The full-day forum will begin with a series of keynote lectures from leading international thinkers from government, private sector and academia who will share best practices, highlight the dramatic impact of IT-related innovation on how people live and work, and comment on the strategic importance of fostering innovation in today’s increasingly competitive global economy. There will also be a luncheon keynote on the topic of the rise of Asia in high tech.
The keynote lectures will set the stage for the day’s discussions, and will be followed by panels featuring thought leaders who will focus on three broad areas: (1) IT competitiveness in Asia; (2) public policy and the importance of promoting choice in fostering growth; and (3) effective measures to counter cybercrime as a key success factor for sustained IT growth. These panels will draw on research carried out by leading scholars:
- IT Competitiveness in Asia
What factors are essential to industry growth and competitiveness? How effective have incubation strategies been?
IT, comprising software, hardware and services industry, is recognized as a compelling driving force that is at the core of every economic sector. A stronger IT industry leads to higher contribution to GDP, greater job creation, higher living standards and faster economic and social progress. However, it is often less clear what factors enable the development of a successful and competitive IT industry, and how various countries perform in these factors. Several governments in Asia have also embarked on strategies to develop technology and software parks as a means of stimulating and nurturing the growth of the domestic IT industry. We will begin by looking at the external environment factors and have a closer examination of the impact of such government incubation strategies. This session will consider the model developed by EIU to identify and evaluate the factors that enable Asian IT firms to become more competitive globally, how the countries measure on a global IT industry competitiveness index, and the key findings of the EIU in their research whitepaper. We will also discuss the findings of a new research conducted by EIU on technology park strategies, examining the common attributes of such parks, identifying some common advantages and drawbacks faced by the parks, and highlighting some of the innovative approaches and best practices that can be adopted to help develop a competitive IT industry in Asia.
- Public Policy and the Importance of Promoting Choice in Asia
What are the central issues that are influenced and driven by government policies and strategies in striving for an innovative and competitive environment for IT?
Having identified the factors essential to industry growth and some lessons from incubation strategies, we will next consider how public policy impacting these factors can help either stimulate or stifle growth and competitiveness in the software and technology industries. Understanding the role of government in supporting IT growth requires an appreciation of wide-ranging issues that affect the competitiveness of businesses in Asia, including: the importance of technology standards and the roles of government and industry in standards development; government’s dual role in technology; and legal frameworks for the effective protection of intellectual property. This session will discuss the findings in two new studies, one conducted by INSEAD and the other by the Berkman Center at Harvard Law School together with the Research Center for Information Law at the University of St. Gallen.
- Countering Cybercrime as a Key Success Factor for Sustained IT Growth in Asia
What are the experiences in creating a suitable legal infrastructure to provide a safe online environment needed by consumers and industry?
An unfortunate by-product of the information age is computer-related crime, which is an increasing threat to healthy and sustained growth in the IT industry. Consumer and business confidence in online safety is a key factor that can encourage or be a barrier to greater online activities and e-commerce, and consequently the development of competitive technology firms. Government plays a critical role in developing a solid legislative framework that will give law enforcement officials the tools they need to combat today’s sophisticated cyber-criminals. Across Asia Pacific, policy makers have taken important steps to update relevant laws, but more can still be done. This session will consider a study conducted by Microsoft that analyzes the domestic legislation in the Asia Pacific region in relation to common benchmarks such as the Council of Europe’s Convention on Cybercrime. The discussion will consider the best practices in this area, and explore how policy makers can further bolster laws to address 21st century crime.
