In both Demographic Shifts: The World in 2030 and What to Watch in 2020, we highlighted the bright future that lies ahead for Southeast Asia. Indeed, the sub-region is a fundamental driver of Asia Pacific’s Decade in the Sun.
As the markets navigate the unfolding COVID-19 situation, it can be tempting to take our eyes off the longer-term trends and focus solely on the short-term shock and immediate aftermath. Whilst undoubtedly our “What to Watch in 2020” would be different if we wrote it today, we can be fairly certain that the fundamental drivers changing the face of ASEAN will be of essential importance regardless of how far this crisis takes us.Here we look at some of those drivers, with a focus on the growing number of companies adopting a modified China+ manufacturing strategy and its knock-on impact on commercial real estate.