FOREWORD

In the current global business environment, we are witnessing rapidly changing markets for products and services in response to the diversification of customer needs and demand. Previous business models based on total quality control, kaizen, and other productivity tools may help enterprises in the quality race but are not sufficient to achieve cost-efficiency and ensure the competitiveness of products and services. In facing the sophisticated challenges of the present, many Japanese companies had to devise their own innovative corporate strategies and original business models to succeed in the highly competitive global environment. In that endeavor, an innovative corporate strategy is critical to succeed.

The APO Top Management Forum 2008 took place in Kyoto and was attended by 36 overseas participants from 17 APO member countries, as well as eight local participants. The forum focused on innovative corporate strategies and introduced outstanding examples and business models that allowed leading Japanese corporations to succeed in global competition.

The forum participants benefited from insightful information and experiences shared by the distinguished speakers, to whom I would like to convey my gratitude. With the extensive coverage of the topic in their presentations, ranging from strategic multiple business models, human capital training, IT utilization, and selection and concentration strategies to the importance of localization of business as a strategy, I am sure that the participants will be able to adopt some strategies introduced to their own national contexts to become better equipped for global competition, which will ultimately promote economic growth in the region.

This publication contains summaries of the presentations on innovative corporate strategies in global competition and is intended to help readers review the topics covered in the APO Top Management Forum 2008. I hope that this volume is useful in expanding knowledge of the best practices of corporate innovation.

Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Japanese government for financial support and to the JPC-SED for its assistance in organizing the forum.

Shigeo Takenaka, Secretary-General
Tokyo, July 2008