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COVER STORY‘I would liketo see many new business models – digital knowledge hubs, open access journals, site-licence subscription models, direct-to- consumer initiatives, digital book clubs, greater muscle for reproductive rights organizations and many others’that is most adaptable to change.” Ultimately publishers are less per- suaded by visionary speakers but by fellow publishers who stand in similar shoes, are faced with similar challenges and have been successful in their new ventures in the digital environment. There will be plenty of such people attending the congress.The raw materials for creating quality content are abundant in every country. What kinds of content do you hope to explore more in Thailand as part of the excursions within the IPA congress programme?Speaking personally, I am keen to learn more about the fashion and textile industry in Thailand. My company, Bloomsbury Publishing, is the market leader in textbooks for8 Elite+students of fashion [www.bloomsbury. com/uk/academic/academic- subjects/fashion], and we’d love to work closely with the Thai industry as it becomes a hub for ASEAN fashion.What new business models, ideally and practically, would you like to see implemented in the AEC and throughout Asia, and what factors will have an impact?I would like to see many new business models – digital knowledge hubs, open access journals, site-licence subscription models, direct-to-consumer initiatives, digital book clubs, greater muscle for reproductive rights organizations and many others. What we don’t want to see is the monopolization of anydistribution channels. Diversity and competition are the drivers of successful publishing.Is the congress programme settled? What topic will you focus on as a speaker?I’m sure the programme will con- tinue to change and evolve as we get closer. My focus is a secret!Do you think further East-West cooperation in the form of new partnerships or joint ventures can be enabled through the IPA network? How can obstacles arising from differences in language, religion, culture and lifestyle be overcome?The globalized economy we live in today is a reality, not a choice. We should not worry about it or resist it