with top marks through the educational system in Singapore, even being awarded the Singapore Design Council Gold Medal for being the best performing student.

“This was one subject that I fared very well in at school,” he recalls. “I was spending a lot of time after classes in the technical workshop dreaming up the next big thing in furniture design.

From the conceptualisation to the sourcing of materials and making it by hand in the workshop to seeing the final completed product – this is what gives me a sense of achievement.”

His first job in the interior design space came at an international Australian firm, before entering a partnership to set up a new firm a few years later.

“I was faced with many challenges

starting a new company and I was suddenly in a management position,” he continues. “I had to manage other tasks like hiring the right talents for the different departments while at the same time still doing what I love most which is design.

“The company did well and also won many design awards in the few years I was there. But deep down I always wanted to build my own brand and create a company that I can call my own. So, after a few years, I sold my shares and left. I started Ai Associates – Ai standing for architectural interiors – at the age of 28.”

LIVE BETTER, WORK BETTER, PLAY HAPPIER This was back in 2003.

Since then, the company has morphed into a regional one-stop interior design shop with offices in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Phnom Penh, Ho Chi Minh, Yangon, Shanghai and Beijing, its headcount now standing at 70 seasoned design professionals.

Its client roster is equally impressive, Ai serving many MNCs and Fortune 500 companies including American Express, Ocbc Bank, DBS Bank, Grab, Uber, Ricoh, NOL, Estee Lauder, Orsted, Ericsson, Dell, IBM, Metlife and Blackstone, to name a few.

T1 Glass Systems We are the solution for your cutting-edge wall partition system Headquartered in Singapore, T1 Glass Systems is a company founded by an impassioned team with decades of experience in the system portioning business.

Its experts have between them served major corporate clients across a range of industries, including major banks, financial investment organisations, technology companies, oil and gas players and pharmaceutical giants.

A culmination of individual experiences led to the launch of T1’s own proprietary partition systems, designed to serve clients ranging the full spectrum of sizes, from multinationals to SMEs. For example, the T-108 is a simple glass partition system created to complement the design perspective of space demarcations through the large use of glass panelling in the contemporary, modern architectural world. It acts as a seamless doubleglazing wall with high acoustic performance.

T1 also provides single- and doubleglazed flush doors to complement its glass partition walls, helping to create the continuous seamless look that clients are after.

Another innovation is third space, known as T-Space, which is a hybrid casual and formal area of an office, suitable for business meetings and for working in a relaxed environment, like a home from home.

www.t1glass.com

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T- S

WE ARE THE SOLUTION FOR YOUR CUTTING EDGE WALL PARTITION SYSTEM

P

E C A

T-Space, or third space, is an area where you can merge both casual work and business meetings within an office, catering to a growing trend amongst millennial working behaviours.

Within the modern-day workplace, T1 Glass has been inspired to build a communal area where employees can voice out freely during meetings as well as work in a pleasant working environment away from the constraint of desk.

This latest innovation is from T1 Glass, a proprietary partitioning system specialist, offering high quality glass partitions and doors for a wide spectrum of sectors. By providing excellent service, we put our client’s needs first and seeing their projects from start to finish and to turn client’s design concepts into reality.

19 Burn Road, #03-01, Singapore 369974 | marketing@t1glass.com | www.t1glass.com

AI ASSOCIATES THE SECRET TO AI’S SUCCESS? “There is a tagline that we use in Ai,” Jeff says. “In all our designs, we strive to redefine and enhance the way people live, work and play. That is the basic fundamental, that design affects everybody’s lifestyle. And if we start thinking along that perspective, then subconsciously our designs will help people live better, work better and play happier.”

Such an approach has also been helped by a distinct lack of golden rules to design on the part of Jeff.

“I personally don’t have a golden rule that we apply for every project,” he adds. “I always encourage designers to challenge the norm and think

outside of the box – that’s the only way to constantly improve the future of design, in my opinion.”

Knowledge exchange and experience sharing are a critical part of this.

Jeff was himself a beneficiary of close mentorship during his first passage of employment in Australia, learning the practical aspects of design that are not explored in school or college.

“I also had the opportunity to work in other countries like Malaysia, the Philippines and India,” he says. “The skills I learned allowed me to excel as a designer and after a few years I was helping the company to win design awards.”

Datumstruct Solutions As a leading space planner, supplier and installer of office system furniture, Datumstruct’s commitment to serving its customers is rooted in its reliable performance, excellent sales service and in-depth product knowledge.

This, combined with a longstanding reputation and expertise, sets us apart and allows us to customise solutions with the most exclusive value.

Vision: To create sustainable interior furnishing solutions that maximise productivity and optimise working environments.

Mission: To be the market leader of office system furniture solutions by continually enhancing and refining our products with innovation, flexibility and consistency to meet the demands of the changing working environment.

www.datumstructsolutions.com

STRENGTH IN SUPPLIERS In order to execute its projects on time and on budget, Ai relies on a network of partners and suppliers.

Highlighting their influential role in the company’s operations, Jeff comments: “Subcontractors and suppliers are the backbone to any business. We treat all of them as our long-term business partners with respect and sincerity, as we all have a common goal that is to execute and deliver quality projects on time and on target across the region.

“We do have in place a stringent pre-qualification process for all partners.

All due diligence, like background checks and quality inspections, are carried out before we allow them to come on board as approved vendors.”

108 | Asia Outlook issue 42

Now the MD wants to offer Ai recruits the same valuable learning experience that he enjoyed as a graduate.

The firm has a dedicated HR department whose role is to ensure the best and brightest talent joins the organisation, with employees able to benefit from a learn as you work programme across all departments, an initiative which involves directors running coaching sessions and external experts giving regional video conferences.

“We believe in mentoring and nurturing our staff and giving all of them a career path in the company so that they have a better understanding of their potential career direction,” Jeff adds. “As well as internal training, we also encourage our staff to go on courses to acquire certification and attend design talks and seminars which the company will sponsor.”

CONSTRUCTION

The Workplace Solutions Datumstruct Solutions, is a leading space planner, supplier and installer of office system furniture, helping to deliver ergonomic, functional and aesthetically pleasing office environments.

Offering value-added services which are tailored to meet each of our clients’ bespoke needs, we’re on hand to listen, advise and work with you along the way through a cradle to grave approach.

We are passionate about providing distinguished, dependable solutions – our customers always come first.

Why Choose Us? OUR EXPERTISE AND INNOVATION • • • •

Recognition of commercial projects Innovative office system furniture solutions High level of product quality and creativity Innovative system’s design and concept realisation

ADVANTAGES OF OUR PRODUCTS • • • •

Reliable Flexible Consistent Excellent customer service

EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE • • • •

Concept realisations via 3D drawings On-site support Site mockup presentation Strategic partnership

PROJECT PRIDE It is therefore little surprise that Ai’s dedicated workforce is motivated to exceed client expectation, the company’s ability to attract repeat business testament to this.

Jeff points to US tech giant Dell as the perfect example, Ai having been appointed on its second project in Malaysia.

“This project by far is one of the biggest that we have secured in Malaysia,” he explains. “More than 240,000 square feet in size and spanning over a few floors, it will be executed in phases and we aim for it to be completed by the end of 2020.

“We look forward to forging a strong long-term working partnership with Dell and we are confident to once again deliver a successful project for them.”

The MD also points to ongoing work with ride hailing service Grab, Southeast Asia’s first startup with a

General Enquiries: (65) 6546 9874 Sales Enquiries: (65) 6546 9876 www.datumstructsolutions.com

valuation of more than $10 billion.

Here, Ai designed the interior of its current headquarters in Singapore, a project completed a few years ago which covers more than 80,000 square feet of space. This has led to further collaboration on Grab offices in the likes of Malaysia, Jakarta, Vietnam and Beijing.

Enduring partnerships such as this is what Ai has built its legacy on, and Jeff is determined to expand the brand across a greater portion of Asia and even beyond the continent in the future.

A new office in Ho Chi Minh City is due to open by the end of 2019, a move which will allow the company to target the city’s growing commercial office market, one which Jeff believes will deliver 400,000 square metres of projects a year by 2021.

Indeed, the company’s plan is to be present in most major Asian cities within five to 10 years, Manila being the

next target before Ai looks to list on a stock exchange, a development which could open it up to growth outside of Asia.

Jeff concludes: “I believe we can push the boundaries further in terms of interior design in this region.

“And I am optimistic with the direction the interior design industry is moving towards as more countries in Asia are opening up to the world and being exposed to best practices in the industry. We will see more improvements made to improve and enhance the way people live, work and play.”

AI ASSOCIATES Tel: +65 6659 7688 sg@ai-associates.com www.ai-associates.com

Asia Outlook issue 42 | 109

PROBUILD

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CONSTRUCTION

Transforming Ideas into Cities Probuild has been creating major projects for clients across Australia for the past three decades, its success built on a quality-first approach to construction Writer: Tom Wadlow

A

ustralia’s construction industry is, like in many developed countries, a vital economic contributor.

It is currently worth around AU$350 billion a year to the nation’s economy, or eight percent of GDP, and is projected to grow at a steady annual rate of around 2.5 percent over the next five years.

The sector – which spans construction, demolition, renovation,

maintenance and repair of building and infrastructure – also serves as a vital employer of Australia’s workforce, the number of workers in the profession growing markedly since 2000.

At the turn of the millennium, around 692,000 people were engaged in the country’s building industry, a figure which rose to 1.18 million in 2018 and is expected to surpass 1.3 million by 2023.

All of these statistics are cited by

the Australian Industry and Skills Committee in its latest construction industry insight report, the organisation also outlining several major trends that will shape the sector in the coming years, among the most significant being an ageing workforce and thus the paramount need to replace their skills.

Digitisation, artificial intelligence and automation is another. “Although the industry is yet to experience Asia Outlook issue 42 | 111

PROBUILD

significant digital disruption, major technological advances in everyday digital technology, automation for lower-skilled jobs and building information modelling (BIM)… will require the workforce to be trained, re-trained and upskilled for the new jobs and tasks required,” the report states.

The same can be said of prefabrication, a construction technique that is gaining more traction in Australia alongside the demand for greener and smarter buildings.

SETTING THE STANDARD The latter is a key priority for many Australian builders, not least nationwide construction firm Probuild.

Developing smart and resilient assets which are integrated into nearby communities is the cornerstone of the company’s approach to doing business, its projects carrying the hallmarks of resource efficiency, resilience and optimisation for the future.

112 | Asia Outlook issue 42

Probuild is also one of Australia’s largest construction companies. It has a national pipeline of projects worth AU$5 billion and an annual turnover of more than AU$2 billion, delivering projects across residential, commercial, and educational sectors. To date, it has built more than a billion square metres of retail construction across the country.

As a tier-one contractor, Probuild is currently delivering some of Australia’s largest construction projects, including The Towers and Ritz Carlton at Elizabeth Quay in Perth, Queens Wharf in Brisbane, Aurora Melbourne Central and The Greenland Centre in Sydney.

“We are a trusted company, and we have the profitability that banks and clients need to feel secure,” Probuild states on its website. “Our robust position is the result of our committed, conservative approach to national growth, with a clear focus on building our economic capacity.”

Indeed, it is also trusted to keep employees safe, chiefly through its mantra of care, courage, pride.

In technical terms this translates into certification to AS/NZS4801 and accreditation to the Federal Safety Commissioner Accreditation Scheme and AS/NZS14001, the company often exceeding relevant legislative requirements.

This attention to detail is reflected in the area of quality control.

Here, Probuild operates to a quality management system certified to the AS/NZS 9001:2008 standard, a measure which is deployed across all projects and subject to six-monthly third-party audits.

“We pride ourselves on achieving and exceeding quality benchmarks on all our projects,” the company adds. “We do this not only through appropriate systems and procedures, but by instilling a culture of greatness within our project teams and subcontractors.”

Singyes Engineering Singyes Engineering (H.K) Co. Ltd as an engineering company, wholly owned by China Singyes Solar Technologies Holdings Limited, integrating research, design, engineering, fabrication and installation especially for oversea facade markets. Singyes Engineering (H.K) was founded in August 2009, respectively focusing on curtain walls, windows and doors systems. Following the marketing strategy, we do business in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Macau, North America, Malaysia and other Southeast Asia markets with different business models.

We are committed to offering clients top quality products and services around the world, adhere to providing comprehensive solutions with a professional team. Our strong design capacity, professional project management, high execution efficiency and smooth communication skills are the keys to successful project delivery, which leaves a good reputation in the facade market and attracts more clients to cooperate with us.

The company development adheres to the “win-win cooperation” principle, to provide users with highquality and safe products and systems with our global partners. Integrity, professionalism, efficiency and learning is Singyes’s core values.

Development with harmony is the main vision of the management and also the Singyes Group. We keep moving forward in the industry, at the same time, to return to the society with what we have learned. Our people also share the benefit from the growth of Singyes in a harmonious environment.

For further information and business contact: Arthur Yan - Sales Director, Singyes Engineering (H.K) M 86 185 7560 1611 E arthur@syeint.com www.singyessolar.com

SINGYES FACADE PROJECTS

Avant Apartment

NV Apartment on 374 Murray Street in WA

Chadstone Commercial Office

Greenland Centre Sydney

West Side Place Stage 1 For further information and business contact: Arthur Yan - Sales Director, Singyes Engineering (H.K) M: 86 185 7560 1611 | E: arthur@syeint.com Sam Leung - Managing Director E: sam.liang@syeint.com www.syeint.com

PROBUILD

PROJECT PROFILE

THE GLEN REDEVELOPMENT In August 2019 Probuild delivered the final major stage of The Glen redevelopment project, another breakthrough development in Melbourne.

Carrying a total value of AU$430 million, The Glen is a rejuvenated retail complex made up of 50 new fashion and lifestyle stores, a new-format David Jones store and an indoor-outdoor dining precinct with more than 10 new restaurants.

Redeveloped to bring a more premium customer experience to shoppers in Melbourne’s southeast, the site now blends the latest retail store formats and fitouts with luxurious amenities.

Stambolis commented: “The opening of this latest and the final major stage of The Glen is a wonderful achievement for Probuild and our partner, Vicinity Centres.

“We’ve enjoyed a relationship with Vicinity that extends past 30 years, having built every major retail stage of Chadstone. We’re pleased to have now delivered all four stages at The Glen and see this important retail and dining destination beautifully transformed and extended for an improved customer experience.

“This final major stage at The Glen was completed by Probuild on schedule, to an exceptionally high level of quality and safely – attributes Probuild is renowned for.”

114 | Asia Outlook issue 42

UNO MELBOURNE A significant project recently added to the company’s pipeline is a 65-storey residential tower, UNO Melbourne.

It was awarded the contract to construct the landmark by Malaysian property developer SP Setia, the site being in the heart of the city’s central business district and considered to be bucking the trend of what is a challenging housing market.

The 210-metre-high development at 111 A’Beckett Street, architecturally designed by Elenberg Fraser, will occupy 1,741 square metres, encompassing the address’s existing heritage building and housing ground-floor retail space, as well as a childcare centre on the second level.

Commenting on the announcement, SP Setia’s Australian CEO Choong Kai Wai said: “I’m incredibly proud of our team in Australia to get to this point in the development of UNO, which will truly be a new landmark for Melbourne’s skyline.

“We look forward to progressing our new relationship with Probuild, a builder who is committed to safety and delivering high quality residential apartments.”

Needless to say, Probuild is equally excited to get the development underway.

Luke Stambolis, now Managing Director of Probuild Constructions Australia, added at the time of the contract award: “SP Setia and Elenberg Fraser have always created projects of distinction through timeless, considered design and UNO will be no different, with highly considered apartments and world-class residential amenities.

“This appointment is testament to the faith SP Setia has in Probuild’s extensive expertise in residential construction, as well as our commitment to safety and delivering Melbourne’s best quality apartments.”

When complete, UNO will house a lobby and concierge with a private dining area, lounge, bar, entertainment space and media room on level one.

CONSTRUCTION Additional residential facilities on level nine will include a yoga studio, therapy room, gym, steam room, sauna, spa, swimming pool and outdoor cinema, while there will also be outdoor space designated for leisure activities.

SUCCESSION PLANNING UNO represents the continuation of a strong portfolio built up in Victoria, Probuild’s other projects in Melbourne including Fulton Lane, Parque Melbourne, Maison Carnegie and Marque Prahran. UNO Melbourne will also be the company’s fourth residential project with Elenberg Fraser.

This commitment to Melbourne is reflective of Probuild’s wider longterm strategy, the firm announcing recently that it was implementing a succession planning strategy that has been in the making for two years.

As of October 2019, several key leadership positions were filled internally, a process which has also been impacted by the retirement of outgoing Director Ted Yencken, whose position has been taken over by Simon Gray, who announced the leadership changes.

He said: “I have been strongly committed to creating a long-term successful business. The long-term future will be in the hands of our own people.

We provide exciting opportunities for the development and nurturing of talent in our businesses, and these are great examples.

“This is a natural progression for these leaders. They have been selected because of their outstanding leadership, construction and business skills and will futureproof our business.”

Among the other appointments are Sam Delmenico, who has moved into the role of Managing Director of Probuild Constructions Victoria, and Adam Barker has taken over the role of Managing Director of the Western Australia business.

With a new leadership team in place and further landmark projects on the horizon, Probuild’s long-term future is certainly set on firm foundations.

Asia Outlook issue 42 | 115

EVENTS

RPW Thailand 2020 January 16-17, 2020 | Pattaya, Thailand | worldrefining.org/rpwthailand

Bigger and better than ever before RPW T H 2 0 (REFIN IN G & Petrochemicals World Thailand 2020) is spotlighting Innovations in process configuration, safety excellence, and digital transformation to improve productivity and maintain cost competitiveness.

This year, the event has confirmed partnerships with Thaioil & PTTES. Together we will deliver you the must-attend downstream event where more than 350 downstream leaders will meet to share, network and cultivate new business partnerships. The programme is divided into two parallel streams – ‘Refinery Configuration, Conversion and Design’ and ‘Digital Manufacturing and Operational Excellence’ – with a special focus on current trends of process configuration, safety excellence, and digital transformation.

What’s new about RPWTH20 1. Advisory Board: The Advisory Board is comprised of the industry’s most credible and distinguished thought leaders who help us make 116 | Asia Outlook issue 42

strategic directions for the conference programme, speaker recommendations, and content themes.

Names on the advisory board: • Bhawana Suphavilai, President, PTT Energy Solutions • Siriwat Limpaiboon, Project Director, Chandra Asri Petrochemical • Manas Banerjee, General Manager, Technical Gujarat Refinery, Indian Oil Corporation • Napaporn Ratanapoka, Refinery Technical Manager, PTT Global Chemical Public Company Limited • Marcio Wagner da Silva, Process Engineer and Project Manager, Petrobras • Bob Gill, General Manager, SEA, ARC Advisory Group • Sharul A Rashid, Custodian Engineer, Instrument and Control, PETRONAS

2. Expanded global reach: The RPWTH20 expands its global reach and welcome delegates from over 30 countries, including Korea, Vietnam, Philippines, Singapore and Myanmar, to help you gain a global vision of downstream trends with a special focus on Thailand and Asia.

3. Parallel workshops: The RPWTH20 agenda will include three parallel workshops with the hottest topics of digital transformation, refining tech innovations, and revolutionising turnaround, spotlighting automation weaknesses, operational excellence leadership, process safety excellence, digital maintenance, and more.

4. More one to one partnering meetings: The customised one to one meeting service is led by a designated networking manager who will support you with your own schedules. They help you reserve your own private area and facilitate dialogue with your required executives and companies.

The 3rd Annual

in partnership with:

THAILAND'S #1 DOWNSTREAM EVENT 350+

KEY TOPICS TO BE DISCUSSED

Attendees

Spotlighting Innovations in process configuration, safety excellence and digital transformation to improve

150+ 1-2-1 Business Meetings

productivity and maintain cost competitiveness Adapt, Survive & Thrive beyond IMO2020: Current Activity and Short-Term Preparation

Unlocking the New Opportunities through Digital Transformation

FCCU Performance Improvement, Residue Upgrading & Flexibility Refinery 4.0 Safety and Cybersecurity Anti-corrosion and Waste Management Driving costs down during the operations and maintenance

Revolutionizing Turnaround Reliability & Maintenance Refining Tech Innovation: fuel upgrading, clean fuel and catalyst

JANUARY 16-17 2020 PATTAYA THAILAND Visit our website to download the latest agenda and access the exclusive interviews worldrefining.org/rpwthailand

40+

Speakers

WHAT’S NEW OF 2020 EVENT In partnership with ThaiOil and PTT Energy Solutions

50% will be from RefChem Plants' department of

technical service, maintenance, operation, safety and reliability

2 paralleled forums and 3 concurrent workshops An international event that welcomes downstream

operators from across Asia, including Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar, etc.

120+ pre-arranged 1-2-1 partnering meetings

between top tier sponsors and valued guests from the major project developers and EPCs in Thailand

EVENTS

Mining Investment Asia March 17-19, 2020 | Singapore | www.mininginvestmentasia.com

Southeast Asia’s foremost forum for the global mining community N OW IN its sixth year, Mining Investment Asia is firmly established as Southeast Asia’s largest strategic mining investment conference and exhibition. Held in Singapore – a stable and secure global financial centre – the event is poised to attract more global investors and companies amidst the current turmoil and uncertainty surrounding major global and regional financial hubs.

We expect 450 senior level executives, including over 200 investors and 40 mining companies ranging from explorers, juniors, mid-tier producers and majors, for three days of partnering, networking and business matching.

Join us at an invaluable platform to get access to an agenda covering the latest industry issues, the exhibition floor, as well as a one to one meeting matching tool for new partnerships and business opportunities.

118 | Asia Outlook issue 42

New conference stream “Coal in Asia” Given the rise of coal consumption in Asia and importance of China, India and Indonesia as global coal producers, Mining Investment Asia will have a special session on coal’s role within Asia. This is the first time coal will be in the spotlight at the event.

Theme of gender diversity and technology Mining Investment Asia has been shining a spotlight on gender diversity and technology in mining over the years and will continue to highlight inclusion and the benefits of technology with ‘Women in Mining Day’ and ‘Mining Tech’ respectively.

Besides the conference, the exhibition also provides a great opportunity for mining technology, equipment and services companies, and miners and

governments to expand connections, launch new products and forge new business partnerships.

Special rates are available for advanced registration and more information on Mining Investment Asia as well as registration details can be found at www.mininginvestmentasia.com.

Enquiries can also be sent directly to enquiry@spire-events.com Mining Investment Asia 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.spire-events.com.

@Mininginvmt Mining Investment Conferences & Exhibitions Mining Investment Events Mining Investment Conference

6TH ANNUAL

ASIA

17 - 19 MARCH 2020 Singapore Confirmed Speakers

HENDRA SINADIA

Executive Director Indonesia Coal Mining Association (APBI-ICMA)

MEIDY KATRIN LENGKEY

KIRSTY KEANE

Secretary General Indonesia Nickel Miners Association (APNI), Indonesia

Commercial Strategy Team Anglo American, Singapore

JAYANT BHANDARI

Mining & Minerals and Institutional Investor Expert Anarcho Capital, Singapore

Sponsors & Exhibitors

Take Advantage of our Special Offer to Attend and Sponsor Today!

Contact Jarred at +65 8753 4948 | jarred.lau@spire-events.com

FEATURING

ASIA

ORGANISED BY

COALAsia www.mininginvestmentasia.com

EVENTS

Telecoms World Asia 2020 March 25-26, 2020 | Bangkok, Thailand | www.terrapinn.com/telecomsworldasia2020

Exploring intelligent connectivity in Asia RE T URNING FOR the 22nd annual edition in March, Telecoms World Asia 2020 brings together leading carriers, operators, authorities and suppliers from across the region to meet, learn and create partnerships to push forward the telecom ecosystem in Asia.

Five conference tracks of targeted content covering 5G, network virtualisation, telco 4.0, wholesale carriers and intelligent connectivity await, comprised of presentations and panels packed with incredible insights addressing the key topics disrupting and re-shaping the telecoms industry.

Confirmed experts will be joining from Alibaba Group, Air Asia, Google, Rakuten Mobile, Smart Axiata and many more.

120 | Asia Outlook issue 42

Programme highlights include: • Asia’s big MVNO opportunity • AI within 5G networks: The role of AI in the mobile networks of the future • Edge computing – service creation opportunities • Virtual banking: Are telcos being left behind again?

• The unparalleled opportunity through intelligent connectivity New for 2020 will be a pre-day summit, Connected Asia, held on March 24 and focusing on next-generation connectivity in five of the most exciting markets in Asia – Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.

Dive deep into each specific telco landscape, discuss and discover on how next-gen networks can be built, and explore the development of fibre optic in each country.

You will meet and hear from the country-specific decision makers and influencers who are looking to overcome the challenges to provide a truly connected Asia.

The 2020 edition is set to be the biggest and best yet with over 1,200 attendees, 120 speakers and 70 sponsors and exhibitors from the Asia Pacific telecoms industry.

Exclusive for Asia Outlook readers: Enjoy additional 10 percent off conference passes with promocode “ASIAOL10”.

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THE FINAL WORD To round off each issue, we ask our contributing business leaders for their views on the same question

Jean-Marcel Guillon CEO, FV Hospital “Number one – you have got to be ambitious. If you have a vision for a project, don’t be afraid of being ambitious and trying to fulfil that vision. If people tell you it is un-bankable or unachievable, don’t listen to them and be tenacious. You will have problems and difficulties that may appear insurmountable, but a bit of creativity will help you find a way to get over those issues. This can apply to any industry, not just the healthcare business which applies to me personally.”

If you could offer one piece of advice for a young entrepreneur entering your industry, what would it be?

Jeff Choo Managing Director, AI Associates “Be prepared for the many challenges that lie ahead.

It will not always be smooth sailing, but if you keep your sights focused on the dream that you want to create, follow your heart and it will eventually come true.”

Kelvin Tan Malaysia and Vietnam CEO, Columbia Asia Group of Companies “Be clear about why you do what you do… and stay true to that purpose with uncompromising integrity. Doing the ‘right thing’ must remain the forefront of any enterprise.”

Sebastian Langendorf CEO, JFE MERANTI “Raising $85 million to establish an industrial project comes with a whole range of challenges. Courage and resilience are certainly necessary conditions for success. But the one piece of advice that I would offer is to always be three months ahead of the curve. What I mean with this is that you need to have resources and processes 122 | Asia Outlook issue 42

ready three months before you actually need them. One example is recruitment. If you get a team member on board at the time that the workload is there, it is often too late. Hire the team member before the workload is there, even at a very early stage when funding is extremely tight. The one thing that you can afford least as an entrepreneur is to lose speed and momentum.”

Lim Chee Keong CEO, CHENG HUA Engineering Works “First is to build a high value proposition and inspire and engage a strong team to deliver it with unyielding determination. Second is to always focus on one or two goals that will make all the difference. Not every good idea is worth doing, especially

when there are limited resources for young entrepreneurs! Thirdly, disciplined execution is everything. Ideas alone are worth very little, unless you can execute them effectively.”

Anthony Sandeen Chief Commercial Officer, Beyonics “Get out of the office, get into the field, be present and in front of customers and suppliers. Technologies including social media and virtual meetings are great tools to build relationships, but they cannot replace hands-on, roll-up-yoursleeves experiences.”

Are you a CEO/Director with a company story to tell? Contact Asia Outlook now!

A one-stop aviation services shop...

HEVILIFT GROUP

AEROSPACE

Reaching the

Last week I was in Sydney, tomorrow I’m travelling down to Melbourne and then I’m heading to Adelaide on Friday before coming back home on Saturday. On Tuesday I’m then off to Cairns and will be flying to Papua New Guinea the following week.”

Catching Peter Cannon on the phone during one of his fleeting windows of availability, it wasn’t hard to see from his hectic (something of an understatement) schedule that business is more buoyant than ever at Hevilift.

It’s been two years since Asia Outlook last spoke with Cannon. But the Director of Business Growth is able to pick right up from where we last left

See page

44 36

HEVILIFT GROUP

Hevilift Group continues to fly to far-flung corners of the Asia Pacific region, meeting the needs of remote industry with its best-in-class, bespoke aviation services Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Donovan Smith

A ONE-STOP AVIATION SERVICES SHOP

has happened overnight, however.

New services have been added to its now extensive portfolio year by year, Hevilift meeting new needs as and when they arise in a coherent and measured manner.

2 | Asia Outlook issue 42

AEROSPACE

off, pointing to numerous opportuni- The Sanctuary Hotel ties that have presented themselves The Sanctuary Hotel in Port Moresby to the leading fixed and rotary wing and Rapopo Plantation Resort in East New Britain offer two ideal accommodation choices for visitors aviation services provider in recent to Papua New Guinea. times.

Respectively housing 64 and 32 wellequipped bedrooms, these locations “Aviation is always exciting – I don’t will ensure a comfortable stay for guest, be it a holidaymaker think that will ever change to be hon- any or business traveler. Both venues offer complimentary airport shuttle est,” he states. “The main thing that’s services, taking the stress out of causing a bit of buzz I suppose at the finding them after landing.

While Rapopo serves as an ideal moment is the upward trajectory of base from which to plan activities such as diving, snorkeling and other catering to a multitude bespoke theofresource sector. Prices have gone marine adventures, the Sanctuary needs often required by its customers THE WHO’S Hotel offers the perfect setting for a more people are WHAT’S exploring, and business meeting or event. who work in niche,up, highly specialised AND operating environments. that’s kept us busy of late as we’ve OF HEVILIFT “Say we have a client that wants to start in Australia and get 50 people moved with theEstablished market.” in Papua New Guinea to PNG on a large aircraft,” Cannon 1994, Hevilift leading fixed Important asinthey are,is amarket move-www.thesanctuaryhotelpom.com reveals. and rotary wing aviation services “Maybe they then want to get into ments are not the only factor dictating operator, providing charter the highlands of the country, and get solutions for the transportation onto a smaller aircraft that can land Hevilift’s continued success. In many of personnel and equipment in a The Stanley Hotel & Suites on a grassy strip near a specific mine variety of sectors. by its flexible ways, this site with 19 passengers, before usingis self-induced The Stanley Hotel & Suites is a another helicopter to carry out survey The firm has a diverse fleet of offering. five-star 433 room hotel located work, or evacuations, or medical work, aircraft, manned and backed by in Waigani the Commercial and or lifting work.

The company’s fleet comprises an experienced team that spans Government district of Port Moresby.

“Our crew and fleet will almost a multitude of professions, from Just a five-minute drive to the a multitude fixed wing always be able to meet any needs by of different management professionals and airport and perfectly situated being delivering an end to end service that’s flightthe crew to maintenance aircraft including ATRs andand the connected to Port Moresby’s only under one safety system and one mansupport personnel. integrated shopping complex, Vision agement structure.”

DCH6-300/400, and rotary wing hel- City Mega Mall, with Nightclub, Its footprint includes almost the cinemas and a number of restaurants From lifting pylons and generators icopters such as theofBell 407, and and bars, all without having to leave entirety the Asia Pacific412 region, to delivering firefighting and emerthe hotel complex. The Stanley Hotel with offices in PNG, Australia, gency medical services, it is this highly 212 to the Sikorsky S76, the Leonardo & Suites provides exceptional service Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia diversified, highly adaptable approach and superb accommodation. and Myanmar. that truly sets Hevilift apart.

AW139, MIL-8 and many others.

Boasting 6x Food & Beverage outlets, VISION: TO be the provider of business centre, Retail shops, Grand As a result, it is able to operate as MOVING WITH THE MARKET ballroom and an expansive pool, state choice for fixed and rotary wing Developing a catch-all status and such of the art Gymnasium and so much aviation services. a one-stop aviation services shop, more. a broad offering is not something that MISSION: TO provide aviation services safely, efficiently and cost effectively while delivering Asia Outlook issue 42 benefits to all stakeholders.

LOCATION IS EVERYTHING. The only hotel connected to a large upmarket shopping centre Largest resort swimming pool and gym Six food and beverage outlets Safe and secure

T +675 302 8888

| 3 E reservations@thestanleypng.com www.thestanleypng.com

4 | Asia Outlook issue 42

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Asia Outlook issue 42 | 5

Hevilift Group has told its story.

Now, why not tell yours? Our monthly magazine Asia Outlook is essential reading for business executives wanting to keep up with the latest in global news and trends affecting Asian businesses across all industries.

With a monthly coverage of over 220,000 readers, your company can take advantage of exposure in Asia Outlook with a FREE article and FREE digital brochure, as well as access to further digital and print-based marketing tools that could transform your business.

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SHELL LUBRICANTS ASIA PACIFIC

Issue 42

www.asiaoutlookmag.com/get-involved Leveraging the power of data

COLUMBIA ASIA GROUP Delivering efficient, affordable private healthcare services

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

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Jonathan Dyble +44 (0) 1603 959 660 jonathan.dyble@outlookpublishing.com