-Governments' support expected to attract foreign investment in Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, driving automation

SINGAPORE, Nov. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The emerging markets of Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar are still primarily agriculture-based economies with a negligible percentage of the workforce engaged in industrial activity. The low involvement could be due to the lack of skilled personnel, but it also translates to substantial potential for industrial advancement, if the countries' resources are utilized optimally.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.industrialautomation.frost.com), Automation and Control Markets in Emerging ASEAN Countries (Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar), finds that the total revenue in the automation and control market in Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar was $155.0 million in 2011 and estimates this to reach $349.8 million by 2018.

"Currently, oil and gas, power, and metals and mining are the major industrial end users of automation," said Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Krishnan Ramanathan. "The dependence on conventional systems is likely to reduce as there is demand for cleaner technologies, especially from the power industry."

The emphasis on green technologies is significant because Laos has suffered from deforestation, yet the country lacks crucial infrastructure. All the three countries are among the least developed in Asia and lack strong economic ties. However, this is about to change as governments have started to invest in newer technologies.

These countries had been held back so far due to an unfavorable political environment. Inadequate government initiatives had dissuaded foreign participation but this is expected to change with governments showing eagerness to bring in foreign investments and private participation from neighboring countries such as Thailand and Vietnam.

"The labor wages in Myanmar are lower than in most countries in the region. Of late, this has sparked interest," notes Ramanathan. "For instance, South Korea, which has 30 factories producing garments in Myanmar, plans to increase its investments here, as the political scenario is more stable now."

The automation and control market in Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar is dominated by large multinationals as most projects are collaborative ventures with the government. As these countries lack proper infrastructure, considerable opportunities exist in areas such as water and wastewater management, oil and gas, and food and beverage.

If you are interested in more information on this research, please send an email to Jessie Loh, Corporate Communications, at jessie.loh@frost.com, with your full name, company name, job title, telephone number, company email address, company website, city, state and country.

Markets in Emerging ASEAN Countries (Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar) is part of the Industrial Automation & Process Control Growth Partnership Services program, which also includes research in the following markets: Chinese Positive Displacement Pumps Market, Analysis of the South African Automation and Control Solutions Market, and Automation Opportunities in the SEA and ANZ Smart Grid Market. All research services included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants.

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Contact:
Donna Jeremiah
Corporate Communications – Asia Pacific
P: +61 (02) 8247 8927
F: +61 (02) 9252 8066
E: djeremiah@frost.com

Jessie Loh
Corporate Communications – Asia Pacific
P: +65 6890 0942
F: +65 6890 0988
E: jessie.loh@frost.com

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