Enterprise Speaker Series: “Competing for Technological Leadership in China and Southeast Asia”
On 11th July 2025, Enterprise@APU hosted a Special Guest Lecture on the topic of Competing for Technological Leadership in China and Southeast Asia. This special lecture was aimed at educating students on theoretical frameworks such as standards, path dependency, and network effects in the context of the tech industry and whether China is able to compete globally with its own technological innovations.
The special guest invited is Assoc. Prof. Pietro Borsano, who teaches at Xi’An Jiaotong-Liverpool University. He mainly specializes in entrepreneurship education and venture development across Europe, ASEAN, and China. He also co-founded the School of Integrated Innovation at the Chulalongkorn University, developed global partnerships, and its curriculum. His experience in leading industry projects with well-established corporates like Huawei and Alibaba Group has allowed participants to gain insightful knowledge on how the industry operates.
The 1-hour lecture conducted by Assoc. Prof. Pietro Borsano was very informative, with insights on China’s approach on AI, robotics, and semiconductors. He also briefly touched on the topic of the roles of other regions such as Taiwan dominating the semiconductor industry, Hong Kong being a technological hub, and Southeast Asia as rising innovative powers. Throughout the lecture, he gave thorough explanations and examples that aided in the understanding of the complex topic.
The lecture concluded successfully with a few interesting questions asked during the Q&A, in which Assoc. Prof. Pietro Borsano replied with very insightful and eye-opening knowledge. Through this Q&A, participants were given advice, reference materials, and tools that they can use to further expand their knowledge in the workings of the tech industry.
To conclude the event, participants learned many things about technological standards and strategies that countries are taking in terms of innovation and China’s attempt at becoming more self-sufficient, and much more.
