In July 2022, AIBP, ASEAN’s Innovative Business Platform, released the results of a survey which asked business professionals in Southeast Asia to diagnose some of the biggest roadblocks to their organization’s success – and the best way to bridge the gaps. The survey counted 206 professionals in the public services sector across the largest economies in Southeast Asia: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines & Vietnam.

Here are some key takeaways:

– 60.6% believed business intelligence software is the digital transformation solution that would have the biggest impact on their company.

-Nearly half of all respondents said IT infrastructure is a challenge to innovation in their organization.

-39.4% believed people were a principal challenge in becoming data-driven (showing a need for skills-based training).

-Growing recognition of problem areas included sustainability, skills-based education, and transportation.

At times, it can seem like business profits are being put above environmental preservation by corporate leaders. But AIBP’s survey shows that sustainability is important to businesses and consumers alike. The ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation shows the region’s commitment to achieving the targets on renewable energy share 23% in total primary energy supply, and 35% share in installed power capacity by 2025.

But with these exciting goals come the need for a workforce that can see them through. Providing people with training to bridge the skill-market divide was marked at a high priority in the survey results. Tech companies are already on it: CYP’s Pro AV Solutions connected students at Vietnam National University, Hanoi with tech like interactive whiteboards and audio-visual learning devices to equip them with innovations they would experience in a cutting edge job market. Another tech company, IPEVO, has been extending their education beyond schools and into corporate trainings, legal, and healthcare sectors.

These trends, and those we’ve reported on before, in business technology and the people that drive them, show a region primed for strategic investment in human capital and sustainability.