Plugging into Production Networks: Industrialization Strategy in Less Developed Southeast Asian Countries

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements This is the second phase of a research project funded by the Institute of Developing Economies (IDE-JETRO) in Japan on production networks in Southeast Asia. In the first phase, the project aimed to investigate how production networks and industrial clusters were formed in the advanced ASEAN region, particularly in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. The result of the first phase was published by the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) in 2008 under the title Production Networks and Industrial Clusters: Integrating Economies in Southeast Asia, edited by Ikuo Kuroiwa and Toh Mun Heng. In the second phase, the project expanded the scope of analysis and aims to investigate how production networks can be extended from the advanced ASEAN region into new ASEAN member countries, namely Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam (CLMV). From the same viewpoint the link between Singapore and the Batam-Bintan-Karimun (BBK) Special Economic Zone in Indonesia is also discussed. The study highlights policy implications and provides policy measures for extending production networks into the less developed countries. After having a closed-door workshop at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School, we held a joint workshop with ISEAS and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in March 2008. The papers collected in this book have been revised to reflect comments and opinions expressed at these workshops. As in the first phase, I owe my sincere gratitude to the researchers and administrative staff of ISEAS for their support on this research work. I would like to acknowledge Dr Dennis Hew and Ms Sanchita Basu Das in particular for their support in organizing the joint workshop, and Mrs Triena Ong for her valuable advice on research activities and the publication of this book. The NUS Business School, with which I was affiliated while I was in Singapore, provided me with much support. In particular I am deeply 00฀PPNetwkprelims.indd฀฀฀15 10/2/09฀฀฀3:10:29฀PM indebted to Professor Toh Mun Heng for his contribution to this research work. I would also like to thank Ms Teo Woo Kim and Ms Jenny See (NUS Business School) for their kind and tireless support. Editor Ikuo Kuroiwa xvi฀ Acknowledgement 00฀PPNetwkprelims.indd฀฀฀16 10/2/09฀฀฀3:10:30฀PM ...