The Philippines called for the adoption of a unified, collaborative culture with the so-called “mindfacturing” mindset to successfully sustain the ASEAN Industry 4.0 ecosystem on the second day of the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual told summit participants to come together to create a future where collective efforts propel the region and the entire world into an era of unprecedented growth and opportunities.
“In the age of Industry 4.0, adopting a ‘mindfacturing’ mindset is not an option; it’s a societal imperative. I call upon the entire ASEAN community to unite under this vision. Let’s shape the future where human ingenuity and technology intersect, where innovation knows no bounds,” Lopez said in his speech.
Pascual reminded ASEAN members to continue working together to fully implement strategic priorities identified in the Consolidated Strategy on the Fourth Industrial Revolution for ASEAN, especially in the context of post-pandemic growth and expansion.
The region, he said, needs to advance regional efforts in six areas. These include the formulation and adoption of harmonized governance frameworks for technology adoption; rolling out ASEAN’s digital-based trade facilitation initiatives; incentivizing technology adoption for smart agriculture and smart manufacturing; enhancing access of MSMEs to digital technologies; fostering cultural development by enchanting digital content; and, accelerating innovation that contributes to inclusion and environmental sustainability.
Pascual said that while ASEAN has the chance to participate in the global economy and to lead it, but uncertainties such as the climate crisis, geopolitical risks, and global supply chain disruptions continue to be of major concern for the region.
“We must skillfully navigate through an unpredictable economic environment to solidify our standing as a global production dynamo. We must transform our production sectors and enable them to be more adaptive to market shifts with agility and precision. Our industries adapt and are prepared to fully embrace innovation and digitalization,” he said.
The ASEAN Business and Investment Summit is part of the 2023 ASEAN Summit in Jakarta with a series of ASEAN Summit meetings taking place from Sept. 2 to 7, 2023.