Feb 15, 2012

Hitachi to Hold “Hitachi Eco Conference 2012” in Jakarta

— Dr. Armida Alisjahbana, Minister for National Development Planning, to grace the event as the Guest-of-Honour —

Jakarta, February 15, 2012 – Hitachi Asia Ltd. today announced that it will hold the Hitachi Eco Conference 2012 in Jakarta on February 16. Into its third edition, this is the first time Hitachi is organising the event in Indonesia, which has been receiving increased global attention for its strong economic development and need for sustainable infrastructure.

Themed Economic Development and Sustainable Infrastructure, the Conference is organised with the support of the Indonesian Ministry of National Development Planning. It will feature prominent stakeholders and experts, including Mr. El-Mostafa Benlamlih, the United Nations Resident Coordinator as the keynote speaker, Prof. Emil Salim, Chairperson of The Advisory Council to President of Indonesia, as well as speakers from the private sector such as Toyota Motor Asia Pacific Engineering and Manufacturing and the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Mrs. Armida Alisjahbana said, “BAPPENAS welcomes the opportunity to bring together representatives from the public and the private sectors to learn from each other about how to consider social concerns and aspirations, when planning for the future. We should all understand that economic development must be supported by sustainable infrastructure.”

The Hitachi Eco Conference 2012 is expected to bring together more than 300 delegates representing stakeholders from the relevant government offices, NGOs, state-owned enterprises, academics and the private sector. The Conference aims to raise awareness of Hitachi’s contribution to sustainable development in Indonesia as well as provide a platform for stakeholders to share their views and explore possibilities for partnerships between the public and private sectors.

To help create a more sustainable society, Hitachi is currently focusing management resources on accelerating its global development of Social Innovation Business which has a strong record and technological capabilities in advanced social infrastructure, supported by sophisticated information and communication technologies. By bringing together the representatives from the public and private sectors, Hitachi hopes to not only raise awareness of the public-private sector partnership approach but to stimulate awareness and discussions, with a view to develop more sustainable infrastructure, to further support economic development in Indonesia.

Dr. Shigeru Azuhata, Senior Vice President and Executive Officer, Hitachi, Ltd. and Hitachi Group Chief Environmental Strategy Officer said, “The Hitachi Eco Conference 2012 is in line with the Hitachi Group’s commitment to lead the drive toward creating a sustainable society by implementing growth strategies centred on Social Innovation Business. We aim to contribute by simultaneously creating social and economic value through collaborations with local partners and stakeholders.”

Under Hitachi’s “New Globalization Plan”, Indonesia has been identified as one of the key regions that are expected to see increased demand for the Social Innovation Business. As one of Asia’s emerging powerhouse, there is a great demand for infrastructure improvements in Indonesia. Hitachi is committed to contribute to Indonesia’s development and environment conservation efforts through our expertise and experience in this field.

Conference Outline

The Hitachi Eco Conference 2012 is a platform for notable local and regional experts to present perspectives on the theme Economic Development and Sustainable Infrastructure. This year’s conference will focus on two topics:

1. Balancing Economic Development and Environmental Conservation, and
2. Infrastructure that Enables Sustainable Development: Role of Private Sector.

Hitachi is proud to organise the 3^rd Hitachi Eco Conference and for the first time outside Singapore. The first Hitachi Eco Conference ⁽¹⁾ was held in 2009 with Dr. Yaacob Ibrahim, Singapore’s Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) as the Guest-of-Honour. The conference discussed on the theme Sustaining our Environment through Technologies and Collaboration. The second Hitachi Eco Conference ⁽²⁾, with the theme Conserving Biodiversity through Efforts by Public and Private Partnerships was held in 2010 with Minister Mah Bow Tan, Minister for National Development in Singapore as the Guest-of Honour.

Note:
(1) For more details of Hitachi Eco Conference 2009: https://www.hitachi.com.sg/about/activities/eco_conference/2009/index.html

(2) For more details of Hitachi Eco Conference 2010: https://www.hitachi.com.sg/about/activities/eco_conference/2010/index.html