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December 2015 • SMT Magazine 61 The second part is to have the ability to have access to a wide range of network. Not only within the government, but also within the different institutions that are also involved with SEIPI. Las Marias: how do you satisfy the members' need for technical information? Tan: Apart from the PSECE, we have another forum that is purely technical, where each in- dividual company presents a breakthrough idea or a learning experience that is disseminated to all the different companies who attend. Aside from that, there are active 'networking groups' within the organization that are subdivided ac- cording to different disciplines necessary to run our businesses. So we have a networking group for human resources, for technical training, and for dealing with logistics and traffic manage- ment, among others. That is another key ben- efit that the members get. Las Marias: does seipi have a roadmap of some sort for its members? Tan: Each individual company has their own roadmap both from the business level and tech- nology level. What SEIPI tries to do is to capture a business and technology roadmap as a blue- print for the country. To set up its proper poli- cies in order to attract the right type of compa- nies to invest in the Philippines and to provide the right environment to those that are already here to continue to expand and to thrive. So it's a two-fold roadmap that we are looking at: how to make sure that the Philippines continues to be a relevant player within this market, and that both manufacturing and electronics indus- tries continue to be key components of growth for the country. SEIPI creates a roadmap both on technology as well as business in order to guide the policy makers in the country, in terms of what kind of support that will help attract these kinds of businesses. At the same time, these are also the things that we need in order to make sure that those already here grows. Las Marias: Any final comments? Tan: We are not a young organization. What I would like to share is that, to be able to make the association continue to be relevant and to be sustainable, it is imperative that the young- er companies and younger leaders of existing companies become more involved in the as- sociation. This way, we can get fresh ideas and thought processes into the organization to make it much more viable. What I don't like is the same thinking and ideas just propagating year-over-year. I don't think that's healthy, primarily because the economy is changing, the way business is being transacted is changing, and the consumer him- self is changing. So to be viable and sustainable, I think the association itself has to reinvent and innovate on its own. I think that's the message that I would like to give the membership, and hopefully every- one takes responsibility in making sure that happens. Las Marias: thank you for your time, Arthur. Tan: Thank you, Stephen. SmT FeATure inTerview SeIPI: FUeLInG comPAnIeS' TrAnSITIon To GLobAL PLAyerS Arthur Tan, chairman of SEiPi.