26 March 2025. Under its Chairmanship of the ASEAN Committee in Copenhagen (ACC), the Philippine Embassy organized an event entitled “Business Opportunities in ASEAN” on 26 March 2025 at Asia House, aimed at showcasing the region’s economic prowess, its strong collaboration with Danish firms and investors, and its potential to create good business sense for Danish locators. Participants from the private sector, diplomatic corps, and the academe attended the event.

Through two (2) interactive panels, officials from Danish companies, such as Carlsberg, Mærsk, DSV, Ecco, Grundfos, and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) shared their positive experiences in doing business in the ASEAN region, as well as offered insights for other firms that are interested in setting up their operations in the region.

Ambassador Herrera-Lim emphasized that ASEAN is the world’s 5th largest economy, with a combined GDP of over 3.9 trillion US Dollars, and a projected annual growth rate of 4-5% despite global economic uncertainty. With over 680 million people, ASEAN has a young, digital-first consumer base, driving demand for innovation and sustainable solutions. In addition, ASEAN is a strategic trading hub and gateway to the broader Asia-Pacific market due to its regional integration through free trade agreements such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). He also highlighted that despite the distance, Denmark has strong economic ties with ASEAN, as evidenced by numerous Danish investments in the region, in the areas of water technology, maritime solutions, smart infrastructure, renewable energy, and sustainable food production, among others.

The discussants highlighted the availability of a highly-skilled workforce, the ease of having dialogues with government authorities, and relatively predictable regulatory frameworks in the ASEAN region. However, they also identified the scarcity of renewable energy sources and the lack of critical infrastructure as some difficulties.

In addition to the engaging discussions, the guests enjoyed a variety of ASEAN dishes, such as satay marinated chicken on stick with dip (Indonesia), spring rolls with beef (Philippines), fishball with papaya salad (Thailand), and banh mi with roasted veal (Vietnam), which were prepared by a Filipino caterer based in Copenhagen. END.