The Asia Innovation Forum (AIF) is:
- An exclusive annual event bringing together key stakeholders from Asia ―business and political leaders, top academic and media personalities―to focus on the innovations, initiatives, and new partnerships needed to sustain Asia's long-term economic growth and social progress;
- A framework for creating new opportunities for public-private partnerships and fruitful interaction between the brightest and best established business leaders, young entrepreneurs and investors and other thought-leaders in Asia, helping to foster future business developments in the region;
- A high-level platform for networking among business leaders, senior policy-makers, opinion leaders and renowned experts;
- A context to discuss economic and business strategies with business leaders and experts from industrialized democracies as well as from emerging giants China and India;
- "Group-20" consisting of Asian 40s-50s prominent leaders have pledged full support to AIF.
Theme of AIF 2010
Japan and Asia’s New Co-Creation Strategy:‘Beyond Survival (The XYZ Strategy)’ to ‘Creation (The ABC Strategy)’
A mature economy requires a growth strategy that is fundamentally different from the type of strategies used in growing economies. However, Japan, in its current state of economic maturity, has been unable to keep up with the changing times and as a result, is struggling to survive with a continuation of a 20th century industry structure. Now more than ever, Japan needs to radically change its perspective and bring about a fundamental transformation of industry. In addition, it must recognize that with a mature economy, government, corporations and individuals will undergo changes in its patterns of behavior, concept of values and relationships with various sectors.
Japan should not compete with other Asian countries. Rather, in recognition that these fast-growing Asian countries represent promising new markets, Japan should pursue strategies that will enable it to grow and prosper together. If Japan is able to create a new growth strategy for its revitalization, that scenario will eventually become a model for other Asian countries during their economic maturity stage.
The key element here is new co-creation. The limits of the environment and energy, the declining and aging populations of developed countries, the growing population and poverty of developing countries – to solve these and other similar societal issues and to develop business on a global scale, we need alliances and cooperative relationships that go beyond industry and national borders and growth strategies that effectively bring together industry, government and academia. In addition, we need tough and gifted leaders who are able to constructively debate and discuss with those of opposing views, balance conflicting interests and translate words into concrete actions. This is how co-creation is achieved. In our highly sophisticated information society, we want to bring together individuals with a wide variety of qualifications, knowledge, experience and talent to create a new concept for industry.
The Asia Innovation Forum strives to be a venue where various elements are brought together and “multiplied” to create a positive chemical reaction of sorts. Specifically, we are seeking to bring together and multiply “Japan x Asia”, “Industry x Government x Academia” and “Individuals x Individuals.” AIF is comprised of a network of individuals, corporations and organizations that all seek to create change through innovative thinking and methods. We strive to become a trigger for the creation of new businesses and industries by transforming existing survival strategies (XYZ strategy) under the current architecture and proposing new growth strategies (ABC strategy) under the new architecture.
