The Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) hosted the second workshop on the PPP role in infrastructure development in ASEAN, themed "Its Role and Expectation in Transportation, Energy, and ICT Development" in Manila, Philippines on 13-14 February 2012. The second workshop discussed the progress report of the project whereas eleven researchers from five countries reported their works. The focus of the project is on infrastructure development particularly transportation, energy, and ICT in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. 

The Delhi Dialogue IV was held from 13 to 14 January 2012 in New Delhi, India. It was organized by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. ERIA was a co organizer of the Dialogue.  

The 2^nd Technical Meeting on the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint Mid Term Review (MTR) project was concluded on 11 February 2012 in Jakarta, Indonesia. The three days Meeting which started on February 9^th was attended by approximately 70 participants from the Research Institute Network (RIN), ASEAN Secretariat, ERIA’s consultants, ERIA’s researchers and the World Bank. The Meeting was organised and hosted by the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) in Jakarta, Indonesia. 

To reach the Press Release, please click on the following link.

http://www.eria.org/pdf/press/2nd_Technical_Meeting_on_the_ASEAN_Economic_
Community_(AEC)_Blueprint_Mid_Term_Review_Project_Jakarta_Indonesia.pdf

The Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) and Fukuoka Prefecture organized the ERIA Regional Network Forum on “Economic Integration in East Asia and Strategy for SME Development” in Fukuoka, Japan which was the first time for the Kyushu and Yamaguchi region. 

To reach the Press Release, please click on the following link.

http://www.eria.org/pdf/press/Economic_Integration_in_East_Asia_
and_Strategy_in_SME_Development.pdf

Kazunobu HAYAKAWA, Bangkok Research Center, Japan External Trade Organization, Thailand; Fukunari KIMURA, Faculty of Economics, Keio University, Japan, Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), Indonesia and Hyun-Hoon LEE, Department of International Trade and Business, Kangwon National University, Korea

In this paper we empirically investigate the effects on inward FDI of various components of political and financial risk.  We also examine the relationship between inward FDI and not only the level of these risks but also their changes over time.  Two kinds of findings are noteworthy.  One is that among the political and financial risks, only the political risk is associated with the FDI inflow.  Specifically, the change in the level of political risk affects FDI inflows, while the initial level of political risk does not.  The other is that, particularly in the case of developing countries, payment delays, contract expropriation, and corruption are negatively associated with the FDI inflow.  However, significant improvement leads to increased FDI inflow, even if initial levels are high.

To reach the Discussion Paper 2012-03, please click on the following link.

http://www.eria.org/pdf/ERIA-DP-2012-03.pdf

Ikumo Isono, Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA); Satoru Kumagai, Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization(IDE-JETRO) and Fukunari Kimura, Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)

Spatial designing of economic development with enhancing connectivity has become essential to pursue both sustained growth and the narrowing of development gaps. The issue of agglomeration and dispersion in China and its neighboring countries is an example of requiring such an approach. This paper introduces the Geographical Simulation Model (GSM) based on the new economic geography setting and presents illustrative simulations on Asian Highway No. 3 and Kyaukpyu deep sea port development in order to analyze the economic implication of developing hard and soft infrastructure as well as lowering national border barriers for inclusive growth at the sub-national level.

To reach the Discussion Paper 2012-02, please click on the following link.

http://www.eria.org/pdf/ERIA-DP-2012-02.pdf

The Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) hosted the second workshop on the development of ASEAN economic community into a Global Service Hub in Yogyakarta, Indonesia on 3-4 February 2012. The workshop participants consisted mainly of the country paper writers focusing on the health care services and the creative services sectors.

Mitsuyo Ando, Faculty of Business and Commerce, Keio University, Japan and Fukunari Kimura, Faculty of Economics, Keio University, Japan, Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), Indonesia

This paper analyzes the impact of two massive shocks, the 2008-2009 Global Financial Crisis and the 2011 East Japan Earthquake, on Japanese exports, focusing on the characteristics of domestic/international production networks in machinery industries. Using monthly data of Japanese bilateral exports at the most disaggregated level, we decompose the fall and recovery of Japanese exports into intensive and extensive margins and also examine the exits and re-entries by applying logit estimation and survival analysis. 

To reach the Discussion Paper 2012-01, please click on the following link.

http://www.eria.org/publications/discussion.html

In order to move the preparation of the “ASEAN SME Policy Index Framework” forward, Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) together with ASEAN SME Working Group (ASEAN SMEWG) and the ASEAN Secretariat held a joint workshop from January 22  - 24, 2012 at ERIA’s Office in Jakarta, Indonesia with 27 participants from the members of the ASEAN SMEWG, ERIA’s research team, ASEAN Secretariat, and leading professionals from the region, OECD, Australia, and the World Bank to extensively discuss the draft framework of the ASEAN SME Policy Index. 

The second Research Institute Network Meeting (RINM) for ERIA for the year 2011 was held in Phuket, Thailand on 14 January 2012 under the Chairmanship of Dr Hank Lim Giok-Hay from Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA).