By Espie Angelica A. de Leon
Officials of diversified technology and manufacturing firm Honeywell announced that based on favorable developments in Southeast Asia (SEA) including the Philippines, the company now has its eyes set on the region, giving it more focus and pouring more investments.
Honeywell?s product portfolio spans the aerospace industry, building technologies, performance materials and technologies, safety and productivity solutions, and technologies for connected enterprise.
According to Honeywell Asean president Briand Greer, SEA?s growth in terms of gross national product is rising by 5 to 6%, making it a high-growth region for the company. Foreign direct investments are increasing, smart cities are being built, mega projects are being undertaken, and e-commerce is booming region wide, among others.
?There are a number of countries, in some cases regions, that have the capability to develop longer and faster than other developed countries,? said Greer.
According to him, these are countries with good oil and gas industries, internal growth and other positive factors population wise. These, he added, are what they consider as high-growth countries. Among these are the Philippines and its Southeast Asian neighbors.
?We are quite well positioned here in almost all businesses of Honeywell in fact,??Honeywell International Philippines president Jeffrey Estrella said of the Philippines.
According to him, 2018 had been particularly great for their aerospace business as well as their building technology solutions.
?Our construction growth for the Philippines is also double digit for the last 12 years if I?m not mistaken,? he added. ?Construction is not only based here in the city. You look at Iloilo, Cebu, Davao, Cagayan de Oro. We?re building offices, residential complexes in those areas.?
For 2019, Honeywell is looking to make a huge dent in the connected space.
?We want to be involved with products, solutions, services that are on the cutting edge of technology and particularly around this connected space,? said Greer. ?That?s really where things are moving.?
Honeywell now has over 18,000 engineers worldwide, 49% of whom are software engineers.
The tech giant also aims to participate in the building of smart cities around the country and some of the projects under the government?s “Build Build Build” program including the development of airports.
?I say this is really the next chapter for us,? Greer stated, referring to the focus shift on Southeast Asia. ?We?re making big investments on people, technology, engineering and all sorts of different things.?
With 110,000 employees and 138 research and engineering facilities around the world, Honeywell has an extensive product line that includes aircraft propulsions, cockpit systems, satellite communications, auxiliary power systems, control technologies for buildings and homes, advanced materials, process technologies, automation solutions, softwares, scanning and mobile computers, protective equipment, among others.
For the connected space, the company has solutions to enable connected aircraft, buildings, plants, distribution centers, workers, and supply chains.
