SOUTH EAST ASIA BUSINESS Forum
3rd edition
Positioned at the heart of the Indo-Pacific, the world’s growth reserve par excellence for the next few decades, Southeast Asia makes a major contribution to the region’s dynamism, playing a pivotal role between two oceans and carrying 20 to 30% of the world’s maritime freight traffic.
With growth rates traditionally well above the global average, Southeast Asia is the world’s 2nd most dynamic region, behind India and virtually on a par with China.
This makes the region France’s 2nd largest Asian partner and 6th largest customer. It boasts a young, entrepreneurial population of over 670 million, and an emerging middle class that is particularly connected and adopts new lifestyles in search of Western products.
This makes the region France’s 2nd largest Asian partner and 6th largest customer. It boasts a young, entrepreneurial population of over 670 million, and an emerging middle class that is particularly connected and adopts new lifestyles in search of Western products.
Highly integrated commercially thanks to numerous free-trade agreements, including its own through ASEAN, Southeast Asia is asserting itself as a central element in global value chains, on the lookout for new opportunities arising from Sino-American trade tensions, benefiting from the “China +1” strategy.
In addition to the security issues facing this region, Southeast Asia also faces a number of challenges, starting with the energy transition and sustainable development, in light of the commitments made to decarbonization and the ever-increasing need for energy to support industrialization and FDI. The infrastructure needs to support this development, particularly in urban areas, are also titanic, running into hundreds of billions of dollars a year. All these countries are betting on innovation – of which Singapore plays the role of showcase – to achieve technological leaps and ensure accelerated catch-up for their economies.
These major trends and current challenges in Southeast Asia represent key opportunities for French companies, whose market share in Southeast Asia – at 1.5% (2nd in Europe behind Germany) – still needs to grow. What’s more, the heterogeneity of the region’s countries in terms of size, population, culture, maturity and accessibility is undeniably one of Southeast Asia’s great strengths for companies: there’s certainly a market made for you!
Take part in the Southeast Asia forum to find out about opportunities in your business sectors and meet potential Southeast Asian business partners.
ON THE 12th FEBRUARY 2025
8:00 AM – WELCOMING PARTICIPANTS
Moderated by Arnaud FLEURY, business journalist
8:30 AM – Opening speeches
Laurent SAINT-MARTIN, Minister attached to the Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, responsible for Foreign Trade and French Nationals Abroad
8:45 AM - Economic Outlook and Business Environment in South-East Asia
Catherine CHANTHABOUN, Head of International Desk Asia Pacific, CREDIT AGRICOLE CORPORATE AND INVESTMENT BANK
Olivier MONANGE, Partner, DS AVOCATS
Yann FROLLO DE KERLIVIO, Director ASEANO, BUSINESS FRANCE
Françoise HUANG, Economist Asia-Pacific Zone, ALLIANZ TRADE
CCI, speaker to be confirmed
9:15 AM – How to approach South East Asia: reorganizing industrial value chains and de-risking issues
Françoise NICOLAS, Advisor to the Asia Center, French Institute of International Relations (IFRI)
Sam CHEONG, Managing Director & Head Group Foreign Direct Investment Advisory, UOB
Ludovic POUILLE, Director of Economic Diplomacy, Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs
10:00 AM – Energy transition and urbanization: building a sustainable future
Rohan SINGH, Managing Partner APAC, FINERGREEN
Jean-Luc CHAPOTON, Group International Sales Manager, RATP DEV
Matthieu BONNET, Executive Director – APAC Region, ARTELIA – CCE
Stéphane WERMESTER, Vice President Sales Asia-Pacific, AXENS
10:45 AM – The new consumer wave in South East Asia
Soriya JAMET, Marketing & Sales Export Manager, LACTINOV
Mathieu PECQUEUR, External Relations Delegate, COOPERL
Damien DUHAMEL, Managing Partner Southeast Asia, EUROGROUP CONSULTING
Grégory SEITZ, Asia Pacific Brand Representative, CRISTEL
Christian RAIMBAULT, General Manager, Brand Development, GROUPE HOLDER
Frédéric BIRRER, Managing Director Europe, REPERTOIRE CULINAIRE
11:30 AM – Transport and logistics: economic connectivity, a key issue in South East Asia
Nicolas WEISS, Global Head Fashion, Beauty & Cosmetics, PSA BDP
Stéphane DESCARPENTRIES, Strategy director, FM LOGISTIC
Philippe LOUIS-DREYFUS, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Louis Dreyfus Armateurs, Vice-Chairman, MEDEFI
12:15 PM - Innovation, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity: what opportunities for French companies?
François BAILLARD,Chief Technology Officer, IRAYA ENERGIES
Chu Thi Thanh Ha, Chairwoman, FPT SOFTWARE
Zhi Hong LOW, Regional Director, EDB
Olivier RAUSSIN, Co-founder & Managing Partner, FEBE VENTURES
Asian Development Bank, speaker to be confirmed
1:00 PM – Closing remarks
François CORBIN,Special Representative of the French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs for economic relations with ASEAN countries & Vice President, MEDEF INTERNATIONAL
1:15 PM – Networking cocktail lunch
2:30 PM – 5:30PM – B2B Meetings session
- Meetings with international sector experts Business France
- Meetings with event partners
- Meetings between participating companies
Schedule and content subject to change
DS AVOCATS
CREDIT AGRICOLE CORPORATE AND INVESTMENT BANK
BUSINESS FRANCE
ALLIANZ TRADE
French Institute of International Relations (IFRI)
UOB
FINERGREEN
RATP DEV
ARTELIA – CCE
AXENS
LACTINOV
COOPERL
CRISTEL
REPERTOIRE CULINAIRE
GROUPE HOLDER
PSA BDP
FM LOGISTIC
Louis Dreyfus Armateurs
& Vice-Chairman
MEDEFI
IRAYA ENERGIES
FPT Softwar
EDB
FEBE VENTURES
MEDEF INTERNATIONAL
Registration is free of charge, although profiles are subject to validation by the teams.
Priority for face-to-face places is given to French companies with an export development project in Southeast Asia, and to Southeast Asian companies looking for French partners.
APFL PARTNERS
SOURCE OF ASIA
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Formulaire Forum Asie du Sud-Est
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