Wednesday, November 6, 2024  –  Manila Time (UTC +8)

Registration

Key issues:

If it were a single economy, the ASEAN area would be the 3^rd largest in Asia and the 5^th in the world, as well as one of the largest trading area globally (3^rd for both exports and imports). The Region is gaining a new centrality in the changing global landscape, leveraging also on the multiple Free-Trade Agreements currently signed and under consultation.

FTAs are currently in place more vis-à-vis the Eastern world, but many are being developed in EU and North America. Among others, since September 2020, Italy officially became a strategic partner of the ASEAN Region.

In this context:

1.  What is the significance of the relationship between Italy and ASEAN countries in the current global scenario?

2.  How does Italy plan to strengthen its political and economic relations with ASEAN countries, and what value-added can this collaboration offer to both parties?

3.  What are the common development challenges that Italy and ASEAN countries can address together, and what potential opportunities does this collaboration present?

4.  How could the Philippines contribute to enhancing economic and trade relations between Italy and the ASEAN region?

Opening

Master of Ceremony

MIKKI SACHIKO
Wellnessible Founder, TV & Podcast Host

Welcome remarks

LORENZO TAVAZZI
Senior Partner and Board Member, The European House – Ambrosetti

MICHELANGELO PIPAN
President of the Italy ASEAN Association, former Italian Ambassador to Thailand, Cambodia and Laos

Opening speech

RAFAELITA M. ALDABA
Undersecretary, Competitiveness and Innovation Group, Department of Trade and Industry, the Philippines

Speech by:

MARIA TRIPODI
Vice Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Italy

Speech by

SATVINDER SINGH
Deputy Secretary-General, ASEAN Economic Community

ROBERTA CASALI
Vice President for Finance and Risk Management, Asian Development Bank

Photo opportunity

Key issues:

The ASEAN-Italy trade exchange is worth more than 20 billion Dollars, of which 9.7 billion are represented from Italian export to ASEAN and 12 billion refer to ASEAN export to Italy. In the last 5 years, overall commercial trade between Italy and ASEAN has grown by 52%, more than UK (13%), Germany (12.8%) and France (12.7%), highlighting the great dynamism of Italy-ASEAN economic relations.

Among ASEAN countries, the Philippines represents 8.3% of Italian export to the area and 2.7% of import to Italy.

In this context:

1.  What are the emerging trends in economic partnerships and alliances within ASEAN, and how do they reflect the evolving economic dynamics of the region in the global context?

2.  How can ASEAN and Italy collaborate effectively to address and mitigate regional economic disparities within the ASEAN region?

3.  How would you assess the investment climate in ASEAN nations and Italy, and what steps can be taken to create a more favorable environment for investment between the two regions?

4.  How can an ASEAN and Italy collaborate for a better technology security? What are the geopolitical risks of not developing such strategic supply chain?

Moderator:

RAVINDRA NGO
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, The Asian Network

Round Table:

MAURO BATTOCCHI
Director General, Directorate-General for Country Promotion, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Italy; former Ambassador of Italy in Chile

LORENZO GALANTI
Director General, Italian Trade Agency – ITA; former Italian Ambassador to Thailand, Cambodia and Laos, Italy

ALADDIN D. RILLO
Managing Director for Policy Design and Operations ERIA – Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia – ERIA; former Deputy Secretary-General for the ASEAN Economic Community

ENUNINA V. MANGIO
President, Philippines Chamber of Commerce and Industry – PCCI

BENJAMIN ANG
Head, Centre of Excellence for National Security and Future Issues in Technology, Singapore

Discussion

Coffee break

Key issues:

The twin transition, encompassing both green and digital transformation, is a priority for Italy and ASEAN countries.

ASEAN presents today varying levels of digital and environmental readiness, and is prioritizing green growth and tech adoption, aiming to enhance regional competitiveness, especially through the spread of AI, solid startups’ ecosystem and 5G infrastructure.

Italy, with its strong industrial base and advanced technologies, is focusing on clean energy, sustainable practices, and digitalization to boost economic growth and resilience and can contribute to increase ASEAN competitiveness.

In this scenario:

1.  What steps can be taken to deepen the economic cooperation between ASEAN and Italy in the development of sustainable and resilient infrastructure?

2.  In what ways can ASEAN and Italy leverage innovation to drive competitiveness in the field of digitalization, green technologies, and circular economy practices?

3.  How can ASEAN and Italy collaborate to accelerate the transition towards advanced energy sources, and what specific initiatives are being considered to promote a net zero emission economy?

4.  How are ASEAN and Italy mobilizing green finance and investment to support inclusive growth initiatives, and what mechanisms are in place to ensure transparency and accountability in investment practices?

5. What are the perspectives of food-energy-water system futures, also looking on food security, and what is the role of and intra- and inter-regional collaboration?

Moderator:

CELYNNE LAYUG
Chief of Staff, Department of Trade and Industry, the Philippine

Round Table:

PAOLO LOMBARDO
Director, International Cooperation and Development Finance, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti – CDP, Italy

GEORGE T. BARCELON
President, Integrated Computer Systems, and Paramount Vinyl Products and Interpolymer; Chairman of the Philippine Exporters Confederation

MICHAL RON
Chief International Business Officer, SACE, Italy

FERDINAND “PERRY” FERRER
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, EMS Group, the Philippines

LUKE TAY
Founder, Cornucopia FutureScapes; Fellow, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore

MIRKO TURRINA
Chief Executive Officer APAC, Goglio, Italy

Discussion

Lunch

Key issues:

As ASEAN countries continue to prioritize resilience and innovation, high-tech sectors like Space offer critical support to ensure business continuity, regional stability and cooperation in highly strategic sector.

Additionally, industrial plants and factories in ASEAN are undergoing significant modernization, integrating automation, artificial intelligence, and sustainable practices to increase efficiency and adaptability.

Italy, renowned for its expertise in advanced technology and research, has much to contribute to ASEAN’s growth in these areas. The potential for joint projects, technology transfer, and knowledge sharing is significant, providing both regions with unique collaborative advantages.

In this context:

1.  How can high-tech and innovation-driven sectors such as Space, help ensure resilience and business continuity in ASEAN countries, and what unique strengths does Italy have to offer?

2.  With Italy’s expertise, how can we further advance ASEAN’s capacity in the technology, research, and innovation front, leading to joint projects, technology transfer, and knowledge sharing?

3.   How are industrial plants and factories changing and what is the role of intra- and inter-regional collaboration in such processes?

Moderator:

ROMEO ORLANDI
Vice President, Associazione Italia – ASEAN, Italy

Speech by:

JAIME BAUTISTA
Secretary, Department of Transportation, the Philippines

Round Table:

JOEL JOSEPH S. MARCIANO JR.
Director General, Philippine Space Agency

SILVIA CICCARELLI
Head, Business Internationalisation Sector, International Relations Office, Italian Space Agency – ASI

JOHN LEE
Chairman, Aerospace Industries Association of the Philippines – AIAP; President Applied Machining Corporation

FEDERICO ZOPPAS
Managing Director Zoppas Industries Hearing Element Technologies and President of the Veneto Aerospace Cluster, Italy

GIUSEPPE IZZO
Managing Director, ST Microelectronics Taiwan; Group Vice President, Asia Public Affairs, ST Microelectronics

KIMANG KHUN
Chief Technology Officer, AI Farm Robotics Factory, Cambodia

Discussion

Key issues:

Creative industries such as gaming, animation, fashion and design are booming thanks to the technological and digital transformation that is taking place worldwide at an unprecedented rate.

According to UN Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD) Creative Economy Outlook 2024, creative services exports surged by 29% to $1.4 trillion in 2022, while creative goods exports increased by 19% to $713 billion.

In the creative economy ASEAN is becoming an important player in the export and import of creative goods. However the development of the creative industries in the area is uneven.

1.  How can ASEAN countries maximize the shift of creative content to digital platforms, and what insight can Italy provide in its experience of shifting content to the digital space?

2.  What policies or measures should be set in place to ensure the protection of Copyright and Intellectual Property in the Creative Landscape?

3.  As a culturally interwoven group of countries, how can ASEAN ensure the growth of the creative- and design-driven industries to persist throughout the region while maintaining the unique identity of each nation?

4.  What are the possible areas of collaboration that Italy and ASEAN countries can work on to boost the creative economy of both parties? Can the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) be an accelerator of these dynamics?

Moderator:

JO-DANN DARONG
Director III, Bureau of Competitive Development, Department of Trade and Industry – DTI

Round Table:

MARCO BARDELLI
Board Member and Senior Executive Director, Nongsa Digital Park; Project Coordinator Apple Developer Academy – Indonesia
(videoconference)

MARLYN MONTANO
President, Animation Council of the Philippines – ACPI

SERGIO BOERO
President, Italian Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines

THANONGSINH KANLAGNA
Executive Vice President, Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry – LNCCI; Member of the Parliament, LAO PDR; Executive President, Datacom

RICCARDO CORRADO
Professor, CamEd Business School, Cambodia; Vice-Chairman, Italian Business Chamber Cambodia

ROMOLO NATI
Executive Chairman and CEO of Italpinas Development Corporation – IDC

Discussion

Coffee break

Key issues:

The tools for economic cooperation between ASEAN and Italy are diverse and multifaceted. They include trade agreements, investment treaties, joint ventures, and economic and technical cooperation programs. These tools aim to reduce trade barriers, promote investment, enhance technology transfer, and strengthen economic ties between the two regions. Together, they build resilient, mutually beneficial economic partnerships. As of today, today Italian FDI in ASEAN are worth 7.7 billion Euros, whereas ASEAN FDI amount to more than 800 million Euros.

In this context:

1.  What are the main investment prospects opening up in ASEAN within the process of regional economic integration and what opportunities Italy can offer through its national investment and reform plans?

2.  How do bilateral and multilateral trade agreements impact ASEAN’s economic relations with Italy? How can public-private collaboration be enhanced?

3.  How is the financial services sector responding to the changing needs of ASEAN businesses? What role for sustainable finance?

4.  How can the growth of small and medium-sized businesses in Southeast Asia promoted and what opportunities exist for Italian SMEs to collaborate with ASEAN partners?

Moderator:

LUCA BERNARDINETTI
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mahanakorn Partners Group, Thailand

Speech by:

VALENTINO VALENTINI
Vice Minister, Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy
(videomessage)

Round Table:

JAMES VILLAFUERTE
Regional Lead Economist, Asian Development Bank

ALICE KUO
Regional Head of Sales for Compliance Asia, CRIF

ROWEL BARBA
Director General, Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines

RAFFAELE CATTANEO
Undersecretary with responsibility for International and European Relations, Lombardy Region, Italy
(videoconference)

NGUYEN THE DUY
Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Becamex IDC, Vietnam

Discussion

Final remarks:

LORENZO TAVAZZI
Senior Partner and Board Member, The European House – Ambrosetti

Dusit Thani Hotel