While many Western countries – including Denmark – are struggling with the setbacks of the financial crisis and looking for new answers to questions about how to ensure global competitiveness and continuous economic prosperity, the growth-train is rolling through Asia. So when my book about sustainable business and social innovation, The New Pioneers, came out in Thai, I went on a business trip to Thailand and Singapore to see if there could be any synergies to find between the sustainability agenda in Scandinavia and in Asia. If one thing is clear to me after my trip, it is that global challenges, such as climate changes, poverty and health problems are taken very seriously in Asia. Lately the big flood in Bangkok, for example, has made it clear to many that these kinds of challenges cannot be solved by the public authorities alone. It concerns everyone – also the companies – and therefore, sustainable growth and development is entering the Asian business agenda too.

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