panorama

and enhanced productivity. Exceptional opportunities exist in advanced engineering, biomedical sciences, creative industries, education and training, environment, fi nancial services, infrastructure development and oil and gas. Amanda Brooks, director of Trade

& Investment (Singapore) says: “While manufacturing will remain a key pillar of Singapore’s economy, the services sector which includes fi nance, trade, tourism among others is set to gain an increasing importance as Singapore’s key economic driver going forward. UK companies are well-placed to benefi t from this growth.”

BROADENING MINDS Malaysia’s key industries are electronics, petroleum and LPG, chemicals, textiles, palm oil, timber and tourism. Traditionally, the UK has been one of the country’s leading investors and as Malaysia opens up its services sector to foreign fi rms it will create excellent opportunities for UK companies. One third of the 21,000

skilled jobs in Malaysia’s Multimedia Super Corridor have been created by UK fi rms. The Malaysian education and training market is worth £240m a year to UK companies, and around 40,000 Malaysians are taking UK qualifi cations in their home country, with 12,000 travelling to the UK each year to study. These include Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, who studied at the University of Nottingham and encouraged it to set up a local campus. More than 80 UK educational institutions have links with Malaysia and Newcastle University has a medical faculty in Johor. Marlborough College plans to open a campus too.

TESTING TIMES Recent political unrest tested the operating environment for businesses in Thailand. Most companies are confi dent they can continue uninterrupted with adequate preparation in place. There are opportunities across the board for UK companies in Thailand, with huge

demand for infrastructure, including electrical power, telecommunications and renewable energy. In addition, Thai consumers are creating opportunities for medical products, cosmetics, security equipment and educational services.

WESTERN FANS

With a liberalised economy and Westernised culture, the Philippines is highly receptive to UK products and services. Its main industries are electronic components, food and drink, clothing, footwear, tobacco, petroleum products, metals/minerals and electrical machinery. Potential growth drivers are sectors such as Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)/call centre operations, which employ more than 400,000 people in the country. UK exports for January- August 2010

increased 20 per cent on the previous year with pharmaceuticals, electrical and power-generating machinery leading the way.

e Contacts: INDONESIA, Debbie Clark, email debbie.clarke2@fco.gov.uk; VIETNAM, Tim Brownbill, email

tim.brownbill@fco.gov.uk; SINGAPORE, Amanda Brooks, email amanda.brooks@fco.gsi.gov.uk; MALAYSIA, Trevor Lewis, email trevor.lewis@fco.gsi.gov.uk; THAILAND, Bradley Jones, email bradley.jones@fco.gsi.gov.uk; PHILIPPINES, Derek Page, email derek.page@fco.gsi.gov.uk. For details of the ASIA TASK FORCE contact Christine Leaver, email christine.leaver@ukti.gsi.gov.uk

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Photograph: Photolibrary