ASEAN's digital economy growth hinges on upskilling: BCG chair

BANGKOK -- Southeast Asian countries are on the cusp of reaping a digital economic fortune, but the road to riches rests on the region upskilling its labor force, says Rich Lesser, the global chair of the U.S. consultancy Boston Consulting Group.

BCG forecasts that the value of the region's digital industries, such as e-commerce, will increase from the current $300 billion to $1 trillion by 2030. "But if the right underpinnings are put in place, that figure could even double to $2 trillion," Lesser told Nikkei Asia in a wide-ranging interview in Bangkok.