Outline of the Commemorative Lecture

• Chairman and CEO, Sparkice Inc.

Today, Asia is becoming the center of global manufacturing industry. In the area of information and telecommunication, Asia is clearly leading the world as various relevant indices suggest, such as the numbers of cell phone users, Internet users and broadband Net user households.

It is expected that there will be no intermediary in future world trade, which will be dominated by a single global mega-hub, as seen in the air transportation and telecommunication industries are becoming at the moment. The world is now drastically changing. So that Asia may effectively respond to rapid changes and become a global economy’s new driver in the future, I propose the "e-Asia Action plan."

Concretely, the "e-Asia Action plan" shall involve the establishment of "e-Asia Commission" comprised of leading government officials and entrepreneurs from each region of Asia, to regularly organize seminars and discuss promotional policy measures. As well, "e-Asia Strategic Investment Fund" shall be created to acquire leading technology companies in the world to become active in Asian markets and to make strategic investments.

Among other possible e-Asia actions, Asia Free Trade Zone shall be designated to enlarge the scale of technology communication and further improve technology development and market opening. Preferential tariff policies shall also be tailored for High-tech industry in Asia, while tax incentives shall be set up for individual income taxes to attract quality personnel to Asia, since global high-tech competition also means competition for talents.

With such a framework, as well as China’s Market and Human Resources, Japan’s Capital and Technologies, Korea’s Creativeness, India’s Software Technologies and South and East Asia’s Innovative Forces, Asia is sure to develop as a world pivot.