Asian nations propose technology 'belt'
By K.C. Krishnadas
EE Times
(01/02/02, 2:49 p.m. EST)
BANGALORE, India — Seeking to keep pace with the West, 17 countries in southeast Asia have proposed the creation of an Asian information technology belt that would link key cities into a regional grouping similar to California's Silicon Valley.
The project is being promoted by the Asian Oceanian Computing Industry Association, or Asocio, and will be led by Singapore, which would serve as headquarters of the proposed group.
The Asocio member countries are Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and Mongolia. Better technology trade relations and more consistent standards among the members are expected to bolster both inter-Asian trade and global investments in the region, backers said.
The information and communication technologies markets of some "individual Asian cities and countries are currently low on technological know-how and expertise," said Harres Tan, chairman of Asocio. "The Asian belt aims to pull together cities to find synergies and forge a complete and robust global presence for the Asian [information and communications] industry. The Asian belt will create a regional IT grouping similar to Silicon Valley in the United States and Europe and ensure that Asia remains a credible player in the global Internet revolution."
A resolution creating the technology belt was approved recently at the Asocio 2001 General Assembly and Symposium, held in New Delhi. The Asian belt is proposed on the lines of such trade groups such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) and the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean). To be implemented within the next 12 months, the technology belt will include a network of 15 to 20 cities in the member countries and will work to promote mutual trade among the member cities and countries.
A focus area for the technology group will be building an electronics infrastructure while strengthening links among the major cities of the region.
The regional group will also seek to promote electronic business, e-commerce and e-government, as well as train more skilled workers. Evolving strategies for the digital economy may also be on the agenda, the group said.
Better investment flows in the region and financial backing for aspiring entrepreneurs will also be combined with efforts to launch technology incubation centers. The centers would be funded by venture capitalists for innovative startups. Exchanges of technology workers among the member cities are also planned.
"India has been approached by the Singapore government for the creation of a forum in the IT and telecom sectors," said Phiroz Vandrevala, chairman of Nasscom, India's software industry association. "This is a great opportunity for India to share its expertise and services and to learn from its counterparts, such as South Korea on broadband, Japan on wireless and Singapore on building a strong communications infrastructure."
While Bangalore is a contender to be part of the pan-Asian belt, Asocio said it will soon announce a list of standard requirements, such as the available technology infrastructure and the number of computer engineers in each city. Group membership would be granted based on those and similar criteria. Continuing membership would be based on each city's annual performance.
"With the slowdown in the U.S. economy and with Europe witnessing flat growth, the Asocio General Assembly provides an excellent platform to network and forge alliances," said Nasscom president Kiran Karnik. He said the program lets Indian companies learn more about the Asia-Pacific technology industry and tap emerging opportunities in the region.
Established in 1984, Asocio is a group of computing-industry associations from the Asia-Pacific region whose aim is to promote regional technology trade. The combined membership of all the associations in the region is more than 10,000. "Guest" members include the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Spain and France.
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