13 September 2012: The UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) organized a roundtable on “Asia 2050: the sustainable route to prosperity,” which worked to map out a route for the sustainable development and future of the Asian region. The roundtable took place on 13 September 2012, in Vienna, Austria, and brought together regional and international experts and policymakers working in the fields of sustainable development, trade and commerce.

Co-hosted by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Austrian Research Foundation for International Development and the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, the event provided an opportunity for interested stakeholders to discuss issues the region needs to address in its efforts to achieve sustainable and inclusive industrial development, and improve living standards to current developed country levels by 2050.

Issues for discussion included: deepening Asia’s industrialization processes; expanding its range of higher-productivity value-adding activities; striving for resource efficiency across all production processes; ensuring the development of a highly-skilled middle class; and promoting technology innovation and innovative-economy-oriented education systems. [UNIDO Press Release]