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ISSUE 1<br />

13 th November, 2015<br />

THE NAPIERSHALL FORMULA DIGEST<br />

ECONOMIC<br />

DIVERSIFICATION<br />

UAE’s drive towards<br />

economic independence<br />

REPUTATION<br />

MANAGEMENT<br />

The Kingdom of Saudi<br />

Arabia announces<br />

diversification efforts<br />

in a bid to slow<br />

climate change<br />

GOVERNMENT<br />

BEST PRACTICES<br />

Building sustainability<br />

into policy<br />

development:<br />

Smart Policy Design<br />

TOURISM<br />

Stop-over<br />

tourism in<br />

Icel<strong>and</strong><br />

driving traffic<br />

inside<br />

feature<br />

HUMAN CAPITAL<br />

Japan’s need to kick-start<br />

the entrepreneurial<br />

sector.<br />

Icel<strong>and</strong>ic innovation through<br />

Economic Adversity p. 8


foreword<br />

It is central to <strong>Brunei</strong> that its economy is diversified beyond the hydrocarbon sector,<br />

in order to provide a prosperous future for the Sultanate. In The Napiershall Formula<br />

Digest, <strong>Brunei</strong> & <strong>Beyond</strong>, we seek to provide the reader with inspiration, insight <strong>and</strong><br />

overviews within key areas of interest that have high impact potential towards<br />

economic growth <strong>and</strong> positive promotion.<br />

This collection of articles hopes to provide inspiration for designing a trajectory for<br />

<strong>Brunei</strong>’s future of a diversified economy. Each bi-monthly issue will present a feature<br />

piece that provides a deeper insight <strong>and</strong> analysis into one focus area.<br />

This week’s issue features Icel<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> the success story of its revival following 2008<br />

economic crisis. Other sections focus on Saudi Arabia’s efforts to manage its image<br />

through making a symbolic move to join the global fight against climate change, smart<br />

policy design developed in Harvard, <strong>and</strong> Japan’s endeavours to combat losing its<br />

competitive edge.<br />

These areas of research <strong>and</strong> analysis can be further tailored to suit the specific<br />

interests of the client, <strong>and</strong> can be incorporated into future editions.<br />

Chairman of The Napiershall Formula<br />

about us<br />

Napiershall Formula is an independent consulting group based in Scotl<strong>and</strong><br />

which strategically advises <strong>and</strong> incubates projects on behalf of<br />

governments, national <strong>and</strong> international corporations, <strong>and</strong> third sector<br />

organisations. Our work is instilled with our three core values: intelligence,<br />

integrity, <strong>and</strong> delivery. We advocate strategic <strong>and</strong> innovative design-based<br />

thinking, we lead with honesty <strong>and</strong> transparency, <strong>and</strong> we deliver our<br />

projects without compromising their quality.<br />

Strictly private <strong>and</strong> confidential.<br />

This digest is intended only for the<br />

clientelle of The Napiershall Formula<br />

1


contents<br />

ISSUE 1<br />

13 th November, 2015<br />

3<br />

pg<br />

REPUTATION<br />

MANAGEMENT<br />

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announces diversification<br />

efforts in a bid to slow climate change<br />

ECONOMIC<br />

DIVERSIFICATION<br />

UAE’s drive towards economic independence<br />

6<br />

pg<br />

9<br />

pg<br />

pg<br />

15<br />

THOUGHT BITES<br />

Inspiring best practice examples from around the world<br />

HUMAN CAPITAL<br />

Japan’s need to kick-start the entrepreneurial sector<br />

GOVERNMENT<br />

BEST PRACTICES<br />

Building sustainability into policy development:<br />

Smart Policy Design<br />

TOURISM<br />

Stop-over tourism in Icel<strong>and</strong> driving<br />

tourist numbers<br />

12<br />

pg<br />

20<br />

pg<br />

23<br />

pg<br />

REFERENCES<br />

NEWS BITES<br />

A glance at the past two week’s media developments on <strong>Brunei</strong><br />

25<br />

pg<br />

2


“Dubai <strong>and</strong> Abu<br />

Dhabi are just<br />

warming up in<br />

terms of tourism<br />

<strong>and</strong> hospitality<br />

development.<br />

The two cities in<br />

the United Arab<br />

Emirates, located<br />

75 minutes apart<br />

by car, anchor a<br />

region “poised to<br />

take off” 1<br />

ECONOMIC<br />

DIVERSIFICATION<br />

UAE’s drive towards economic independence<br />

3


economic<br />

diversification<br />

analysis:<br />

diversification through<br />

innovation<br />

21st century United<br />

Arab Emirates (UAE) has<br />

manoeuvred <strong>and</strong> positioned<br />

itself as one of the best in the<br />

world in terms of the<br />

efficiency <strong>and</strong> ease of doing<br />

business. In the 41 years since<br />

its conception, the UAE has<br />

not only emerged as the<br />

second largest Arab economy,<br />

but also the most competitive,<br />

diverse <strong>and</strong> investor-friendly<br />

nation in the region due to<br />

sensible policies based on<br />

openness <strong>and</strong> diversification<br />

of sources of income 2 . Dubai,<br />

for example, was largely<br />

dependent on Abu Dhabi for<br />

funding, <strong>and</strong> in order to gain<br />

financial independence had to<br />

assertively develop its tourism<br />

<strong>and</strong> financial sectors.<br />

The country still has a<br />

commodity-based economy,<br />

with oil <strong>and</strong> natural gas<br />

accounting for 40% of total<br />

exports <strong>and</strong> for 38% of GDP.<br />

Yet, in order to diversify the<br />

economy <strong>and</strong> reduce the<br />

dependence on oil revenues,<br />

UAE has been making huge<br />

investments in the tourism,<br />

financial <strong>and</strong> construction<br />

sectors 3 .<br />

In 2012, manufacturing activity<br />

accounted for 42% of output<br />

growth,<br />

transport/communication for<br />

23%, wholesale/retail trade for<br />

16.5% <strong>and</strong> restaurants/hotels<br />

for 15.5% while construction<br />

<strong>and</strong> agriculture contracted.<br />

“Exponential growth is expected<br />

to catapult the Emirates to the<br />

ranks of the world’s most<br />

sought-after destinations for<br />

international visitors by 2020” 7<br />

4


A crucial element in<br />

the success of UAE’s<br />

economic<br />

diversification is that it<br />

has managed to<br />

establish itself as a<br />

strategic hub for<br />

foreign investments,<br />

due to its solid<br />

economic foudation<br />

<strong>and</strong> smart<br />

economic policies<br />

based on<br />

openness,<br />

diversity <strong>and</strong><br />

flexibility 4 .<br />

One sector that the UAE has<br />

shown immense development<br />

in, <strong>and</strong> one which other<br />

countries could seek to<br />

emulate is the hospitality<br />

sector. The UAE’s hospitality<br />

industry is expected to grow<br />

at a rate of 10% between<br />

2013 <strong>and</strong> 2018. The growth<br />

of the industry in the region<br />

will be driven by the a shift in<br />

global activity from the West<br />

to the East, a rise in leisure<br />

travel, higher dem<strong>and</strong> for<br />

serviced apartments, a shift<br />

towards budget travel <strong>and</strong> a<br />

quicker construction<br />

pipeline 5 . While tourist<br />

arrivals in the UAE are likely<br />

to grow at an annual rate of<br />

5.3% between 2012 <strong>and</strong><br />

2022, hotel supply is<br />

expected to increase at 5.3%<br />

from 96,992 hotels in Dubai<br />

<strong>and</strong> Abu Dhabi to 125,383<br />

hotels in 2016 6 .<br />

The UAE’s hospitality<br />

sector is a<br />

contemporary,<br />

developing benchmark<br />

for how countries,<br />

particularly in<br />

Asia, can seek<br />

to diversify<br />

their<br />

economies.<br />

5


Countries can<br />

“overcome<br />

climate<br />

challenges <strong>and</strong><br />

turn them into<br />

opportunities to<br />

build a more<br />

diversified <strong>and</strong><br />

sustainable<br />

economy” 8<br />

REPUTATION<br />

MANAGEMENT<br />

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Announces diversification efforts in a bid to slow climate change<br />

6


eputation<br />

management<br />

analysis:<br />

positive spin from<br />

the environment<br />

7<br />

Saudi<br />

Arabia, the world's largest<br />

crude oil exporter,<br />

announced recently that it<br />

plans to diversify its<br />

economy in a move to help<br />

combat climate change <strong>and</strong><br />

reduce expected carbon<br />

emissions by up to 130<br />

million tonnes a year by<br />

2030 9 .<br />

Saudi Arabia’s move to cut<br />

carbon emissions up to 130<br />

million tons a year by 2030,<br />

arguably is a self-interested<br />

act reflecting the need to<br />

diversify the economy away<br />

from the hydrocarbon sector.<br />

However, the move also<br />

presents the KSA a key<br />

opportunity to positively<br />

promote itself during a time<br />

of relative crisis. With the<br />

recent tragedy taken place in<br />

Mina, the KSA has been<br />

targeted by human rights<br />

activists on a massive scale,<br />

with continued criticism<br />

facing its leadership <strong>and</strong><br />

religious institutions.<br />

However, two months after<br />

the crisis, the country has now<br />

seized an opportunity to<br />

deflect attention away from<br />

the negative attention<br />

towards a brighter country<br />

image. Indeed, the KSA has<br />

now taken a decisive step<br />

towards positively promoting<br />

itself as a global player within<br />

the environmental protection<br />

agenda. The step has garnered<br />

some positive attention at the<br />

outset, with the U.N. Climate<br />

Change Secretariat Cristiana<br />

Figueres thanking the KSA for<br />

its climate action plan.<br />

As a symbolic move towards<br />

fighting global warming, the<br />

desert nation has <strong>final</strong>ly<br />

joined a league of others that<br />

showcase an international<br />

commitment to this joint<br />

cause.


8<br />

Up to 130 million tons of<br />

carbon dioxide equivalent<br />

avoided by 2030 annually<br />

through contributions to<br />

economic diversification <strong>and</strong><br />

adaptation" 10


“...the<br />

policymakers<br />

that we work<br />

with are<br />

largely<br />

constrained<br />

not by a lack of<br />

will, but by a<br />

lack of<br />

resources” 11<br />

GOVERNMENT<br />

BEST PRACTICES<br />

Building sustainability into policy development:<br />

Smart Policy Design<br />

9


government<br />

best practices<br />

analysis:<br />

smart policy design driving<br />

government strategies<br />

W hen<br />

policymakers push a new<br />

strategy or program, they<br />

usually do so believing their<br />

efforts will solve a problem<br />

or improve some vital aspect<br />

of life for the community.<br />

Often however, government<br />

policies lack the scope of<br />

knowledge <strong>and</strong> informed<br />

re-evaluation to create<br />

lasting impact to the benefit<br />

of the people the policies<br />

target.<br />

These considerations have been<br />

developed into something called<br />

“Smart Policy Design”,<br />

implemented by the Evidence<br />

for Policy Design (EPoD)<br />

launched six years ago at<br />

Harvard Kennedy School (HKS).<br />

The design works on the<br />

assumption that “using<br />

economic insights to inform the<br />

design, implementation, <strong>and</strong><br />

recalibration of policy solutions<br />

<strong>and</strong> working in close<br />

collaboration with local policy<br />

actors is the key to building<br />

Rohini P<strong>and</strong>e, co-director of<br />

EPoD stated that “the policymakers<br />

that we work with are<br />

largely constrained not by a<br />

lack of will, but by a lack of<br />

resources. They lack training in<br />

using <strong>and</strong> assessing evidence,<br />

<strong>and</strong> they don’t have access to<br />

good information. But they are<br />

the solution to the challenges<br />

faced by their countries. Our<br />

goal is to give them the tools to<br />

make a difference.” 13<br />

In order for policy reform to<br />

deliver in practice, thorough<br />

research, strategic<br />

governments that benefit all<br />

citizens.” 12<br />

stakeholder engagement <strong>and</strong><br />

continued evaluation of the<br />

process in place is often<br />

needed from the outset.<br />

10


As a testament to<br />

the initial<br />

successes, EPoD<br />

now runs research<br />

<strong>and</strong> policy<br />

partnerships in 13<br />

countries, including<br />

India, Pakistan,<br />

Indonesia, <strong>and</strong><br />

Saudi Arabia,<br />

around important<br />

issues such as<br />

public health,<br />

education, labor,<br />

<strong>and</strong> finance, among<br />

others. So far,<br />

“EPoD’s cyclical<br />

template has<br />

proven successful<br />

in countries where<br />

researchers have<br />

deep, existing<br />

networks.“<br />

While the results of the<br />

research remain to be<br />

seen, EPoD’s remit has<br />

exp<strong>and</strong>ed to include the<br />

training of government<br />

agents <strong>and</strong> civil servants<br />

to build capacity<br />

towards implementing<br />

solutions organically.<br />

This will allow them to<br />

better underst<strong>and</strong> their<br />

own policy challenges<br />

<strong>and</strong> to take fuller<br />

advantage of the data<br />

available to make smart<br />

decisions.<br />

Holistic solutions such<br />

as these should be<br />

worked into developing<br />

governmental practices,<br />

whilst building capacity<br />

at the same time.<br />

“We build sustainability into our<br />

process from the outset, so the real<br />

marker of our success is that moment<br />

when we’re no longer needed, when<br />

local policymakers <strong>and</strong> citizens have all<br />

the tools <strong>and</strong> information they need to<br />

make their institutions work for the<br />

benefit of all” 14<br />

- Deanna Ford, EPoD Director<br />

11


THOUGHT<br />

BITES<br />

Inspiring best practice examples from around the world<br />

12


fragrance<br />

rainforest<br />

thought<br />

bites<br />

Canada-based natural<br />

perfume house, Ayala<br />

Moriel, have announced<br />

this month their latest<br />

fragrance, Komorebi. They<br />

claim that the fragrance is<br />

inspired by the scent of the<br />

forest floor after its been<br />

kissed by sun.<br />

On their website, the<br />

company said that they<br />

were “thankful to the<br />

Japanese language, which<br />

has a special word for the<br />

interplay of light <strong>and</strong> leaves,<br />

which includes the<br />

sunbeams one would<br />

observe coming through the<br />

trees <strong>and</strong> shedding light on<br />

the vapour they exhale; as<br />

well as the dappled-gold<br />

forest floor, a vision that is<br />

shifting yet constant, as<br />

long as the sun is there. This<br />

is the essence of Komorebi<br />

in the Pacific rainforest.” 15<br />

13<br />

Outside Southeast Asia,<br />

innovators are developing<br />

tools to monitor <strong>and</strong> protect<br />

pristine rainforests while also<br />

ensuring human safety.<br />

Following the bog fires in<br />

Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s<br />

need to protect its pristine<br />

natural reserves has been<br />

highlighted. This is where the<br />

innovative solutions such as<br />

the below come into play 16 .<br />

Topher White from San<br />

Francisco uses old cellphones<br />

to monitor sounds in the<br />

forest. The phones are powered<br />

by an array of solar<br />

panels hidden in tree tops.<br />

The project, titled ‘Rainforest<br />

Connection’, listens for<br />

sounds that don’t belong in a<br />

rainforest; for example that of<br />

a chainsaw or human chattering.<br />

It then sends an alert to a<br />

control station.<br />

Another example is Libelium,<br />

a company based in Spain,<br />

that specializes in smart<br />

sensors which are linked up<br />

with software for easy<br />

monitoring. There are<br />

countless applications for<br />

Libelium’s system, such as<br />

early detection of forest fires<br />

in Spain 17 .


honey<br />

country<br />

br<strong>and</strong>ing<br />

14<br />

Georgian honey could soon<br />

appear on the shelves of<br />

European supermarkets. In<br />

2014, Georgia produced<br />

4,100 metric tons of honey,<br />

but only exported 5,<br />

generating export revenue<br />

of US$ 54,000, with Saudi<br />

Arabia accounting for 87%<br />

of total exports, followed by<br />

China (10%), <strong>and</strong> the<br />

Republic of Korea (1%) 18 .<br />

As it currently st<strong>and</strong>s,<br />

individual Georgian local<br />

beekeepers are unable to<br />

provide honey in amounts<br />

that would interest international<br />

buyers. Furthermore,<br />

in some cases, importers<br />

require honey to be monofloral,<br />

meaning the honey<br />

should be predominantly<br />

from the nectar of one plant<br />

species, which is typically<br />

not the case with Georgian<br />

honey. The Ministry of<br />

Agriculture is currently<br />

co-financing a beehive<br />

census for better tracking of<br />

Georgian honey <strong>and</strong> its<br />

point of origin whilst the<br />

same time, the ministry is<br />

helping to subsidise costs of<br />

honey sample analysis.<br />

If Georgia can address these<br />

issues, then it has the<br />

potential to become a niche<br />

honey supplier to an array<br />

of foreign markets 19 .<br />

Br<strong>and</strong> Finance, an independent<br />

br<strong>and</strong> valuation<br />

<strong>and</strong> strategy consultancy,<br />

earlier this month released<br />

the list of the 100 most<br />

valuable nation br<strong>and</strong>s.<br />

South Africa ranks at<br />

number 37 with a nett<br />

nation br<strong>and</strong> value of US$<br />

225bn; an impressive feat<br />

considering the country is<br />

still acclimatising to its<br />

relatively infant democracy<br />

(21 years old).<br />

A crucial determinate of the<br />

country’s br<strong>and</strong> ranking is<br />

that South Africa is seen as<br />

a country that is open to<br />

innovation <strong>and</strong> foreign<br />

direct investment (FDI).<br />

“The South African nation<br />

br<strong>and</strong> is strong <strong>and</strong> resilient<br />

<strong>and</strong> more than just a<br />

collection of numbers. It is<br />

innovative, courageous,<br />

creative, bold <strong>and</strong> continues<br />

to inspire new ways the<br />

world over.” 20


Icel<strong>and</strong> has<br />

negotiated<br />

adverse<br />

economic<br />

conditions to<br />

foster a<br />

diverse,<br />

thriving<br />

tourism based<br />

economy…<br />

<strong>Brunei</strong> holds<br />

similar<br />

potential<br />

feature<br />

TOURISM<br />

Stop-over tourism in Icel<strong>and</strong> driving tourism numbers<br />

15


the nordic<br />

touch<br />

“Tourism (in Icel<strong>and</strong>) has<br />

grown by 100 percent<br />

since 2006, thus<br />

indicating the economic<br />

value of an extremely<br />

promising stream of<br />

revenue for the<br />

country.” 21<br />

- Elizabeth Matsangou, World Finance<br />

This article highlights the lessons<br />

learned by Icel<strong>and</strong> following the financial<br />

crisis in 2008, whilst considering key<br />

best practice examples that can be<br />

emulated in other regions. The piece<br />

begins a series of articles related to the<br />

Nordic region, aiming to provide an<br />

outlook on how the region often<br />

provides best practice examples for<br />

attracting FDI, tourism <strong>and</strong> fostering<br />

innovation.<br />

Prior to the financial crisis in 2008,<br />

Icel<strong>and</strong>’s three biggest banks were worth<br />

$141 billion, making them 10 times the<br />

size of the country’s economy. The banks<br />

pulled this off by promising unrealistic<br />

high rates of return to foreign clients<br />

whilst simultaneously buying up corporate<br />

companies <strong>and</strong> real-estate among<br />

other assets.<br />

16


By comparison, <strong>Brunei</strong> is potentially<br />

headed towards a similar situation<br />

of an economic downturn due to<br />

the volatile market fluctuations<br />

within the oil industry <strong>and</strong> its<br />

overdependence on the<br />

hydrocarbon sector. At the same<br />

time, <strong>Brunei</strong>’s pristine rainforest<br />

presents a key asset for the country<br />

to utilise towards economic<br />

diversification <strong>and</strong> tourism<br />

attraction.<br />

On Otober 6th 2008, due to its<br />

unsustainable global financial<br />

practices, the banking sector<br />

collapsed, forcing Icel<strong>and</strong> to seek<br />

innovative solutions to diversify<br />

their economy. As a result the<br />

country has turned the clean<br />

energy <strong>and</strong> tourism sectors into its<br />

main drivers of economic recovery.<br />

The tourism sector now contributes<br />

6.8% to the country’s GDP, the key<br />

attraction being eco-tourism. The<br />

share of the sector in Icel<strong>and</strong>’s GDP<br />

between 2000 <strong>and</strong> 2007 was, on<br />

average, 4.6%. At the same time the<br />

country has implemented solutions<br />

such as the recently launched<br />

initiative to support R&D <strong>and</strong><br />

start-ups, with domestic <strong>and</strong><br />

international investors alike raising<br />

funds for Icel<strong>and</strong>.<br />

However, a point of difference is<br />

that Sc<strong>and</strong>inavian populations in<br />

general are characterised by<br />

individualism <strong>and</strong> high levels of<br />

entrepreneurial spirit (namely<br />

showcased in the high number of<br />

start-ups) 22 . This is in direct<br />

contrast with the lack of<br />

international recognition <strong>Brunei</strong><br />

fosters in relation to the<br />

entrepreneurial spirit of its<br />

populous 23 . As such, the respective<br />

government systems often serve to<br />

dictate the potential for fostering<br />

SMEs growth <strong>and</strong> attracting high<br />

levels of tourism <strong>and</strong>/or FDI.<br />

17


At the same time, there are<br />

similarities between <strong>Brunei</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />

Icel<strong>and</strong> in relation to populations<br />

size, GDP <strong>and</strong> the over-reliance on<br />

a single economic driver <strong>and</strong>, as<br />

such, <strong>Brunei</strong> could look to emulate<br />

some of the practices Icel<strong>and</strong> put in<br />

place in order to achieve the<br />

resurgence in its economy. For<br />

example, both countries have their<br />

own airlines, with Icel<strong>and</strong> being a<br />

key stopover destination from<br />

Europe enroute to North America<br />

while <strong>Brunei</strong> is a natural stopover<br />

to the region of Southeast Asia <strong>and</strong><br />

Australasia.<br />

The exponential growth of Icel<strong>and</strong>’s<br />

tourism sector (up by a 100% since<br />

2006) has showcased the potential<br />

of streaming revenue into an<br />

economy through attracting<br />

visitors. Initial growth was spurred<br />

by cheap travel, however this was<br />

supported by government<br />

investment towards a host of new<br />

attractions to lure tourists, such as<br />

a $2.5m project to tunnel Europe’s<br />

second largest glacier, the Ice Cave.<br />

Icel<strong>and</strong>air has also launched major<br />

online marketing campaigns to<br />

maximise visibility.<br />

Positive initiatives such as these<br />

could be launched in <strong>Brunei</strong>, too, as<br />

quick win solutions to drive vistior<br />

numbers into the country.<br />

18


BRUNEI<br />

ICELAND<br />

Population Size 24<br />

429646<br />

Government System<br />

Absolute Monarchy<br />

L<strong>and</strong> Area 25<br />

2,035 sq.mi<br />

GDP<br />

11.24 (billions of dollars)<br />

Global Ease of Doing<br />

61.26 (101st)<br />

Business Report<br />

Ranking 26<br />

Global Innovation Index<br />

<strong>Brunei</strong> not ranked<br />

Ranking (Wipo) 27<br />

Tourism Contribution to<br />

1.5%<br />

GDP 28<br />

319395<br />

Constitutional Republic<br />

38,707 sq.mi<br />

17.81 (billions of dollars)<br />

80.27 (12th)<br />

13th (0.91)<br />

6.8%<br />

*All statistics accurate current between 2013-2015*<br />

“Icel<strong>and</strong>’s airlines have helped<br />

spur a tourism boom, lifting its<br />

battered economy back to<br />

health” 29<br />

19


“Japan<br />

needs a<br />

greater<br />

focus on<br />

what<br />

individual<br />

companies<br />

can do<br />

immediately<br />

<strong>and</strong> on their<br />

own” 30<br />

HUMAN CAPITAL<br />

DEVELOPMENT<br />

Japan’s need to kick-start the entrepreneurial sector<br />

20


human capital<br />

development<br />

analysis:<br />

fostering<br />

enterpreneurship<br />

21<br />

For the last half a<br />

century, Japan has led the<br />

world in technological<br />

achievements <strong>and</strong> remains<br />

one of the strongest<br />

economies in Asia for this<br />

sector. The secret to Japan’s<br />

success is largely due to the<br />

economic power of the<br />

country’s major<br />

corporations, especially in<br />

the technology sector 31 . For<br />

example, Toyota has a total<br />

revenue of $326 billion. The<br />

company also employs<br />

326.000 employees. With a<br />

revenue of $119 billion,<br />

Honda is another big<br />

company in the country.<br />

Despite this, Japan has endured<br />

what has been dubbed the two<br />

painful “lost decades”, <strong>and</strong> has lost<br />

much of its competitive economic<br />

edge. The country is currently<br />

operating at below its full potential,<br />

<strong>and</strong> productivity continues to<br />

decline across a range of sectors<br />

<strong>and</strong> services 32 . Yet, is there a case<br />

to be made that Japan’s current<br />

technological sector, <strong>and</strong> economy<br />

generally, is inhibiting the growth<br />

of entrepreneurships, start-ups<br />

<strong>and</strong> ‘idea-to-company’ success<br />

ratios? The corporate giants, which<br />

still to a large extent dominate the<br />

Japanese economy, are extremely<br />

top heavy, exerting their influence<br />

<strong>and</strong> control over vast pools of<br />

talent, labour, markets, ideas,<br />

resources <strong>and</strong> countless other<br />

aspects of the economy. According<br />

to a report published by the<br />

Mckinsey Global Institute, “Japan<br />

needs a greater focus on what<br />

individual companies can do<br />

immediately <strong>and</strong> on their own.” 33<br />

For giving freedom <strong>and</strong> licence<br />

to the private sector,<br />

encouraging start-ups <strong>and</strong><br />

entrepreneurship, Japan could<br />

look to Silicon Valley in the<br />

United States. This year, Silicon<br />

Valley was once again ranked as<br />

the best in the world for<br />

start-up businesses <strong>and</strong><br />

entrepreneurship; the Silicon<br />

Valley tech companies alone<br />

create a total GDP, which comes<br />

to $535 billion 34 . Whilst Silicon<br />

Valley start-ups like Facebook,<br />

Amazon, Tesla <strong>and</strong> Google are<br />

changing the way the Western<br />

world functions, this kind of<br />

disruptive innovation from<br />

start-ups is not yet a common<br />

occurrence in Japan.


A recent<br />

development<br />

in the United States<br />

is that start-ups are using<br />

banks <strong>and</strong> investment<br />

companies far more than they<br />

used to, as they are able to<br />

connect companies <strong>and</strong> wealthy<br />

individuals who can network<br />

<strong>and</strong> use their own clients to<br />

offer revenue. An example of<br />

this is Fidelity or T. Rowe Price,<br />

which often invest in big<br />

start-ups, like Uber, that are on<br />

the precipice of an IPO 35 . This is<br />

just one of many strategies that<br />

national economies should seek<br />

to adopt to grow, incubate <strong>and</strong><br />

foster their entrepreneurial<br />

talent.<br />

“Investments in human capital, including<br />

healthcare, education, <strong>and</strong> especially the<br />

integration of women in labour market, are<br />

fundamental at the initial stage to speed up the<br />

transition, improve the productivity of the<br />

workforce, <strong>and</strong> increase the magnitude of the<br />

potential of a veritable dividend” 36<br />

- Dr Awiti, Director of the East African Institute at Aga Khan University<br />

22


NEWS<br />

BITES<br />

A glance at the past two week’s media developments on <strong>Brunei</strong><br />

23


negative attention<br />

continues<br />

In this week’s news, we see similar trends<br />

in the international media coverage of<br />

<strong>Brunei</strong>. Focus was placed on criticising<br />

the TPP <strong>and</strong> the LGBT issues in the<br />

country, with specific scrutiny on the<br />

perceived stoning to death of LGBT<br />

people. This was further reflected in an<br />

article on Jay Leno’s comedy tour <strong>and</strong> his<br />

lobby against HM the Sultan <strong>and</strong> Sharia<br />

Law.<br />

Whilst critisicm of LGBT rights continues,<br />

overall negative media attention has died<br />

down throughout recent months.<br />

Reflecting upon this decline of negative<br />

media attention, it could be argued that<br />

now would be a good time to promote a<br />

positive <strong>Brunei</strong> country br<strong>and</strong> towards<br />

external audiences, deflecting attention<br />

away from criticism relating to the Penal<br />

Code implementation.<br />

“<strong>Brunei</strong> in 2014 began to<br />

implement a new legal code<br />

based on Sharia law that<br />

punishes those convicted of<br />

homosexuality by stoning them<br />

to death” 38<br />

“Now it’s official:<br />

the TPP fails the<br />

test for important<br />

LGBT concerns” 39<br />

news<br />

bites<br />

“Last year, the<br />

Sultan of <strong>Brunei</strong><br />

enacted Sharia<br />

law in the<br />

country which<br />

punishes<br />

‘sodomy’ with<br />

stoning to<br />

death” 37<br />

“He (Jay Leno) is currently joining<br />

Mavis <strong>and</strong> The Feminists Majority<br />

Foundation in their effort to influence<br />

the Sultan of <strong>Brunei</strong> to rescind his<br />

decision to impose Sharia law in the<br />

country including the penalty of death<br />

by stoning for homosexuality <strong>and</strong><br />

horrific public flogging for any woman<br />

seeking an abortion” 40<br />

24


eferences<br />

1 Anon, (2015). 5 Reasons Why Tourism Is Poised to Explode in Dubai <strong>and</strong> Abu Dhabi. Available at:<br />

http://skift.com/2014/06/23/5-reasons-why-tourism-is-poised-to-explode-in-dubai-<strong>and</strong>-abu-dhabi/.<br />

2 Khaleeej Times, (2015). UAE economy thrives on openness, diversification <strong>and</strong> competitiveness.<br />

Available at: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/article/20121126/ARTICLE/311269928/1002.<br />

3 Trading Economics, (2015). United Arab Emirates GDP Growth Rate. Available:<br />

http://www.tradingeconomics.com/united-arab-emirates/gdp-growth.<br />

4 PropelConsult, (2015). UAE ‘strategic hub for foreign investments’.Available:<br />

http://www.propelconsult.com/uae-strategic-hub-for-foreign-investments/.<br />

5 Gulf News, (2015). GCC hospitality industry set to reach $35.9b by 2018. Available:<br />

http://gulfnews.com/business/sectors/tourism/gcc-hospitality-industry-set-to-reach-35-9b-by-2018-1.1389776.<br />

6 Khaleeej Times, (2015). UAE economy thrives on openness, diversification <strong>and</strong> competitiveness.<br />

Available at: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/article/20121126/ARTICLE/311269928/1002.<br />

7 Executives for Hospitality, (2015). Exponential Growth Ahead for UAE’s Hospitality Sector.<br />

Available: http://www.executivesforhospitality.com/blogs/exponential-growth-ahead-uaes-hospitality-sector/.<br />

8 The National, (2015). UAE’s environment goals set out ahead of crucial Paris conference. Available<br />

at:<br />

http://www.thenational.ae/uae/environment/uaes-environment-goals-set-out-ahead-of-crucial-paris-conference.<br />

9 Fuelfix.com, (2015), Saudi Arabia Will Diversify Economy.<br />

http://fuelfix.com/blog/2015/11/10/saudi-arabia-will-diversify-oil-driven-economy-to-meet-u-n-goals-on-climate-c<br />

hange/#34482101=3.<br />

10 Ibid<br />

11 Harvard Gazette, (2015), Making Government Work. Available at:<br />

http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2015/11/making-government-work/.<br />

23 Bhasin (2011), p. 20 Doing Business in Southeast Asia<br />

24 Geoba.se, (2015). The World: Population.<br />

http://www.geoba.se/population.php?pc=world&type=28&year=2015&st=rank&asde=&page=2.<br />

25 Info Please, <strong>Brunei</strong> (2015). Available at: http://www.infoplease.com/country/brunei.html.<br />

26 Doing Business, (2015). Going <strong>Beyond</strong> Efficiency.<br />

http://www.doingbusiness.org/~/media/GIAWB/Doing%20Business/Documents/Annual-Reports/English/DB15-Ch<br />

apters/DB15-Report-Overview.pdf.<br />

27 Global Innovation Index, (2015). 2015 Country Rankings. Available at:<br />

https://www.globalinnovationindex.org/content/page/data-analysis/<br />

28 WTTC, (2015). <strong>Brunei</strong> Darussalam, Available at:<br />

http://www.wttc.org/-/media/files/reports/economic%20impact%20research/country%20reports/brunei_darussala<br />

m2014.pdf <strong>and</strong><br />

http://www.politcasecompetition.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Sp%C3%B8rgsm%C3%A5l-1-inspiration-1.pd<br />

f. Last accessed 10th November 2015.<br />

29 Financial Post, (2015). Transportation. Available at:<br />

http://business.financialpost.com/news/transportation/how-icel<strong>and</strong>s-airlines-have-helped-spur-a-tourism-boom-lift<br />

ing-its-battered-economy-back-to-health<br />

30 Mckinsey Global Institute, (2015). The future of japan: reigniting productivity <strong>and</strong> growth.<br />

31 TechInsider. (2015). 11 Most Profitable Japanese Companies`.Available:<br />

http://www.techinsider.net/11-most-profitable-japanese-companies/1127408.html.<br />

32 Ibid<br />

33 Mckinsey Global Institute, (2015). The future of japan: reigniting productivity <strong>and</strong> growth.<br />

34 Readwrite, (2015). The Best Place For Tech Startups: Still Silicon Valley … For Now. Available:<br />

http://readwrite.com/2015/07/28/startups-cities-rankings-silicon-valley.<br />

12 Ibid<br />

35 Business Insider UK, (2015). Wall Street banks have changed the way Silicon Valley's top startups<br />

raise money. Available: http://uk.businessinsider.com/silicon-valley-start-ups-raising-vc-2015-8?r=US&IR=T.<br />

13 Ibid<br />

36 The Star, (2015). Time to make the Africa Uprsing Real. Available at:<br />

http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/it-time-make-africa-rising-real.<br />

14 Ibid<br />

37 Gay Star News, (2015) Available at:<br />

http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/us-pacific-trade-deal-will-give-no-provisions-for-lgbt-in-oppressive-countries/<br />

15 Basenotes., (2015). Ayala Moriel's new fragrance, Komorebi, is the opposite of petrichor. Available<br />

at:<br />

http://www.basenotes.net/perfumenews/3214-ayala-moriels-new-fragrance-komorebi-is-the-opposite-of-petrichor<br />

.<br />

.<br />

38 Washington Blade, (2015). Available at:<br />

http://www.washingtonblade.com/2015/11/07/controversial-trade-deal-lacks-lgbt-specific-provisions/#sthash.fGD<br />

2GoMj.dpuf.<br />

39 Ibid<br />

16 Rainforest CX, 2014 Available at:<br />

https://secure.flickr.com/photos/rainforestcx/14151071006/sizes/l/<br />

40 Wytv, (2015). Jay Leno headed to Packard in March. Available at:<br />

http://wytv.com/2015/11/09/jay-leno-headed-to-packard-in-march/.<br />

17 Ibid<br />

18 Georgia Today, (2015). Sweet Business – Growth Prospects for Georgian Honey. Available:<br />

http://georgiatoday.ge/news/1660/Sweet-Business-%E2%80%93-Growth-Prospects-for-Georgian-Honey.<br />

19 Ibid<br />

20 Bizcommunity, (2015). The South African nation br<strong>and</strong> is strong <strong>and</strong> resilient. Available:<br />

http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/82/136009.html.<br />

21 World Finance, (2015). Failing banks, winning economy: the truth about Icel<strong>and</strong>’s recovery.<br />

Available at:<br />

http://www.worldfinance.com/infrastructure-investment/government-policy/failing-banks-winning-economy-the-tr<br />

uth-about-icel<strong>and</strong>s-recovery.<br />

22 Forbes, (2015). Icel<strong>and</strong> Remaking an Economy Through Entrepreneurship. Available at:<br />

http://www.forbes.com/sites/brentbeshore/2014/07/30/icel<strong>and</strong>-remaking-an-economy-through-entrepreneurship/<br />

25


Don’t judge each day by the<br />

harvest you reap, but by the<br />

seeds you plant.<br />

- Robert Louis Stevenson

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