The 2019 ASEAN-EU Business Summit, co-organized by EU-ASEAN Business Council and the European Association for Business and Commerce (EABC), had two significant themes, which were tackled in the half-day event: Building a Sustainable Digital Economy in ASEAN and Financing ASEAN’s Future. The 7th edition of this annual summit, held on Monday, September 9th, featured distinguished keynote speakers such as H.E. Dr. Uttama Savanayana, the Minister of Finance of Thailand, and expert panelists who provided their insights into digital economy, ageing population, capital projects and infrastructure finance in ASEAN.
The two panel discussions featured some of the region’s leading names in technology, finance and industry, and were moderated by Bob Fox, Chair of EABC’s Digital Economy/ICT Working Group, and Dr. Kirida Bhaopichitr, Research Director at the Thailand Development Research Institute.
Mahanakorn Partners Group was represented by its Chairman and Managing Partner, Luca Bernardinetti, who was one of the speakers on the panel on Financing ASEAN’s Future, sharing the stage with representatives of HSBC Global Banking, Prudential Corporation Asia and the Stock Exchange of Thailand. Mr. Bernardinetti shed light on financing sustainable infrastructure in ASEAN, providing a detailed account of the current climate with changes to the Public-Private Partnership Law in Thailand and the trends that are affecting the financing of PPP projects in the region. He also illustrated some country-specific challenges MPG has faced while working on the legal and financial structuring of PPP transactions in ASEAN.
The summit wrapped up with closing remarks by Jan Eriksson, EABC Vice President, who reinforced the notion that European businesses see ASEAN as a long-term, dependable trade partner.
