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Future of Asia
Future of Asia
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Future of Asia Podcasts

Leaders from across the region discuss what Asia’s rise means for governments and businesses everywhere.

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Teaching AI to sail like a world-class sailor and what it means for business

– To help Emirates Team New Zealand defend their America’s Cup title, a new sailor was introduced: a McKinsey-built AI bot taught using reinforcement learning.

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How Asia can prepare for the future of work after COVID-19‬‬

April 2021 – The future of work is constantly evolving, and COVID-19 has only accelerated this phenomenon. The pandemic has led to the rise of remote work, a growth in the e-commerce market, and has facilitated the adoption of AI and automation. How do these trends impact occupational transitions? In this episode, we discuss what this means for Asia’s workforce, and how companies and policymakers can support workers through these seismic changes.

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Asia’s business news agenda in 202‪1‬‬

March 2021 – 2021 is being seen as a year of transition for businesses in Asia. As we begin to put the disruption of the pandemic behind, what are the trends that show we are transitioning to the next normal? In this episode, we discuss the changing ways of working, innovation in action, and the sustained sustainability imperative despite the pandemic. Join the conversation with media influencers Kevin Krolicki, Asia Regional Editor, Reuters; Ravi Velloor, Associate Editor, The Straits Times; and our host, Oliver Tonby, McKinsey’s Asia Chairman, to explore business news themes in the year ahead.

The Asian Century Part 2

December 2020 – At the beginning of our discussion back in August 2019, the most important issues facing Asia were the ramping up of the US-China trade challenges, the North Korea-US nuclear deals, the Rohingya refugee crisis, and the many challenges ahead with the crisis in climate change. Today in 2020, a lot of these issues have shifted due to the influence of the global COVID-19 pandemic that has shut down countries, economies, businesses, and impacted tens of millions of lives and livelihoods. In this episode, which is part 2 of our conversation, we discuss how Asia will lead in the middle of global competition, the impact of COVID-19 on the future of trade and the efficacy of some of the big trading partnerships in place, politics of vaccine adoption and distribution, and the climate challenges in Asia.

Listen to The Asian Century has arrivedListen to The Asian Century Part 1

Looking ahead to 202‪1

January 2021 – 2020 has been a challenging year. With employees working from home, customers taking to digital channels at unprecedented rates, and news headlines signaling more unpredictability, many companies are finding their resilience tested like never before. As we reflect on our experiences and look to the new year, we discuss the growing gap between high and low performers, the opportunities for trade as nations shift supply chains, and which industries have observed impressive adaptations to new digital solutions in Asia.

Asia's technological opportunities to propel growt‪h

December 2020 – Asia has developed and deepened its technological capabilities and infrastructure rapidly, accounting for the largest share of global growth in many technology metrics. Over the past decade, Asia’s populations have embraced technology more quickly and enthusiastically than in any other region of the world. In this episode, we discuss the state-of-play of technological advances in Asia, significant leapfrogging opportunities for Asia, and the gaps in core capabilities that corporates need to address to achieve success.

The Asian Century Part ‪1‬‬

December 2020 – At the beginning of our discussion back in August 2019, the most important issues facing Asia were the ramping up of the US-China trade challenges, the North Korea-US nuclear deals, the Rohingya refugee crisis, and the many challenges ahead with the crisis in climate change. Today in 2020, a lot of these issues have shifted due to the influence of the global COVID-19 pandemic that has shut down countries, economies, businesses, and impacted tens of millions of lives and livelihoods. In this episode, which is part 1 of our conversation, we discuss how Asia will lead in the middle of global competition, the impact of COVID-19 on the future of trade and the efficacy of some of the big trading partnerships in place, politics of vaccine adoption and distribution, and the climate challenges in Asia.

Listen to The Asian Century has arrivedListen to The Asian Century Part 2

The future of sustainability: Asia’s climate change imperative

November 2020 – The effects of the changing climate are already being felt: between 600 million and one billion people could be at risk of lethal heat waves by 2050. According to a recent McKinsey analysis, up to $4.7 trillion of GDP in Asia is at risk annually from loss of effective outdoor working hours because of increased heat and humidity. In this episode, we discuss the real impacts of climate change in different parts of Asia and how the region can lead in adaptation and mitigation efforts.

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Can ASEAN maintain its growth trajectory in a post-COVID world?

November 2020 – A driving force in Asia after several decades of strong and sustained economic growth, members of ASEAN make up almost half of the world’s best-performing developing economies. ASEAN is home to eight of 18 developing economies that averaged at least 3.5 percent annual per capita GDP growth over 50 years. In this episode, we discuss the opportunities and challenges for emerging ASEAN in a post-COVID world and what companies should do to thrive in this region.

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Mitigating and adapting to climate risk in Asia

October 2020 – The Earth’s climate is changing after more than 10,000 years of relative stability. As Asia seeks to grow its economy—and remain a key source of growth for the world—the climate is thus a critical challenge that the region will need to manage.

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Building agile organizations for the next normal

October 2020 – For many companies, COVID-19 has challenged their operating and business models. Agile organizations have proven to be more resilient than the average company, and are thus better suited to respond to economic shocks posed by the pandemic. In this episode, we explore how large companies adapted their operating models in the midst of the crisis, and what companies can do to get a head-start going into the next normal.

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Innovating for the future: Building new businesses in Asia

September 2020 – Asia has the suite of capabilities needed for building new businesses—a skilled talent pool, a strong startup culture and robust investment. This podcast episode, featuring the President of True Digital, Michael Gryseels, highlights how Asian companies can capture the business-building opportunities that come with the region’s unique characteristics.

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India’s turning point

August 2020 – India is at a decisive point in its journey towards prosperity. With economic reforms, the country could create gainful jobs for 90 million workers over the coming decade; letting go of this opportunity could risk a decade of economic stagnation. What steps can be taken to return India’s economy to a high-growth track? What will the role of states and the business sector be in driving reforms?

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Countering the gender-regressive shock of COVID-19 in Asia

August 2020 – As COVID-19 continues to impact lives and livelihoods around the world, we can see that the pandemic and its economic fallout are having regressive effects on gender equality. What does progress on gender parity look like in light of COVID-19? What is the state of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and what workable steps can be taken to empower women in a post-pandemic world?

Parity in a pandemic: An Asia perspective

July 2020 – COVID-19 is confronting companies in Asia with a daunting degree of disruption. The lessons from previous crises tell us there is a very real risk that inclusion and diversity may now recede as a strategic priority for organizations – despite the fact that more diverse companies are most likely to create adaptive and effective teams. In this episode, we discuss Asia’s gender parity landscape and how the region is making progress. How can companies ensure that gender equality remains a core part of their agendas during the downturn, and beyond?

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The shopping habits of the Australian consumer

July 2020 – The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound economic impact upon families and markets across almost all sectors. Coupled with the recent bushfires and recession, Australian consumers’ habits are adapting to the changing circumstances. In this episode, we discuss the shifts in the Australian consumer’s behaviour. How can Australian businesses adapt and innovate to meet the post-COVID-19 consumer where they are?

Decoding the value and performance of corporate Asia

July 2020 – Corporations in Asia have grown rapidly and risen to global prominence over the past decade. However, they lag behind their global counterparts in terms of their economic profits. The COVID-19 pandemic may also widen the gap between underperforming and outperforming companies. In this episode, we discuss the capital paradox, and how Asian companies can rebound and capture up to $620 billion opportunity by investing in value-creating sectors. We also ask how companies in Asia can sustain long-term growth in a post- pandemic world?

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The four big shifts in food retail in Asia due to the COVID-19 crisis

June 2020 – How has COVID-19 affected the retail shopping behaviours, spending, and expectations of consumers in Asia? In this episode, we discuss the four big shifts that require food retailers to act —and in some cases, accelerate the changes they have already made in response to the crisis. Reimagining their businesses will better equip food retailers to provide employment opportunities to people who are currently out of work, reshape their industry ecosystem, and work closely with business partners on how to operate in a next normal.

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Climate risk and response in Asia

June 2020 – How can Asian companies address climate change in a post-pandemic world? This is more important than anywhere else in the world, with the majority of impacts of climate change falling on Asia. Sustainability has become the imperative of our time and risen to be a number one priority for society and businesses. In this episode, we discuss the nature and extent of physical climate risk over the next three decades.

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Saving lives and livelihoods in India

May 2020 – COVID-19 is an unprecedented humanitarian challenge for all countries. India has made a concerted effort to flatten the pandemic’s curve. Now attention is shifting to reopening the economy while containing the virus: a conundrum many other nations are also grappling with. On May 8, our McKinsey experts sat down to talk about some of the measures India can take to stabilize and support households, businesses and its financial system as they deal with economic losses. How can India recover?

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Planning ahead of the coronavirus crisis

May 2020 – The coronavirus outbreak is shaping up to be the biggest economic crisis since World War II. The challenges associated with the virus are much larger than companies are used to dealing with, and firms need to have an adaptable operating model that can withstand an extraordinary level of uncertainty. How can companies adjust their business recovery responses according to the shifting time-frames?

South Korea’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic

May 2020 – Although COVID-19 continues to pose a significant threat to the world, different countries are at vastly different stages of the spread. While some countries recently recorded their first cases, certain states are beginning to see slowing infection rates, including South Korea. South Korea’s response to COVID-19 was seen by the global community as quick and decisive – particularly in the way it was able to expand its rapid testing model, and tap into its public-private partnerships and strong healthcare infrastructure. What are some of the lessons to be learned from its response?

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Asia’s response to the coronavirus

May 2020 – The coronavirus pandemic is reshaping the global economy. Asia, the first part of the world affected by the crisis, is leading the way out of it. The decisions leaders make today will not only influence how quickly their organizations and nations can emerge from the current crisis, but also define how they adapt to the ‘next normal’. In a post-pandemic world, can Asia play a major role in defining the ‘next normal’?

The future of banking in Asia

February 2020 – In Asia, banking is going through massive discontinuities, driven by the forces of a global slowdown, accompanied by discontinuities, driven by technology, and a benign regulatory environment. Could these challenges also bring with them waves of new opportunities?

Future of China and its relationship with the world

November 2019 – After four decades of opening up its economy, China is facing their first set of challenges with their relationship to the world. Could we be seeing the beginning of a new trend of less engagement between China and the world after years of deepening ties?

Asian networks and flows are defining the next phase of globalization

October 2019 – The Asian Century has begun. Asia is the world’s largest regional economy and it is poised to lead the world into the next phase of globalization. We discuss how global flows are shifting toward Asia, and what companies and governments can do to win in a world led by Asia.

The Asian Century has arrived

September 2019 – The Future of Asia is not only a China story anymore. It is about India, the world’s third largest economy already by PPP standards, ASEAN soon to be the world’s fourth largest economy and Japan’s hopeful resurgence. In the decades ahead, Asian economies will go from participating in global trade and innovation flows to determining their shape and direction.

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