The APO’s 58th Workshop Meeting of Heads of National Productivity Organizations (WSM) will be held in Seoul, Republic of Korea (ROK), 24–26 October 2017. The agenda includes adoption of the evaluation of 2016 projects, reconfirmation of the APO Program Plan for 2018, and Strategic Planning Sessions to deliberate on the new biennium program plan for 2019–2020. The WSM will also review programs to ensure that they respond effectively to the changing needs of member countries.

ROK Deputy Minister for Industrial Policy, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy Dr. Gunsu Park and Korean Productivity Center (KPC) Chairman & CEO Dr. Soon Jick Hong are scheduled to address the inaugural session. A statement by APO Secretary-General Santhi Kanoktanaporn will summarize the initiatives taken by the Secretariat during the past year, and other presentations by the Secretariat will include a report on the new strategic planning process.

Representatives from NPOs will present country papers describing their strategies to drive national productivity movements and the challenges faced. Those papers will help the Secretariat to identify country-specific requirements so that programs can be aligned with the Roadmap to Achieve APO Vision 2020 and meet the needs and expectations of member countries. A current key APO focus area is building up member country capacity for strategic foresight planning, enabling them to anticipate changes in the dynamic global environment.

WSM discussions will also examine the human resources development frameworks of members so that programs to foster the skill sets and competencies required by the future workforce can be devised. Achieving self-sufficiency in food among its members remains a major goal of APO agriculture-related activities.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the KPC, which will be marked by a one-day Global Conference on The 4th Industrial Revolution and the Future of Productivity on the concluding day of the WSM. It will be attended by WSM delegates, global industry leaders, and policymakers from the ROK.