Seven Sunrise industries to transform ASEAN region, says CSIRO

CANBERRA - A CSIRO study has identified the top seven emerging industries within ASEAN and neighbouring nations that will fuel future regional growth, international collaboration and job creation.

Launched to coincide with the ASEAN Special Summit in Australia, the Sunrise Industries report aims to inform government and industry on potential future areas for growth – ranging from AI to energy storage - and help decision makers capitalise on opportunities for the region.
 

Dr Larry Marshall, CSIRO’s Chief Executive, said the ASEAN region could be the world’s fourth-largest economy by 2030.

The Sunrise Industries identified include:

Artificial intelligence and autonomous systems. Made up of large and small companies which design, construct, implement and operate automated systems, this industry emerges as a result of the increasing capabilities of automation and artificial intelligence to deliver benefits at lower costs.

Financial and regulatory services technology. Enabled by technology and growing demand for innovative financial services, the FinTech and RegTech sector is made up of companies that provide digitally enabled financial and regulatory products and services.

High value nutrition. Growing incomes, rates of chronic diseases and concerns about food safety and provenance have driven demand for healthy, traceable and trustworthy food products that are sustainably and ethically produced, giving rise to an industry focused on high value nutrition.

Next generation energy storage and distribution. Improvements in the affordability and capability of batteries, other technological innovations, and consumer demand for clean energy solutions are fuelling demand for companies (both big and small) in the energy storage and distribution market.

Cyber-physical systems security. While cyber-physical systems (i.e. systems which have intertwined software and physical components) are becoming increasingly widespread, they can be vulnerable to hacking, creating new opportunities for the cyber-physical systems security industry.

Personal health and ageing. Rapidly aging populations are creating demand for products and services related to personal health and ageing (e.g. apps, wearable devices and mobile/telehealth services) along with personalised health and aged care.

Digital infrastructure and connectivity. While the wider Asia Pacific region has some of the world’s most digitally advanced nations, digital infrastructure is still lacking for many ASEAN members, creating opportunities for the digital infrastructure industry to respond to the growing connectivity demand.

 
The report says digital infrastructure underpins each of these Sunrise Industries, so ensuring quality regional broadband access will be crucial to enabling them to develop across the entire region.

www.csiro.au (ATI).