'Policies for industrial progress', not 'industry policy': Lessons from Southeast Asia

Abstract

This chapter provides four main case studies as analytical prisms through which to investigate the issues. The case studies are: Thai automotive industry, the internationalization of higher education in Malaysia, business process outsourcing in the Philippines, and the Cambodian garment industry. The chapter also reviews Indonesia's industrial policy experience. Thailand has established itself as the major automotive production hub in Southeast Asia and beyond. Internationalization of higher education case study illustrates the essential ingredients of 'smart' industry policy. The Philippine case study also illustrates the importance of seeking nuanced explanations for country export success. The export-oriented Cambodian garment industry is an interesting case study of success against the odds. Indonesia's limited participation in global production networks, driven by more restrictive trade and investment policies and complex regulatory systems, has also limited the scope for learning in these networks.