APEC Japan 2010

Microsoft Chief Research and Strategy Officer, Craig Mundie participated in a panel session at the APEC CEO Summit held in Yokohama, Japan, on November 13, on the topic of Innovation and ICT. Craig Mundie was joined on the panel by Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, who provided the introductory keynote.

Craig Mundie in his address underlined how information technology is now key to advance in all other technical areas.　 He emphasized that while innovation can be incremental it is the big "breakthrough" such as the development of the "world wide web" that are central to the rapid growth that the US and Asian economies have enjoyed.　

In response to a summing up statement from panel moderator and Mitsubishi Research Institute chair, Hiroshi Komiyama, as to what APEC must do to promote innovation, Craig Mundie stressed that "interoperability" is no longer a technical issue rather it is political – and APEC members need to address security, privacy and data sovereignty policy harmonization if the region is to realize the benefits of new ICT technologies.

Microsoft Corporation is a supporter of the APEC CEO Summit. Craig Mundie is the Chair of the USA APEC 2011 Host Committee.