The Ministry of Commerce, in collaboration with many partner organizations will hold the “CLMVT Forum 2018: Taking-Off Through Technology” from 16-17 August 2018 on the 22nd floor of Centara Grand and Bangkok Convention Center at Central World Bangkok.
The Forum aims to strengthen economic ties of the CLMVT region, which comprises Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand; and to promote regional cooperation amidst challenges in the context of current global trade, with emphasis on the use of digital technology for inclusive and sustainable economic development.
Prof. Dr. Sakon Varanyuwatana, Vice Minister for Commerce, said the Thai government has a proactive policy to promote trade and investment with neighbouring countries, so we initiated the CLMVT Forum in 2016 to tighten the CLMVT relations in terms of economy, trade, investment and tourism, as well as to encourage all levels of cooperation networks. In addition, he added that the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has brought about technological changes with great impacts on economic development. Technological progress has changed not only the patterns of trade, production networks and regional supply in domestic and international spheres, but has also influenced the way business is conducted, consumer behaviours, marketing strategies and so forth. The CLMVT Forum 2018, as a result, aims to promote shared prosperity in the region, in line with the sustainable development goal, amidst the emerging challenges in the context of new economy, as well as to foster networks of business leaders, entrepreneurs, policymakers, academics, and new generation in the CLMVT region.
At this year’s Forum, General Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of Thailand will preside over the opening ceremony and deliver a keynote speech entitled “CLMVT Taking-Off Through Technology” on 16 August at 9.15 hrs. The Forum’s participants will include ministers of trade, industry, science and technology, high-level executives, SME operators, relevant experts and young entrepreneurs who are actively engaged in trade-related technologies, the new economy, and creative economy from the CLMVT countries. Also participating will be representatives from the world-leading businesses i.e. USA, China, Japan, India, Malaysia and Singapore, such as PayPal, SCB Abacus, True Money, Bank of Ayudhya, Lazada, Grabtaxi, Shippop, Thai Beverage, Walt Disney Animation, 500 Startups, Kaidee.com, Builk, Pomelo Fashion, Somjai Online, etc.
The CLMVT Forum 2018 is supported by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Ministry of Culture, the Board of Investment of Thailand, Bangkok Metropolis, the Mekong Institute, and other private organisations.
The first day of the Forum (16 August 2018) is themed “Technology to Change Trade and Investment” and will feature speeches and discussions of changes in the global economy as a result of technological progress; discussions on digital trade ecosystem and CLMVT opportunities in trade and investment through digital platform; exchange of views between CLMVT ministers and chambers of commerce; and networking reception. The second day of the Forum (17 August 2018) will be themed “Technology to Change Life and Young Generation” and will feature speeches by high-level executives on the role of technology in supporting creative economy and inclusive growth; discussions on technological transformation for SMEs and startups and the creativity in the digital age for economic inclusion; introduction to the Young Entrepreneur Chamber of Commerce (YEC) and the Town Portal application for connecting local economies in the CLMVT; and inspirational talks for startup operators.
The CLMVT Forum 2018 will also include exhibitions by domestic and international partner organisations in six zones; namely, 1) ‘Offline to Online’ for modern businesses such as Tarad.com, Builk, and Fixzy, 2) ‘MOC New Economy Pavilion’ for the Ministry of Commerce’s variety of services such as API, IP-IDE, NEA, DBD Verified, and Thaitrade.com, 3) ‘Creativity (Design) Pavilion’ for creative product development combining modern design and local identity such as the ISSAN project, 4) ‘Technology & Innovation’ for organisations relating to product and service innovation such as the Agricultural Technology and Innovation Association, Thai Blockchain Association, Eastern Automotive Cluster Association (EACA), Thailand Board of Trade and Federation of Thai Industries, 5) ‘Creativity (Digital Contents)’ for creative service sectors such as the Thai Animation and Computer Graphics Association (TACGA), and 6) ‘CLMVT Start-ups / Business Transformation’ for businesses from the CLMVT region.
The Vice Minister for Commerce revealed that the Thai government, as the host of the forum, expects the CLMVT Forum 2018 to pave the way for creating a digital platform to connect trade within and beyond the region, while also promoting e-commerce, strengthening each country’s economy inside out through interrelations with other countries, and enabling the CLMVT countries to be more immune to the volatility of the global economy.
The CLMVT (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand) is a region of high potentials and rapid economic growth. With a combined population of about 237 million and average GDP growth at 5.8 per cent, the CLMVT region has attracted worldwide entrepreneurs to invest in manufacturing and expand their markets, resulting in unceasing economic opportunities in the region against the backdrop of the volatile global economy. The region has also joined forces for unity and to tackle new challenges for a better future of the CLMVT region and beyond.
.jpg){kind=tracking}