ScandAsia South East Asia - December 2015

DEC 2015

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Volvo at heart:

Keith Sch채fer in Malaysia ScandAsia.dk

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News Brief

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150th anniversary of composer Carl Nielsen celebrated in Saigon

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n occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Danish composer Carl Nielsen the prestigious Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera on 9 October hosted a concert in his name in the Ho Chi Minh City Opera Theatre.

“Culture and art are important elements in our long-term relationship with Vietnam. We believe that culture and art contribute tremendously to the building of mutual trust and understanding between our two countries and our peoples” said Danish Ambassador Charlotte Laursen in her speech, opening the evening.

Carl Nielsen was a pioneer composer of Denmark in the early 20th century. Previously, his works did not receive proper acknowledgement and care from the world’s community but recently people have paid much attention to his music, especially works for orchestras.

Nielsen had completed his last piece of the six-

piece collection symphony in 1925 before composing two more concertos for flute and clarinet for the Copenhagen Wind Quintet and died at the age of 66.

His concerto for clarinet has drawn people’s attention thanks to its fresh music language and the perfect expression and melodies of clarinet instrument. Nielsen was among the first musicians to use the technique of “Progressive tonality” in composing music pieces. Audiences can discover this technique via his concerto for clarinet at the concert in Saigon.

The audience enjoyed an evening with enchanting tones in an interesting combination of Danish-Vietnamese classical music under direction of the Danish conductor Frans Rasmussen. The show featured Vietnam’s leading clarinet artist Dao Nhat Quang who graduated from the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory.

Source: Embassy of Denmark in Vietnam

Danish breakfast dialogue series in Malaysia continues: AEC

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et another interesting breakfast dialogue at the Danish residence was held on 4 November 2015.

The Malaysian Danish Business Council (MDBC) in collaboration with the Embassy of Denmark in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia hosted the event.

The topic this time was ASEAN and the implications of the ASEAN Economic Community were debated yesterday. Mr Hans Vriens of Vriens & Partners gave a presentation on the political and business dynamics of key ASEAN members and what it means for the future economic integration of Southeast-Asia.

As usual, the opening presentation was followed by a lively debate. Looking into the future, the impact of AEC is still somewhat blurry, and Mr.Vriens emphasised that full integration in the sense of free movement of goods, services and human capital will take a long time.

But the foundation for a prosperous community is certainly there.

Source: Embassy of Denmark in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

News Brief

Danish and Malaysian company enter MoU for waste treatment

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n 31 October and 1 November an important and celebratory event was held when the Danish company DONG REnescience A/S and Malaysian Mercu Resolutions Sdn. Bhd. signed a MoU in Kuala Lumpur on exploring the application of REnescience’s cutting-edge waste treatment technology in the State of Terengganu.

The Chief Minister of Terengganu Dato’ Seri Ahmad Razif and the Danish Ambassador Nicolai Ruge gave the officiating speeches before witnessing the signing ceremony.

“The project carries the true spirit of the commitment to transfer the long term problems of waste management,” said the Chief Minister, fur ther suppor ting the State of Terengganu greening its economy, where this par ticular project is an important element.

On behalf of REnescience A/S, Senior Director Federico Castelli signed the MoU as well as a

letter of commitment to the State Government of Terengganu. Numerous business people and government officials were present at the event, including the Speaker of Terengganu State Assembly and the State Minister of Environment.

REnescience supplies the world with a new clean technology turning mixed municipal solid waste (MSW) into “bioliquid” and other valuable products. REnescience offers significantly higher capture rates of the biodegradable materials (more than 90% ends in the bioliquid), higher recycling rates of waste and more sustainable waste management than traditional practices.

REnescience is a technology wholly owned by DONG Energy, one of the leading energy groups in Northern Europe.

Source: Embassy of Denmark in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Embassy of Denmark meets with new mayor of Kuala Lumpur on energy efficiency

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n 29 September 2015 the new Mayor of KualaLumpur Datuk Amin Nordin and senior staff of DBKL (Kuala Lumpur City Hall) met with Ambassador Nicolai Ruge for a talk on past and future collaboration between Kuala Lumpur and Denmark. Focus was on taking forward the collaboration on improved energy efficiency in public buildings.

The energy consumption of most public buildings in Malaysia can be reduced by 2030% by retrofitting the buildings with modern and energy efficient technology, in particular airconditioning and lighting equipment.

The Ambassador was accompanied by representatives of Danish Energy Efficiency Partners Sdn. Bhd. (DEEP), which has the Danish Climate Investment Fund as a partner, and who could share concrete, valuable experience from an existing collaboration with the State of Melaka.

Vietnam next for Danish brand Jysk

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ollowing on the arrival to Singapore, the Vietnamese market is among those that are lined up to enter for the global furniture brand JYSK from Denmark.

JYSK has entered into a franchise agreement with Neat Clean JSC Vietnam. On 26 October 2015 a pre-launch event of JYSK took place at the Danish Ambassador’s Residence, reports the Embassy of Denmark in Vietnam. Attendees had a preview tour of the furniture and experienced the Scandinavian store concept, which is modern, elegant, friendly and practical.

The first JYSK store in Vietnam opened to the public at Aeon Mall, followed by the opening of the second and biggest JYSK store on 27th November at Mandarin Garden in Hanoi. Mr Đoàn Hồng Hải, Chairman of the Board, Neat Clean JSC is positive about the future of their new business with JYSK: ”Vietnam is a high potential market with a young population. We expect to see an enormous rise in middle class consumers creating a higher demand for quality products. This they can have at JYSK. We hope to open 10-20 stores within the next five years”.

4 ScandAsia.South East Asia • December 2015

News Brief

Second IKEA in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to open in Nov 2015

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KEA Malaysia’s second store has been announced to open at Jalan Cochrane, Cheras.

“IKEA Cheras will provide more Malaysians with Swedish home furnishings that are well-designed, functional, affordable and good quality.

The new IKEA store is part our overall ambition to expand in Southeast Asia. Our entry into Cheras neighbourhood reflects our vision to create a better everyday life for the many people,” said Mike King, Retail Director, IKEA Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

The store spans across 41,000 square-meter shopping space, which is 20 per cent bigger than the Damansara store. IKEA Cheras is also located at Jalan Cochrane, 5-minute drive from the city centre, accessible from MAJU Expressway and SMART highways, and connects to Cochrane MRT station (to be completed in 2017). As the opening fast approaches, the team is now in the midst of interior fittings, operational setup and co-workers’ training.

To support its overall operation, a nationwide recruitment exercise was carried out recently, hiring a great mix of over 300 co-workers of various talent and expertise.

IKEA Cheras will be one of the first few retail developments to be ready in the booming township, “transforming Cheras into a vibrant retail destination, drawing upon the liveliness IKEA brings to Mutiara Damansara with its standalone store since 2003”.

First Danish higher education ever enters Vietnam

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niversity of Architecture in Ho Chi Minh City and University College of Nor thern Denmark have signed the first DanishVietnamese contract ever to jointly offer a Danish Accredited Higher Education in Vietnam. The 3½ years programme “Architectural and Technical Construction Management (ATCM)” will be launched in 2016.

On Friday 9 October the Danish Ambassador Charlotte Laursen joined the celebration at the UCN Office in HCMC together with UCN Rector, Lene Augusta Jørgensen, the Director of UCN Global Office Vietnam in HCMC City, Rene Larsen and Dr. Architect Pham Tu, Rector.

UCN Global Office Vietnam, established August 2014, is the first representative office of Aalborg-based University College of Northern Denmark operated outside of Denmark. The office contributes to the university’s visions to “ensure consistent high professional quality” with insight, professionalism and future orientation in its tuning of architectural and technological education programmes. UCN generates applied knowledge for use in practice with a slogan: “Real life education”.

The academic staff at UCN Global Office Vietnam works in collaboration with UCN to transfer knowledge and training materials to Vietnam, and to facilitate a student-centred learning.

The Ho Chi Minh City University of Architecture (HCMUARC) was founded in 1976, incorporating the University incorporated the University of Architecture of Saigon. University College of Northern Denmark (UCN) has more than 40 programmes, offering career opportunities for Danish and international students who want to pursue careers in a professional context.

UCN programmes and courses combine high academic skills with practical experience. UCN has a very international study environment with approx.

1000 international students coming from more than 30 countries.

Source: Embassy of Denmark in Vietnam

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News Brief

Aker Solutions Malaysia to provide offshore system for Rotan gas development

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ker Solutions has been awarded a contract from Murphy Sabah Oil Co., Ltd. (Murphy) to deliver the subsea production system for the Rotan deep water natural gas development offshore Malaysia.

The delivery includes hardware for four subsea wells, a hub manifold, in-line tees, a connection system and production control system. First deliveries are scheduled for the second quarter of 2016.

“We’re ver y pleased to team up with Murphy on this important development,” said

Ravi Kashyap, country manager for Aker Solutions in Malaysia. “We look forward to continuing the good cooperation we’ve built over several years having worked with Murphy on other projects in this strategically important region.”

Aker Solutions has worked with Murphy on the Kikeh oil and gas project, the first deep water development in Malaysia, and the Siakap NorthPetai oil and gas development, a tieback to Kikeh.

Both fields are in Block K offshore East Malaysia at the easternmost state, on the island of Borneo.

Scania Malaysia launches Kuala Terengganu service centre

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Vietnamese medal and recognition for Swe ambassador

n its effort to further strengthening sales and services for all customers in the East Coast region Scania Malaysia has officially launched its Kuala Terengganu service centre on 13 October.

Customers can now send their Scania trucks, buses and coaches, marine, industrial and power generation engines to this service centre for regular maintenance.

“The opening of Scania Malaysia Kuala Terengganu service centre demonstrates our continuous improvement in providing the best services for all our Scania customers for their best profitability in this state, region and across the country,” said Marie Sjödin Enström, Managing Director of Scania Southeast Asia.

Scania Malaysia Kuala Terengganu is now a complete service solution, as part of a vast network of 10 Scania ser vice centres in the country.

The service centre, operated by well-trained Scania technicians, service advisors and par ts personnel, covers an area of 3,759.18 square metres consisting of three bays and one pit.

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n 15 September 2015 Swedish Ambassador Camilla Mellander was given honourable recognition. She received a medal and cer tificate of merit from Mr Truong Hoa Binh, Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court of Vietnam for her active contribution in the building and development cause for People’s Cour t in Vietnam. The ceremony took place on the occasion of 70th anniversary of the Vietnamese Judiciary.

Sweden has been participating in developing the judiciary by supporting the Justice Partnership Program for many years. The Swedish embassy in Vietnam has been doing this together with Denmark and the EU-delegation, and the program ran until June 2015 with a budget of 18.7 million Euro, which made it the largest of its kind in Vietnam.

Source: Embassy of Sweden, Hanoi 6 ScandAsia.South East Asia • December 2015

With support from Asian Parts Centre in Singapore, Scania Genuine Parts are available at this new service centre.

All of Scania customers in Terengganu state continue to enjoy the wide range of solutions that help their business achieve the best profitability.

Scania Contracted Services are honoured at all service centres including this one. Scania financial solutions are also available from Scania Credit (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. Customers who want to get the best out of their Scania vehicles in terms of the best fuel economy and safety can also subscribe to Scania Connected Services.

“Terengganu state presents an exciting growth area to our customers’ operations. Our customers support the oil & gas, tourism and agriculture industry that is booming here. This is why Scania Malaysia continues to improve our network coverage and our products and services in order to support their business, which supports the state. Our customers’ uptime is our priority,” added Marie.

News Brief

Swe embassy Masba networking

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he fourth networking evening with the Embassy of Sweden, Kuala Lumpur & MASBA (Malaysia-Swedish Business Association) was held on Tuesday 22 September 2015.

The night started with mingling over some appetizers and pre-drinks on the balcony, overlooking the beautiful golf course Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club.

The Swedish Ambassador Bengt G Carlsson then opened the evening, welcoming all distinguished guests, followed by Mr. Todd Ashton (CEO Ericsson) board member, representing MASBA. Ms Marie Sjodin Enstrom, the new CEO of Scania, followed by Mr Fredrik Lager General Manager of SEB, were the speakers for this evening.

The Scania CEO updated the guests on Scania’s activities in the region, while Mr Lager presented the new Inheritance rules for EU citizens effective from August 17 and the new Common Reporting System effective from 2017/18.

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www.nyborg-gym.dk · Tlf +45 65 31 02 17 December 2015 • ScandAsia.South East Asia 7

Volvo at heart: Keith Schäfer in Malaysia

By Joakim Persson

W

orking one’s whole life for one employer could signal boredom and standing still.

But what about if you’ll get quality education and be allowed to grow with increased responsibilities and challenges along the way plus, which is for many a dream, getting to see the world in your work? Most of us would probably not mind staying on with the same company then.

Managing Director for Volvo Cars Malaysia, Mr Keith Schäfer, is a case in point, now into his 29th year with Volvo. And as Volvo is about to launch the new ground breaking XC90 model in Southeast Asia the Swedish flagship brand is perhaps into its most exciting period as a business in decades. Indeed, Keith is as excited as the Volvo car fans are these days about the ‘new Volvo’. Yes, Volvo may have been around for quite a while, but there are many things that are big news and changes within Volvo.The classic car brand is a happening place on all frontiers since the Chinese owners Geely bought the Swedish company from Ford.

Before Keith comments on all the exciting

things he gets to share some insights into his personal long-lasting relation with Volvo. He even met his wife through the company when he went to the U.S for summer work! Then it is easy to understand when he says that the company means a lot to him.

“Volvo has taken me around the world. In addition I have received great education through Volvo - an MBA.” He wanted to wor k within sales and marketing and indeed he got to do that. But first he had started out with an administrative job.

He had good mentors advising him to first learn everything about investment calculations, balance sheet and results.

“Selling cars you can always learn later,” they had told him, as if anticipating and sowing a seed for his long Volvo journey to come.

Opportunities did not take long to come his way.

First stop China “And all of a sudden I was offered to go to China and assist when Volvo Trucks had their first partnership there, setting up a factory.”

8 ScandAsia.South East Asia • December 2015

That lasted one and a half years and was the start of Keith crisscrossing the world.

After that he would fulfill his wish and get into doing sales – at a Volvo Trucks dealership in Norway.

After that it was time to head east again, when he came to Malaysia the first time as regional manager for spare parts for trucks and buses, covering many countries in the Asia-Pacific.

In the next position it was time for Volvo Cars, as he moved with his family to New Jersey to be responsible for Volvo Cars’ tourist, diplomat and army sales in North America.

“That was a large but exciting step going from commercial to private vehicles. On top of that for a person interested in marketing and sales working within that in the U.S is really where one does the litmus test, since the customers are very demanding and require good service and quality. I learned a lot on that.”

Then it was back to Sweden and help Ford in the process of launching Landrover, and integrating it with Volvo Cars’ sales. Keith then continued with Volvo back home but almost each time his role connects to markets outside

Sweden. 29 years mean that he has been able to earn quite an impressive number of achievements and gone through both good and bad times.

One such valuable experience was being appointed to oversee the Russian market – just as the world economy collapsed in late 2008.

“That was a learning experience where we had to cut down personnel and slice the marketing budget with 70 per cent. The dealers, who had invested heavily, nearly cried as their whole market practically disappeared.”

But Keith saw the light at the end of the tunnel, with Volvo being a strong brand and knowing which models were coming. Volvo as a brand not only represents high quality but Sweden has been a role model for many Russians.

“My work was then to try convince them that we would survive this, by helping each other and Volvo ensuring to keep them floating. I am optimist by nature and said that this would turn around. And it did – much faster than we would have thought actually. But it was a lesson learned for the dealers that one should focus not only on selling the car but also on the service part to look after one’s customers.That is where the money is

and that was news to them in Russia! So onwards they worked a lot on these soft values and how to keep their customers.”

Keith also learned that for many Russians their car means a lot to them, since they often have to travel very far and through very remote and often unpopulated places, in an often demanding climate.

“It is one milestone I am very proud of that our products are very robust and long-lasting.

And that suits the Russian market for sure.”

He also finds the comparison between Malaysia and Russia as interesting; two developing countries, both being very dependent on oil and gas, and wanting to achieve something.”

Smart city Back in Kuala Lumpur for his third stint Keith has seen the rapid changes taking place there.

Despite of course wanting to sell as many cars as possible he is of the opinion that public transportation is needed and where Malaysia, however late, is taking big strides towards a much expanded train network.

“In order for society to develop in a smart

way and work effectively you need public transportation. And I think one has realized that here also but at a later stage.”

The number of vehicles on the roads is set to increase further towards year 2020, with up to 800 000 cars sold annually in Malaysia.

“But Klang Valley cannot handle these high numbers of cars so you need an infrastructure that can cope with that or you’ll just have chaos.”

Building larger satellite cities will reduce the total amount of travel needed and developing other cities’ infrastructure more will also help. He also believes it will be easier for more Malaysians to start using public transportation.

City Safety The high number of traffic accidents in the country is also a problem, and where Volvo’s commitment to safety can play an instrumental role, including ‘City Safety’ which is now standard and unique for the brand. Volvo also has its 2020 vision that nobody should get seriously injured or die in connection to a Volvo.

As they continue to innovate, City Safety is the umbrella name for all of Volvo Cars’ auto

December 2015 • ScandAsia.South East Asia 9

brake functions, which are standard equipment.

It now covers vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians in front of the car, day and night.

“We’ve done a big journey within this at Volvo to really become premium with our new products, and where we have spent even more on security now. Then, security can be separated into different parts; passive and active.

Passive is the structure of the car as such – that it can withstand a collision. Active security is the different systems assisting you, including airbags if a collision happens, city safety with detection etc.”

“With those systems it’s not impossible that we can reach a very low risk of having an accident, because the car takes over the commando to prevent an accident from occurring,” Keith adds.

“The car – and this is a worldwide trend – is getting more and more intellectual. And it thinks faster than you, so if you’re in a queue, driving at 50 km per hour or below, you cannot crash into the car in front of you as the car would automatically stop.”

The re-launched Volvo badge equals worldclass safety standards and will continue to do so, while the development is in fast-forward mode within this.

“What was a differentiator yesterday is a qualifier today,” states Keith.

For each car model being launched they have to add more and more advanced security systems to be in the forefront when it comes to security.

Ultimate luxury However,‘Premium’ also incorporates many other things today in order to entice buyers, where luxury is essential for those with more spending power.

This is where the highly-anticipated XC90 is Volvo’s answer, bringing the SUV segment into a new dimension and setting a new benchmarking for luxur y. With its outstanding combination of luxury, space, versatility, efficiency and safety the model was upon launch presented as: “... the ultimate luxury experience of Scandinavian design. Volvo has never launched a car like this before.This is the car that demonstrates what the

name Volvo now means.”

Aside great quality when driving, a luxury experience inside the car is very much in focus for Volvo now, with the Chinese market being a driver. In the XC90 a limousine-oriented concept offers a superlative environment for relaxed comfort or doing business.

“This is something we are looking at much more than previously, because there is a need for this and which is increasing all the time. And to be in this game we are setting a benchmark with the new XC90 to be premium and not only talk about it,” comments Keith.

“It is in line with our SPA platform to work both on equipment and quality, where the XC90 is a no compromise when it comes to quality.”

The Research and Development of Volvo Car Group has said that they are raising the bar to the very top of the premium league when it comes to quality and technology level in every vital area.

The XC90 marks a new chapter in the brand’s history, capturing its future design direction and incorporating its own range of new technologies via this Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) technology and Drive-E powertrain family.

SPA allows developing a model range consisting of cars based on the same joint modules and interfaces, scalable systems and components and built in a flexible production system.

This is being implemented at the own plant in Malaysia where the country’s first ever hybrid car will be assembled starting in 2016. And this hybrid will be top-of-the-line, with everything added as standard in the car.

“This is in order to offer the Malaysians the best we can offer. We do not compromise when this is our flagship car, but do the best possible.

We have worked with Malaysia providers to achieve this within the CKD import rules.”

The new XC90 thus also paves the way for a portfolio of exciting new cars to come in the following years.

Swedish all the way One of the most striking features is a tabletlike, entirely new touch screen console forming

10 ScandAsia.South East Asia • December 2015

Volvo’s all-new in-car control system. The design of this console helps create an interior that is modern, spacious and uncluttered.

Volvo has come up with a Swedish product.

That incorporates Swedish design, functionality and simplicity! But we do not compromise on quality by making it simple,” says Keith. ”This has set an entirely new standard and will come in all other models to be launched.”

“For us in Malaysia it’s a challenge to communicate to the customers that we now stand for much more than previously,” says Keith.

“But the path leading to our customers hearts is the Swedish way in what we offer. Our products are Swedish and stand for such values. We base our car sales on that. And, importantly, when you buy a Volvo we have a commitment to look after you as our customer.”

They know 100 percent – and it is important to them – that the car is Swedish, confirms Keith.

And it is important for them.

“And for us it is important to show that it is built in Malaysia. They will remember older car models and get surprised when we tell them we have been here since 1966.”

Keith describes Volvo’s customers’ attributes as quite unique: “They have the same background all over the world; they are intellectuals who want to be one step ahead of the pack, are well-informed, want value for money, are good at negotiating, and know what they want.

Volvo owners are interested in cars, security, the environment etc. They often know more than our sales persons, which is challenging. And that means you must address these people in a certain way, as they are interested and you must communicate with them.”

Social media is the melody in countries like Malaysia; which is just skyrocketing as a tool for marketing and communication.

We are embracing this, and it goes further than just creating a lifestyle around our products.

This is about a way of life; we sell a car wanting to take care of and for that person to have a better life. We’ll be successful compared to our competitors if we can accomplish that.”

Finland-Laos-40 years of diplomatic relations celebrated

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n Tuesday, 22 September, the gover nments of Lao-PDR and Finland celebrated 40 years of diplomatic relations and cooperation, repor ts the Embassy of Finland, Hanoi.

The two nations commemorated the positive bilateral relationship and celebrated development progress achieved together through a seminar.

This was held t the International Cooperation and Training Center in Vientiane, with representatives from the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Finnish Embassies in Bangkok and Hanoi, the National University of Laos, and Finnish development projects in Laos attending. The event was also attended by the Finnish Embassy in Hanoi.

The co-chairs, Mr. Yong Chanthalangsy, Director of the Institute of Foreign Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ms. Kirsti Westphalen, the Finnish ambassador, based in Bangkok, reflected on the cooperation between their two nations, and congratulating some of the joint development projects on their successes, while acknowledging the challenges that have been faced.

There were also presentations from Finnishsuppor ted development projects in Lao PDR on the topics of Forestry, National Geographic Services and Mapping, Environment, and Energy.

Mr. Esa Puustjärvi, Chief Technical Advisor of the SUFORD-SU project, was presented on the Forestry sector, which has historically been a sector of Finnish support to Lao PDR. The first forestry development project started back in 1994.

Mr. Puustjär vi’s presentation covered the

history of Finnish support to Lao PDR in the forestry sector, from the FOMACOP project in 1995-1999, through the various phases of the SUFORD projects, from 2003 until the present day. He highlighted some of the major successes of these projects, which include the completion of Sustainable Forest Management Plans for 16 Production Forest Areas and 1.2 million hectares by 2012, revised timber revenue sharing regulations, capacity building of government staff to handle core project activities, and 81,600 hectares of forest maintaining FSC certification.

In addition to these accomplishments, regulations for timber sales and forest law enforcement strategies have been improved, as well as poverty reduction efforts to ease pressure on project forest areas.

Mr. Puustjär vi also touched upon the challenges the project had in implementing facing sustainable forest management, many of which are external, such as commercial agriculture expansion, and illegal logging. He stressed the importance of ‘thinking outside the box’ in order to address these challenges moving into the future.

The co-chairs reaffirmed the significance of forestry, as it will be a crucial area for Lao PDR going into the future, and is also a sector of commonality between the nations of Lao PDR and Finland, as both are rich in natural resources, and depend largely on the sustainable use of these resources for livelihoods.

In closing, the seminar’s co-chairs expressed enthusiasm for further ‘new forms’ of cooperation in the years to come.

December 2015 • ScandAsia.South East Asia 11

Configura - Swedish

configuration software business thrives in Malaysia

By Joakim Persson

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onfigura was born from the need to figure out a solution to problems a manufacturer within the furniture industr y had. Today, 25 year s later, this software company is an international successful operation, with offices in the U.S and Malaysia aside Sweden. Office furniture and kitchen manufacturers are their dominating customers.

The trigger to the innovation, their very own software ‘CET Designer’, was that the father of Göran Rydqvist, one of Configura’s founders, in producing panel systems had problems to get the calculations right. Sometimes, with all the different components and materials he set the price too low – and consequently lost money – and sometimes lost the order when he, calculating wrongly, priced the order too high compared to competitors.

Göran, along with the forthcoming company’s CEO Johan Lyreborn, while studying at the University in Linköping, Sweden, set out to come

up with a software solution, with a graphic user profile, and by using intelligent symbols.

Can solve anything They call it PGC – Parametrical Graphical Configuration, explains says Niels Madsen, Head of Asia Operation and CFO. “With PGC, our origin and where we are most strong, we can solve anything. The more complex the product the more competitive we are,” explains Niels at their downtown Kuala Lumpur office.

So what Configura does, is creating intelligent space-planning software for manufacturers, dealers and designers in the contract furniture, kitchen and bath, material handling and industrial machinery industries.

“In these industries products are manufactured as components that can be pieced together. For example, a chair can be configured with different arms, headrests, frame finishes, cushions, base options and so on, adding up to thousands of

12 ScandAsia.South East Asia • December 2015

potential combinations.”

“Products change when they are altered or pieced together with other products.”

Niels mentions, as example, that a desk needs different legs/support depending on the length of the desk or when combined with storage.

“This is system configuration - when you look beyond the individual product to focus on the relationships between the products within a space.”

Commonly, how these various components match each other is based on a rule system.

“We create a comprehensive , ‘visual configurator’ that takes care of this complexity by doing all calculations for the user. The software is intelligent so it won’t let users make mistakes such as making the desk too long, not adding enough support, piecing it together with products it can’t be connected to etc.”

Click and choose This enables to retailer to use this as a sales tool,

for example when the customer comes into the shop of the Swedish kitchen brand Marbodal.

Using their customised version of the Configura software they can handle every step in the sales process.

“They can create a drawing in 2D and 3D, working in front of and together with the client - which saves a lot of time. The idea is that the salesperson should be able to make a drawing/ rendering easily without knowing all the articles numbers and information.”

“And if you are to make all these choices individually it takes time but it gets easier if you just need to click and choose,” Niels adds.

Sales can draw a kitchen or office or whatever for the customer and can also email this to the customer as proposal.

“As they are designing, the software automatically calculates all the products, ensuring that all product rules are followed. The program can also generate installation drawings and orders so everything they need is done in the single software as the design process is happening.”

Once the user has done the configuration and have generated the drawing how she/he would like it, there will be no errors, provided that all the data put into the system are correct.

Configura has developed its own solution, which Niels describes as quite unique. Its programming language enables solving relatively difficult tasks and faster compared to the traditional way.

“It’s a dedicated language which is a comparative advantage that we have.”

Cost-effective solution in Malaysia There is also a quite large segment where clients have fairly simple products, with little or no configuration.

“Then one does not need to programme and for those we have come up with the catalogue

tools, where it is fast to manufacture and bring in less complex products into our system.”

It is within the office furniture segment that Configura has its largest customer ; the global producer Steelcase.

“They have a service centre here in Kuala Lumpur where they use our software in order to programme and we collaborate with them. And we could see how well it works here in Kuala Lumpur, so we set up an office here in 2012. The main purpose was to reduce costs – everything costs less in Malaysia – and our customers want to get more for their money. This was a costeffective solution to serve all our customers.”

“Today, we have developers in Kuala Lumpur that work closely with a number of customers. It’s also here that all software undergoes extensive quality assurance testing.”

“We also assist customers who are already in Asia, or plan to be, as well as new Asian customers.”

Configura wanted to expand into the Asian market and knew they could find qualified personnel who, aside English also know Mandarin, Hindu and Bahasa Malaysia to cover their most important markets for expansion in Asia.

“Within the Asian division our global customers often have a growth of 20-30 percent per year. They grow a lot, in particular China!”

In the U.S Configura is based in Michigan, which is the centre for office fur niture manufacturing, while Malaysia is the equivalent in Southeast Asia.

Attempts selling to local customers have been slow as these are not so technique-driven.

Niels says that professional companies can understand the cost savings that can be achieved, but sometimes the tradition and culture is lacking with the local companies.

“But we believe they will evolve as time goes by!”

Recruiting is issue number one The number one issue they have been facing in Malaysia is however to source qualified staff members.

“We had not imagined that it would be as difficult as it turned out to be.”

Configura’s solution is to look for those with the right talent and train them.

“Our experience has been that it’s quite grateful to bring in fresh graduates from the universities and train them in-house, by sending them to the U.S and Sweden. And we regularly also send people here to do training.”

“We have a very strong culture that we are very proud of – calling ourselves ‘Configurians’ – and want that atmosphere, vibe and way for team collaboration here. So we have become like a big family. It’s very important that we find the right people that fits in and will enjoy working at Configura. That makes for an overall better, more enjoyable and more productive environment.”

“It’s not easy to recruit as many who graduate who are clever becomes attractive on the job market and go to the large corporations. But all along, as we are showing track record and winning recognition, our employees recommend us, so the word will be out about us being seen as a good employer.

As an IT company Configura can apply for Malaysia Super Corridor (MSC) status, which would allow recruiting also from other companies.

“So far we’ve had the strategy to recruit locally - as we want to keep employees for the long term, and it takes a long time for us to get to know them and for them to learn our business.”

Configura (22 employees end of 2015) plans to recruit another 15 persons yearly during the next five years, which is what they will have capacity for in terms of the training needed.

December 2015 • ScandAsia.South East Asia 13

Social media usage is very prevalent in our Asian markets. One year ago merely five percent used a mobile phone in Myanmar.

Today that number is more than forty percent, and more than sixty percent of those use the Internet on the phone. That’s a higher percentage than in Thailand.

Telenor’s Asian

journey and future

By Mia Sanberg Svenningsen

T

or Odland is head of corporate communications in Asia for Telenor Group, which is the largest mobile operator in the South East Asia region and one of the top ten operators in the world. He is responsible for building the Telenor brand across large markets such as India, Myanmar, Thailand, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Malaysia.

His role is furthermore to advise the national executive management teams on best practice communications strategy and issues management.

Tor Odland joined the Telenor Group as the Vice President of Group Communications in August 2011, but Telenor’s Asian journey started long before that. Nearly twenty years ago in 1996 the company representatives travelled across Asia and slowly began building the business by launching in Bangladesh – then in Malaysia and Thailand a few years later. Today, Telenor is present in six Asian markets, more than any other international telecom provider.

Now Telenor’s global customer base is more

14 ScandAsia.South East Asia • December 2015

than 190 million, and the company are on the way to get 200 million people on the Internet by 2017 – most of these being users in Asia. When it comes to building a global footprint in these large and very populous markets, Telenor faces different challenges.

“Operating in Asia can be unpredictable. You have to be prepared for the unexpected at all times. Part of my job is to help our companies be prepared on how to handle a variety of challenges,” Tor Odland explains.

Prior to Telenor, he was a Vice President of Corporate Communications at Opera Software from 2004. He received his Master of Science degree as The London School of Economics and Political Science and his Bachelor’s Degree from The University of South Carolina. He is now based in Singapore, from where he is building the Telenor brand across six different markets.

The branding happens on both a local level and a global level.

“On the one hand, we build our brand locally based on our global standards and policies, , but we also allow each company to do things that make them different. One of the key success factors is to have a customer-focused approach and to be best on value,” Tor Odland explains.

While building the Telenor brand, he works more towards influencing the minds of what he calls “the informed elite” and less towards the minds of the end consumers, which is the responsibility of the local business unit.

“The informed elite are the people who work in the government, international national organisations, human rights groups or in the media for example.The mobile industry is heavily regulated, and therefore it’s in our interest to help governments and large organisations to understand that Telenor is a large, responsible company with a long-term perspective. But ultimately our industry is all about winning the customers – everything is centred on that,” he says.

And it seems that Telenor is doing just that. In 2013 Brand Finance - the leading global brand valuation agency - evaluated the 50 most valuable brands from Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland. Telenor secured the fourth place.

Furthermore, Brand Finance named Telenor as that year’s fastest riser, with a value growth of 55%.

One of the tools Telenor use to build their brand is social media.

Digital media and the internet have without a doubt transformed the telecommunications industry. Telecom companies now operate in an industry where there is a constant competition about who offers the best internet coverage at the best price.

“Previously we made most of our revenue on SMS and voice calls. Now most of the growth comes from data – or the internet services we all constantly use on our phones. We have to figure out how to deliver fast data at the right price. We need to find the right balance,” Tor Odland says.

Providing a ser vice that is so commonly used requires a direct, real-time access to the customers in order to stay one step ahead of the competition. This is why social media is largely used in the telecom industry to talk to the customers and respond to their questions, to update the customers and to promote products or services. According to Tor Odland, it’s becoming an integrated part of the telecom industry.

“Social media usage is very prevalent in our Asian markets. One year ago merely five percent used a mobile phone in Myanmar. Today that number is more than forty percent, and more than sixty percent of those use the Internet on the phone. That’s a higher percentage than in Thailand,” he says.

We don’t know where the world of the Internet is going, so it’s hard to predict five years ahead for sure.

It’s even harder to predict two years into the future.

But I’m sure you will see Telenor developing more of its own services as well as partnering with the existing internet companies. We will take a more prominent position in the internet space.

This rapid development of Internet usage has also led to Telenor seeing the need to educate the consumers in how to behave responsibly on the Internet. They teach, among other things, about online bullying, how to avoid viruses and how to protect your personal data.

“In some of these markets the internet is a new concept, so we try to teach them how to use it responsibly. We also train people to understand, that if you post a picture on the Internet it will be there forever,” Tor Odland says and gives an example of another decision made by the company relating to responsibility.

“We have also implemented a child pornography filter in most of our countries. We don’t like to block stuff on the Internet in general, but when it comes to child pornography it is absolutely our job to contribute to curbing this problem.”

Another aspect that social media has brought to the industry is within the field of customer service. People no longer have to wait in line at their local telecom store for help or to call a customer service agent. If a customer has an issue, he or she can tweet or post a message on Facebook to their service provider and receive an immediate response.

“I think as an industry we have been on a

journey of increased transparency. And that’s a standard of how we operate. It’s everyone’s responsibility to take care of the customers. I think the industries in Asia are still on that journey.They are certainly interested in being profiled well, but have a different approach to being transparent. I think it’s a bit of a cultural difference,” Tor Odland says.

Telenor’s policy of transparency became visible in a recent incident in Thailand. The consumption of Facebook in the country is huge, and on the 28th of May 2014, Facebook was briefly inaccessible to many users in Thailand.

Tor Odland, told a Norwegian newspaper that DTAC had received instructions from Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) on that very same day to block access to Facebook in Thailand. This led to Telenor being criticised by NBTC’s spokesperson for whistle blowing.

“Let me answer in principle. When the government reaches out to us and makes a request, we follow our established procedures.

And this very often includes being open about such requests. We work systematically with trying to find a balance between the internationally recognized human rights and local regulations and interests,” Tor Odland says when asked to comment on what could be learned from the incident. When asked if anything would be done differently should such a request appear again, he says, that there would be an evaluation of the request, and Telenor would most likely be open about it again.

When it comes to predicting the future and the Internet’s influence on the long-term prospects, nothing is certain.

“We don’t know where the world of the Internet is going, so it’s hard to predict five years ahead for sure. It’s even harder to predict two years into the future. But I’m sure you will see Telenor developing more of its own services as well as partnering with the existing internet companies. We will take a more prominent position in the internet space.”

Telenor has already developed a variety of services for different countries. In some countries they have launched music services and online learning tools and in other countries they have introduced shopping apps. In Asia, Telenor is a major provider of mobile financial services – where customers without a bank account get access to modern financial services such as money transfers and insurance.The company is also partnering with bigger companies such as Google and Facebook to collaborate on providing cutting-edge internet services to the mass markets of Asia.

“We operate in ver y competitive and challenging markets. We have to be able to deliver word class services and also be seen as a positive corporate citizen.That’s very important, as we will often be seen as a foreign company in many of these markets,” Tor Odland concludes.

December 2015 • ScandAsia.South East Asia 15

News Brief

H.R.H. Prince Consort of Denmark visits Hanoi embassy

O

n 5 November, His Royal Highness the Prince Consor t of Denmar k Henrik paid a visit to the Embassy of Denmark in Vietnam.

He had a tour at the office and greeted all staff and the Ambassador updated him on the Danish-Vietnamese relationship as well as the Embassy’s work and priorities. HRH the Prince Consort visited Vietnam in his capacity as president for the WWF Denmark and had been visiting a number of places during his visit.

The Danish Royal Family has a close relation to Vietnam through HRH the Prince Consort, who spent his first five years in Hanoi and Prince Henrik returned to Vietnam several times in recent years, including from January 30 to February 5, 2013.

The son of French Count André de Laborde de Monpezat, Henrik has a unique relationship to Vietnam where he spent his early childhood and later studied and graduated from the French secondar y school in Hanoi, before traveling to France where he studied law and political science at the Sorbonne, Paris, and Chinese and Vietnamese at the Ecole Nationale des Langues Orientales. He returned to Vietnam in 1950-52 and in 1958 to study.

Finland’s President on State Visit to Indonesia

F

inland’s President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö and Mrs Jenni Haukio has been on a state visit to Indonesia on 2 - 4 November 2015.

President Niinistö held bilateral talks with Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Jakarta on Tuesday 3 November, discussing bilateral relations between Finland and Indonesia, including political and economic relations and cooperation over issues such as the energy and infrastructure sectors. Regional affairs and international issues such as climate change and combating terrorism were also discussed.

In addition, President Niinistö met Indonesia’s Vice President Jusuf Kalla and the other senior political and economic figures from Indonesia.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini par ticipated in the state visit and engaged in bilateral talks with the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi.

A business delegation also travelled to Indonesia, with a seminar on economic relations between Finland and Indonesia arranged in Jakarta during the visit.

The President of Indonesia last visited Finland in 2006. The last president of Finland to visit Indonesia was President Halonen in 2008.

Source and photos: Office of the President of the Republic of Finland

16 ScandAsia.South East Asia • December 2015

Study in Sweden event held at Swedish embassy, Hanoi

T

he Embassy of Sweden, Hanoi hosted the ‘Study in Sweden’ event on Sunday 8 November 2015. At the event, held within the Embassy compound, prospect students and the graduates that have a couple of years’ working experience learned about studying and scholarship opportunities for the academic year of 2016 – 2017.The scholarships are intended for full-time master’s level studies in Sweden, which cover both living costs and tuition fees. In addition, the visitors had the chance to win a grand trip to Sweden to visit Swedish universities by simply taking part in a quiz with questions about Sweden.

“Sweden is world-leading in innovation, new technology, sustainability and equality – in large part thanks to its elite, forward-thinking universities, which have fostered new ideas since the 15th century” noted Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam Camilla Mellander.

“In Sweden, while studying among the most creative minds, you will also find a strong focus on rationality, reason and applying knowledge so that it makes a real difference. Look no further than the Nobel Prize, the world’s most prestigious award, for an illustration of the Swedish approach”,

stressed Ambassador Mellander.

Sweden is not only one of the most innovative countries in the world, it also has a long and proud history of academic excellence and it is home to some of the world’s best universities. The entire Swedish higher education system is ranked No.2 in the world, and several Swedish universities are ranked among the world’s top seats of learning.

As the goodwill Ambassador for Study in Sweden, Kim Ly, Swedish-Vietnamese film producer and actor, related from his experience of Sweden that it is a wonderful country to live and study in.

“There are lots of things that make Swedish higher education unique. Sweden emphasizes values, learning by doing and innovative thinking.

Fur thermore, ever yone speaks English”, said Kim Ly. Kim Ly himself is a master graduate in economics from Stockholm University in Sweden.

Similar to the Nor th American education system Sweden however also offers something extra: the informal classrooms and the nonhierarchical nature of Swedish society. Professors insist their students calling them by their first name, which have helped foster a special and open learning environment. Creativity and critical

thinking are encouraged, collaboration instead of competition between students is promoted and group work is a routine.

“Sweden has the special ability to provide international students with something that few other countries cannot, a chance to experience a different culture in a non-English speaking country while letting you use English in classrooms and outside. This is due to the Swedes remarkable English skills, which we start as early as age seven”, noted Detlef Clöwe, Regional Representative, Uppsala University in Vietnam.

It is possible for non-EU students to stay in Sweden after graduation and receive work permit if they could find a job before their residence permit expires. A degree from a Swedish university means unlocking your potential to take the lead in your career and developing the tools you’ll need to thrive in the global workforce.

By taking par t in our Study in Sweden, potential students could find out more about the over 700 English-taught master programmes in leading universities such as Lund University, KTH, Karolinska Institutet, Jönköping University and Uppsala University.

December 2015 • ScandAsia.South East Asia 17

Swedish climate art expo visited Vietnam

D

uring 28 September until 2 October 2015 a unique exhibition of its kind visited Hanoi in Vietnam, presented by the Swedish Institute, Embassy of Sweden in Hanoi, Manzi and the National Library of Vietnam.

The touring Swedish ‘Facing the Climate’ exhibition combines climate-themed cartoons by five Swedish artists with the climate-related artworks of artists in host countries: in this case five Vietnamese car toonists joined Swedish counterparts in taking a sharp look at the climate issue, with the aim of encouraging discussion about a sustainable society and heightening awareness of current environmental problems.

Facing the Climate has been staged in a number of international contexts, with exhibitions taking place since 2010 in Rio de Janeiro, Athens, Tirana, Tel Aviv and Novosibirsk amongst other cities around the world. To date, more than 150,000 people around the world have seen the exhibition.

Addressing the audience at the opening, Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam Camilla Mellander stressed that “Sweden is internationally known as a country that takes environmental issues and sustainability seriously. But taking something

seriously doesn’t necessarily mean viewing it without humour. In the Facing the Climate satire and humour are blended with a genuine appeal for a more responsible attitude towards the issue.

People everywhere share a responsibility to care for and protect our common home, our one and only planet Earth”.

Vietnam is one of the ten countries most likely affected by climate change, while the upcoming top-level Climate Change Conference (COP21) Paris in December 2015 offers a great window of opportunity to deal with climate change. Ms Nguyễn Phương Hòa, Deputy Director-General of the International Cooperation Agency under Ministry of Culture, Spor ts and Tourism said it is necessary to raise public awareness and understanding of this important issue via a cultural angle and other new forms of communications.

“I do believe that climate change is an important issue that requires improved understanding and collective urgent actions. I really welcome the exhibition in offering some new thoughts for the public audience in Hanoi. The use of drawings, car toons and illustrations can catch readers’ attention, make them deliberate and take action against the serious issue,” she noted.

Facing the Climate is part of a concerted

18 ScandAsia.South East Asia • December 2015

drive, conceptualised by the Swedish Institute, to promote critical sustainable development under the heading Facing the Future – Sustainability the Swedish Way. The initiative began in December 2009 in relation to the Copenhagen Climate Conference, when a group of 25 Nordic newspaper cartoonists provided some amusing and alarming reflections on climate change. To illustrate Sweden’s active involvement in this area, the Swedish Institute developed this exhibition in collaboration with the Swedish cartoonists/ illustrators Magnus Bard, Helena Lindholm, Riber Hansson. Joining the exhibition are also Love Antell and Karin Sunvisson in commenting on the global climate dilemma.

The Facing the Climate exhibition was accompanied by two workshops (held at Hanoi Industrial Design Ar ts University and Alfred Nobel High School), bringing Swedish awardwinning illustrator Magnus Bard to meet young students of Hanoi in an interactive environment that considered and enacted the communicative and cathartic potential of cartoons.

Source: Embassy of Sweden, Hanoi

December 2015 • ScandAsia.South East Asia 19

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