The book aims to identify key issues and developments in ASEAN-5 that illustrate the transition of this region towards a knowledge-based economy. The book contributes to understanding the opportunities and challenges faced by emerging economies. It explains the transition process from a knowledge based perspective, showing how knowledge creation and innovation contribute to the competitiveness of companies and sectors in this region. The book takes a distinctly ASEAN perspective by discussing examples of the transition process from all ASEAN 5 nations that show how this region is attempting to link up to the global knowledge economy of the 21st Century.

To achieve these aims the book is divided into three parts, preceded by an introductory chapter explaining the logic, objectives and contributions of the book. Part I discusses ASEAN-5 as an emerging hub in the global economy. Part II discusses the global links of the ASEAN region. Part III highlights innovation support in the ASEAN region. Each part identifies key developments and discusses relevant challenges and opportunities regarding the economic transition process based on examples for the various ASEAN-5 nations.

The book contributes to the literature on emerging economies by explaining their challenges and opportunities of the catching-up process from a knowledge-based perspective. It is definitely a must-read.

'This collection of essays is a timely exploration of fundamental economic changes that are about to happen in Southeast Asia. The worldwide emergence of knowledge based economies will not only affect this very outward oriented area but the region itself has potentially a lot to offer as well. This book monitors the early phases of particular knowledge based economic sectors that are currently developing in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei and provides a well-balanced analysis of their possibilities and constraints.' - Henk Schulte Nordholt, Head of Research KITLV Leiden

Dessy Irawati-Rutten, Ph.D, is an academic staff for the bilingual department and an international engagement coordinator at Sondervick College, the Netherlands with 12 years of experience in international business practice and academic. Her disciplinary background is in International Business Strategy, Economic Geography, and Regional Studies. She is one of creators of a new research network called SDIN (Social Dynamic of Innovation Networks) promoting the norms, values and human element in studying innovation in developed and developing economies, specifically in Europe and the ASEAN (Southeast Asian) region. Roel Rutten is an assistant professor at Organization Studies Faculty in Tilburg University and Visiting fellow in Newcastle University Business School, UK on knowledge creation and applies this to the three areas discussed below. His disciplinary background is organization sociology and economic geography. Dr. Rutten is also the creators of SDIN, Social Dynamic of Innovation Networks. Dr. Rutten is interested in knowledge creation and networks, he has published in various journals, books, presented his paper internationally in Europe, Asia, and North America.