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ContactThe Asia Pacific Risk Center analyzes the key risks facing industries, governments, and societies in Asia and identifies practical ways to build resilience and realize opportunity. Leveraging global expertise and relationships from across Marsh & McLennan and its Global Risk Center, along with renowned research partners, we highlight critical challenges and provide local insights and forward-looking thinking to help decision makers address risk and unlock opportunity.
Our current program is built around the following three areas:
For more thinking from across Marsh & McLennan Companies, visit Insights + Analysis.
Our first major area of research is around societal ageing in Asian economies and the estimated US$20-trillion cost of elderly healthcare between now and 2030.
We’re also focused on the changes required to close the financing gap in energy and infrastructure projects in Asia.
INFRASTRUCTURE ASSET RECYCLING: INSIGHTS FOR GOVERNMENTS AND INVESTORS
According to the World Economic Forum, the world is facing a significant infrastructure gap, which the public sector will not be able to bridge on its own. Asset recycling has emerged as one of the options for governments to facilitate private participation in infrastructure development. This report explores how the asset recycling concept has been practically implemented in the context of Australia. From the Australian experience, it discusses the key takeaways for governments that are considering implementing asset recycling schemes. Download report.
CLOSING THE FINANCING GAP
It is estimated that developing Asia requires $26 trillion in infrastructure investment from 2016 to 2030 in order to maintain its growth trajectory and sufficiently eradicate poverty. However, the public sector is completely unable to fund the region’s future infrastructure needs on its own. As such, this report highlights the need to attract private investments for infrastructure financing and presents a set of guidelines in enabling infrastructure project bankability – reflecting the ideal environment and best practice execution. Download report.
GENDER RETIREMENT SAVINGS GAP OF LOW-INCOME PROFESSIONALS
The gender wage gap is now acknowledged as a business and societal challenge globally. However, the gender gap in retirement savings is still relatively underestimated. Compared to men, women are at greater risk of retiring into poverty, because they tend to have longer life expectancies, shorter working lives, and lower average wages. This is a particularly pronounced risk in Asia, the fastest-aging region in the world. The report highlights the issue of gender retirement savings gap among low-income workers in Asia by modeling the lifetime savings of low-income workers in selected countries. Download report
THE TWIN THREATS OF AGING AND AUTOMATION
Societal aging and workplace automation are rapidly and fundamentally transforming today’s workplace. At the confluence of these two trends sit a variety of risks and opportunities for employers. Older workers today face significant risks of displacement at the hands of emerging technologies, and are often overlooked as viable sources of renewed productivity. It is therefore incumbent on employers to redeploy the unique abilities of older workers as part and parcel of any digital transformation strategy. This report examines the risks fifteen countries face of rapid societal aging, and of older workers’ susceptibility to automation. Download report.
AGING WORKFORCE: COST AND PRODUCTIVITY CHALLENGES OF ILL HEALTH IN SINGAPORE
Singapore's aging workforce is projected to significantly increase costs and productivity loss due to ill health. Analyses of Mercer’s medical claims data from Singapore reveal that medical costs could reach up to S$1,973/employee (US$720) by 2030, with productivity loss due to sickness absenteeism, amounting to S$3.3 billion (~1% of GDP). With 60% of costs arising from 10% of claimants, this report discusses workforce strategies to mitigate the cost increases and capitalize on the productivity of an older and shrinking workforce. Download report.
SOCIETAL'S AGING THREAT TO HEALTHCARE INSURANCE
The analyses conducted in this report reveal that societal aging is projected to increase the prevalence of non-communicable diseases by 40 percent across Asia-Pacific by 2030. In turn, the rise in prevalence of these diseases is estimated to increase insurance premiums by up to four times, threatening the affordability and viability of healthcare insurance. With a significant portion of healthcare costs paid out-of-pocket in many parts of Asia, addressing these insurance challenges will contribute to the sustainability of the broader health ecosystem. Download report.
ADVANCING INTO THE GOLDEN YEARS
Asia Pacific is aging at a faster rate than any other region in the world. Governments, insurers, and individuals are not fully prepared from a financing, infrastructure, and workforce perspective for the escalating costs of caring for the additional 200 million citizens expected to join the ranks of the elderly between now and 2030. This report explores the impact of societal ageing on elderly healthcare costs and the implications for countries in the region. Download report.
RELATED RESOURCES
From major geopolitical shifts, to devastating floods and large cyber-attacks, the past few years have seen a number of significant global risks take place. These macro risks and risk trends may not be new, but the pace with which they have evolved has significantly increased, making risks to businesses ever more unpredictable. This is certainly the case for businesses in Asia-Pacific, a region which is increasingly exposed to the fallout of global risks.
Leveraging the World Economic Forum's annual Global Risks Report, From Threats To Impact: Evolving Risk Concerns in Asia Pacific Vol. 3 continues to build on previous iterations by providing insights regarding the risk landscape for businesses operating in Asia-Pacific- specifically stressing the threats emanating from a lack of infrastructure development as well as from the increasing talent shortages across Asia-Pacific- and by exploring several options to mitigate such risks going forward. Download report.
DRIVING ESG INVESTING IN ASIA: THE IMPERATIVE FOR GROWTH
Driving ESG Investing in Asia defines ESG Investing and its importance for investors to incorporate critical environmental, social, and governance factors into their investment analysis and decision-making processes. The paper highlights the existing ESG Investing landscape in Asia and illustrates key observations and common challenges faced by the early adopters in ESG Investing. Finally, it outlines six practical steps for advancing stakeholders in their ESG Investing journey. Implementing these suggestions at each stage will support the steady development of ESG capabilities, and chart a path for sustainable investing, growth, and development across Asia. Download report.
HOLDING HEALTHCARE TO RANSOM: INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVES ON CYBER RISKS
Healthcare is among the industries most vulnerable to cyberattacks. There have been more high-profile attacks in the past few years in the healthcare industry than others, and the sector will likely remain one of the most targeted given its sensitive data. While the risks are real and have been recognized by the industry, many healthcare organizations have yet to set up and implement a holistic framework, governance, and adequate Board oversight. This paper highlights some examples of best practices across industries in cyber risk management, and several key areas for healthcare organizations to start focusing on, such as preparedness, prevention, detection, response, and recovery, including the use of cyber risk insurance as a risk-transfer tool. Download report.
CYBER EVOLUTION: EN ROUTE TO STRENGTHENING RESILIENCE IN ASIA-PACIFIC
The cyber threat landscape is morphing constantly and dramatically. Around the world, cyber dependency grows as increasing digital interconnection among people, things, and organizations expand. Asia-Pacific is no different. Cyber challenges in Asia-Pacific, such as low cybersecurity investments and long dwell times, can be attributed to the complex geopolitical tensions, exposed critical information infrastructure, and the severe shortage of cybersecurity talents in the region. The sooner governments and businesses recognise today’s cyber landscape poses a top enterprise risk, the better prepared they can be in the face of the inevitable breach. Download report.
CYBER RISK IN ASIA: RAMIFICATIONS FOR REAL ESTATE AND HOSPITALITY
In this age of rapid digital transformation, major industry sectors, such as real estate and hospitality (RE&H), increasingly find themselves at the cross roads of increased usage of emerging technology and growing cyber risks—making them attractive targets for cyber criminals. Unfortunately, the RE&H sector lacks the necessary cyber preparedness and most organizations are not as cyber risk-ready as they should be. Download report.
TARGETING A TECHNOLOGY DIVIDEND IN RISK MANAGEMENT
Risk management is becoming an increasingly crucial member of the business organization. As firms navigate unpredictable economic headwinds, rapidly evolving technological landscapes and shifting socio-political and regulatory trends, investing in risk monitoring and mitigation strategies is becoming a higher priority item for the C-suite. Download report.
EVOLVING RISK CONCERNS IN ASIA-PACIFIC 2017
The second edition of the Evolving Risk Concerns in Asia Pacific series insights from the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2017 and elsewhere to examine the key disruptive risk trends in the region, and their implications. Download Report.
MANAGING YOUR CYBER RISK POSTURE
The lack of information due to limited disclosure on the scale and frequency on cyber-attacks in Asia has traditionally contributed to a false sense of cybersecurity that could potentially result in significant losses. This report outlines the actions business must take to prevent and mitigate cyber-attacks by applying the right resources and developing contingency plans to effectively respond and manage when an attacks occurs. Download Report.
CYBER RISK IN ASIA PACIFIC
Cyber crime is becoming a greater risk in APAC, and cyber attacks are ranked among the top 5 risks of doing business in the region. Further, APAC has weak cyber regulations and enforcement, as well as a lack of cyber awareness and investment in cyber security among corporations. This report outlines steps for governments and companies to mitigate the risks. Download Report.
THE IMPACT OF OIL PRICES ON ASIA
This report sheds light on the impact of low oil prices on key stakeholder groups in Asia, ranked one of the most prominent risk concerns for doing business in the Asia-Pacific region, and provides recommendations for building resilience to oil price uncertainty and potential volatility. The Impact of Oil Prices on Asia is part of the Asia Pacific Risk Center's quarterly “Risk in Focus” series, which provides an in-depth look at the specific risks facing the region. Download report.
Our long-term thinking on risk is informed by events as they happen. BRINK Asia’s digital platform delivers practical, up-to-the-minute insights that inform decision makers on current and emerging risks relevant to the Asian market.
The BRINK Asia digital news hub provides timely insights such as data snapshots, analysis from authoritative sources, insights from your peers and informed perspectives from across Asia Pacific. It extends and refines the reach of BRINK's global site, bringing together knowledge and expertise from renowned thought leaders and Marsh & McLennan experts.
Supported by subject matter experts from across Marsh & McLennan Companies, the Asia Pacific Risk Center works with professional associations, industry bodies, non-governmental organizations, and academic institutions to leverage their best thinking, research, and talent. Our relationships include the thought partners whose logos are shown here.
