Asian Investment Conference 2021

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Plenary session

What happens after the pandemic?

09:00 HKT | 01:00 GMT | 21:00-1 Day EDT

The road to recovery from the pandemic has been slow and bumpy with many economies still enduring stringent lockdowns. A lot will depend on the vaccine rollout and how long it will take for infection rates to decline meaningfully. Meanwhile, governments will have to ensure that the unprecedented fiscal and monetary policies currently aiding the recovery remain in place. This raises key questions, such as how to fund these measures and their impact on interest rates and inflation, and the long-term health of the financial system. In this session, our Chief Economist will explore these issues, as well as how concurrent geopolitical challenges, such as the US-China relationship and its impact on global trade, will affect the outlook for markets and post-pandemic growth.

Plenary session

Keynote Conversation | How can China and the US build stronger relations for the future?

10:00 HKT | 02:00 GMT |22:00-1 Day EDT

How will the geopolitical relationship between the US and China evolve and what challenges need to be overcome? Joining us to shed light on these questions and more is a current adviser to the Chinese cabinet and former top finance official with extensive experience in international economic and financial affairs. Having called on the Group of 20 (G20) to step up rather than remain “at a standstill” as the world faces a severe systemic crisis due to the pandemic, Dr. Zhu will also share his views on the role that a multilateral framework and stronger G20 mechanism could play in improving relations between the world's two biggest economies.

Stream 3

Credit Suisse Insight | China’s energy roadmap — which way next?

11:00 HKT | 03:00 GMT | 23:00-1 Day EDT

Technological self-reliance and sustainable growth are key tenets of China’s ‘dual circulation’ strategy, but there has been a question mark over what this means for the country’s energy policy and Beijing’s commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2060. With China setting out the priorities for its energy goals at the recent National People’s Congress, join Credit Suisse’s China Securities Research team as they assess the implications of China’s latest announcements, which sectors stand to benefit and how China will achieve the shift to renewable energy?

Plenary session

Panel | ASEAN's digital economy — the next frontier?

12:00 HKT | 04:00 GMT | 00:00 EDT

ASEAN has some of the highest rates of social media and smart phone penetration, and some of the youngest, fastest-growing populations in the emerging world, but e-commerce accounts for only 7% of retail transactions in ASEAN, against 30% in China. When will ASEAN’s digital take-off begin, and who will be the biggest winners? Hear senior executives discuss the brightest digital opportunities in ASEAN and how best to profit from one of the region’s most promising growth sectors.

Stream 1

Conversation | Distributed ledger technology and crypto assets — a force for innovation and disruption in finance? 

14:00 HKT | 06:00 GMT | 02:00 EDT

Expectations are high for distributed ledger technology (DLT) and crypto as change agents. Hear from a renowned banking and technology executive and investor on the areas of intersection with traditional finance, practical applications and speed of adoption, and regulatory and sovereign agendas.

Stream 2

Conversation | How can we redefine multi-strategy investing in Asia?

14:00 HKT | 06:00 GMT | 02:00 EDT

Multi-strategy investing helps create a diverse and well-balanced portfolio that is more resilient to external shocks and capable of meeting a range of investment needs, such as growth, income and risk mitigation. They also perform well on both traditional performance metrics as well as ESG indicators, and are gaining popularity across most APAC markets. Join us for an exclusive conversation with York Capital’s Masahiko Yamaguchi where he will talk to us about his evolution as an investor, discuss his approach to managing short- and long-term risks in the current environment, and the intricacies of launching an Asia-focused multi-strategy business. He will also share his views on the Asia opportunity set and why multi-strategy investing is here to stay.

Stream 3

Credit Suisse Insight | In demand — where next for China’s renewable energy sector?

14:00 HKT | 06:00 GMT | 02:00 EDT

As the world’s biggest energy consumer with an ambitious target to be carbon neutral by 2060, China’s demand for renewable energy is only set to grow in the coming decades. Yet while the country doubled its construction of new wind and solar power plants in 2020,^[1], it also added 38.4 gigawatts of coal-fired power capacity – more than three times the amount built elsewhere in the world.^[2]  Join Credit Suisse’s Head of China Oil & Gas Securities Research and China/Hong Kong Utilities and Solar Sector Analyst as he discusses the outlook for a sector set to experience a marked uptick in investment, regulatory support and investor interest.

Stream 1

Panel | Will Covid-19 hasten the digitalization of healthcare and education?

15:00 HKT | 07:00 GMT | 03:00 EDT

The pandemic has created unprecedented societal and economic challenges and, with them, unprecedented opportunities. In education, for instance, the adoption of EdTech has been brought forward by 5-10 years as 98% or 1.4bn of the world’s student population has been kept away from classrooms by lockdowns. In healthcare, searches for ‘Doctor near me’ declined by 60% worldwide even as online consultations rose by 350% at the peak of the pandemic. In this session, a panel of Credit Suisse portfolio managers will share their insights on how fully contactless ways of conducting business have flourished overnight in two industries that were previously slow to adopt digital transformation, and whether this trend will pick up pace in a post-pandemic world.

Stream 3

Credit Suisse Insight | Is the BoJ a game changer?

15:00 HKT | 07:00 GMT | 03:00 EDT

The Bank of Japan's (BoJ) monetary policy review on March 19 heralded a new approach to its proactive asset purchases system currently in place. While the BoJ’s concerns about asset inflation and market distortions have been a subject of debate, it's clear that an adjustment of its operational framework would be more than just a symbolic move. Our Japan Chief Economist will address what the BoJ's latest moves mean for the Japanese economy, its markets and investors.

Stream 1

Panel | How will AI, big data and cloud computing
(ABC) transform the future of healthcare?

16:00 HKT | 08:00 GMT | 04:00 EDT

From drug development to the delivery of services, AI, big data and cloud computing (ABC) are driving advances across the healthcare sector. What are the important ABC healthcare trends, and what benefits do they bring? What are the opportunities – and risks – for investors? Comprising leading experts in AI-based drug discovery and big data-based medical services, our panel will shed light on this important topic.

Stream 3

Credit Suisse Insight | Beyond Nikkei 30,000 — further catalysts from market structure and corporate governance reforms

16:00 HKT | 08:00 GMT | 04:00 EDT

It has taken Japan’s Nikkei index more than 30 years to rise above the 30,000 mark and regain ground lost during decades of economic stagnation. With the country back on investors’ radars, where do the alpha opportunities lie going forward? Top-down corporate governance and market reforms have provided ongoing catalysts since the inception of Abenomics: from improving capital management to wholesale TSE cash market structure and TOPIX reforms in 2022. Credit Suisse’s Quantitative and Systematic Strategy team will present both short- and long-term thematic, event-driven and systematic strategies best positioned to help investors make the most of these secular trends.

Stream 1

Conversation | Is water the new oil?

17:00 HKT | 09:00 GMT | 05:00 EDT

Green hydrogen is set to become one of the most important and fast-growing low-carbon energy sources in the next 10 years. Hear from Andrew Forrest, who has fully embraced a global green hydrogen future, having recently returned from a four-month international trip with a 50-strong team, securing assets and agreements for renewable energy projects with scientists, politicians and business leaders across 50 countries in the middle of a global pandemic. He joins us to share his insights on the challenges we must overcome to make green hydrogen and green energy the total energy source of the major energy future.

Stream 3

Credit Suisse Insight | Who will benefit from the next inflection in automotive semiconductors?

17:00 HKT | 09:00 GMT | 05:00 EDT

The automotive sector is on the cusp of a transformation led by the proliferation of electric vehicles. As the industry races to build long-range EVs, one key factor that could make the difference between success and failure is the automaker’s choice of semiconductor technology. In this session, Credit Suisse analysts will focus on the rival IGBT and SiC technologies powering the EV revolution, and look across the entire supply chain to identify potential beneficiaries.

Plenary session 

Prime Services Panel | Where are the best equity investment opportunities in Asia?

21:00 HKT | 13:00 GMT | 09:00 EDT

Join our panel of Asia asset managers as they discuss the region’s developing trends and where to find the next, best investment opportunities.

Plenary session 

Conversation | What legacy will Covid-19 have on the way we live?

22:00 HKT | 14:00 GMT | 10:00 EDT

While our fight-or-flight response has focused attention on navigating the immediate public health and economic consequences of Covid-19, we have not fully contemplated the ongoing challenges and lasting implications of the pandemic on our personal interactions, consumption habits, and political dynamics. During this discussion with a leading social scientist, medical doctor and best-selling author, we will explore the profound transformation that Covid-19 will have on critical aspects of our world.  We will venture from the micro to the macro in the future of personal behavior, employment, healthcare and geopolitics in the long shadow of the pandemic.