What the three managers said
Asia-Pacific is moving beyond its role as a low-cost production base to become a hub of innovation in artificial intelligence, data, and cross-border partnerships. This is the thesis advanced by three executives of multinational companies during the session "Driving Innovation Across Asia-Pacific: AI & Manufacturing" at the APK 2026 forum, held in Seoul and reported by the Korea Herald. The speakers were Andreas Pecher, chief executive officer of Carl Zeiss; Shashank Deshpande, CEO of Boehringer Ingelheim; and Hanno Blankenstein, co-founder and chief executive officer of Unleash Live, an Australian company that connects robots and drones to artificial intelligence systems for monitoring critical infrastructure.
Pecher explained that the region is no longer merely a sales market for the German group but a place where innovations are developed together with partners. Zeiss operates about forty research and development sites worldwide, about a quarter of which are in Asia-Pacific, and produces high-precision optical and optoelectronic systems used in semiconductor manufacturing. The manager identified speed as the distinctive feature he observed in Asia, describing a pragmatic and constructive approach with industry and very fast decision-making processes, from which, in his view, European companies could learn.
Pharmaceuticals and automation: two applications of the same thesis
Deshpande applied the same reasoning to the pharmaceutical sector, citing expanding manufacturing and research capacity, clinical trial infrastructure, and access to patient data. According to the executive, artificial intelligence can help identify promising drug candidates and suitable patients, shortening trial timelines and reducing failure rates. In support, he noted that about 30 percent of large-scale Phase 3 clinical trials still fail, which potentially makes better data analysis and simulations valuable. His conclusion was clear: the region is not a low-cost manufacturing area but an equal player in innovation.
Blankenstein shifted attention to the limitations of industrial artificial intelligence, which in his view requires more than sophisticated software models. In high-risk environments such as refineries, ports, and mining sites, he argued, a higher level of precision is needed than that offered by generic models today: "We have to be right 100 percent, every time, in every scene." Hence the call for greater collaboration among technology providers, manufacturers, and robotics companies to build the necessary data infrastructure.
What remains to be verified
The material documents statements and a conference session, not measurable results. It contains no market data, investments, number of projects, or quantitative comparisons between regions, and does not specify how the claimed surpassing of the traditional manufacturing model by Asia-Pacific would be measured. The statements about the region’s role therefore remain managers’ assessments, not verified facts. The same source reports at the end, without elaboration, other topics unrelated to the session, including a controversy over the social media activities of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. The value of the news lies in the signal that three major companies say they intend to innovate in Asia-Pacific; the actual scope of that signal requires independent corroboration.
