According to the IMF, ASEAN is faced with aging populations and slower productivity growth than countries at the forefront of technology and innovation. More tellingly, despite edicts aimed at eliminating trade barriers, a single regional market has proven tricky to form. The so-called ASEAN Economic Community, or AEC, has yet to produce tangible changes. Some companies are taking these challenges head-on, however, seeking to establish regional links and hasten the pace of regional development, taking the lead in a still indistinct AEC. How we are prepared to face next generations.