Think outside the development box

As a member of Asean I feel happy to see the growth of industries in Thailand. However, many developing countries still believe that the future is in science rather than the growth of technologies for industrial application. We have seen the rise of the Japanese and Korean nations that essentially grew their industries first before growing their sciences. Today, a number of countries such as Australia and Malaysia believe in leap-frogging into innovation. There can be little benefit if the innovation is all found in the government institutions rather than at the firm level. Innovations at the firm level can be measured by the greater generation of revenue. It's about cash flow, revenue and profit. In Asean the scientific community should be supported by joint industrial research that supports specific growth in targeted industries.

Industries have to work together, maybe through mergers and acquisitions that can make the regional corporations more competitive. It's time for Asean to act and think out of the box. Grow the industries and economy first. Give the people greater purchasing power and they will support the economy and industrial growth. Act collectively, as Asean has 600 million people. Time for new thinking in the region - and act fast.

A Z Idrus

Bangkok