Sumitomo Corporation Receives “Friend of ASEAN” Award

Sumitomo Corporation has received the “Friend of ASEAN” award for companies headquartered outside the ASEAN region at the ASEAN Business Awards 2020, which recognizes companies, organizations, and individuals who have made outstanding social and economic contributions to the ASEAN region. This was in recognition of our overall activities in ASEAN, and we are the third Japanese company to receive this award.

The award event is an international event sponsored by the ASEAN Business Advisory Council* and has been held every year since 2007 in conjunction with the ASEAN Summit. The award ceremony for 2020 was held in Hanoi, Vietnam on November 13. In attendance were Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh and other Vietnamese government officials, as well as ambassadors to Vietnam from various countries. Hidemasa Kozawa, president of Sumitomo Corporation Vietnam at the time, represented our company at the event.

For many years, Sumitomo Corporation has contributed to the development of local communities in ASEAN countries through infrastructure development including power generation/transportation projects and industrial park projects. We have also focused on initiatives that enrich people's lives, such as retail businesses and automobile-related businesses. In recent years, we have been engaged in smart city development and healthcare businesses.

Going forward, we will continue to do business in a wide range of fields in ASEAN countries by collaborating with local partners and leveraging existing business platforms.

* ASEAN Business Advisory Council: Established in 2001 for the purpose of making policy recommendations at the ASEAN Summit and Economic Ministers' Meeting, the Council consists of industry representatives designated by ASEAN heads of government.