Under this project, Nathan Associates enhanced the competitiveness and integration of supply chains in the textile and apparel sectors of ASEAN’s ten member states. The sector is important to many states, especially the developing countries of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.

Working with the ASEAN Federation of Textile Industries, the ASEAN Secretariat, and other stakeholders, VALUE identified constraints in the business environment and took steps to remove them, and developed and shared information that helps firms take advantage of opportunities for trade and growth. Major achievements include development of

• Source ASEAN Full Service Alliance, a group of virtual vertical factories based in partnerships between mills and garment factories, and which offers global buyers full services.
• SourceASEAN.com (http://www.sourceasean.com/) a business-to-business networking site that promotes ASEAN as a full-package source of quality textiles and apparel and fosters intra-ASEAN trade
• An examination and certification program for five industry jobs—sewing machine operator, sewing machine supervisor, sewing machine mechanic, merchandiser, and pattern maker—to raise and standardize skills in the textile and apparel sector.

VALUE was a project under the ADVANCE program.

Please contact Michael Blakeley at .