Middleweight cities set to spearhead Asean growth

SINGAPORE (July 5): Forget mega-cities such as Jakarta, Manila, and Bangkok. Middleweight cities within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) are the region’s next big bet for growth, according to a report by performance management company Nielsen and economic strategy firm AlphaBeta.

In its Rethinking ASEAN report, Nielsen and AlphaBeta say the commonly-held belief that mega-cities are the region’s sole engine for growth is a myth.

“It’s time for companies to look beyond mega-cities to see the growth opportunity hotspots within middleweight regions,” says Patrick Dodd, group president of Nielsen Growth Markets.

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