Innovations in AsiaAsian countries are no longer just a place to get cheap labor or programming skills. Innovation is on the rise. While Asian countries have been able to leverage cost advantages and prowess in software coding to attract outsourcing business from around the world, the region is rapidly moving up the value chain to challenge America's innovative leadership . The phrase "made in China", which for most of the population was a normality, has now shifted to "designed in China". Today, major electronics exporting countries in Asia are aggressively pursuing strategies to establish themselves as new sources of global innovation and standards. Therefore, this likely indicates that it is no longer possible to assume that global innovations and standards necessarily emerge first in a few global “centers of excellence,” especially Asian American countries have demonstrated to the world that they possess the knowledge, skills and capabilities to develop advanced technologies, which in turn will attract foreign investment and strengthen their position in the world. These five articles are just a few examples of the many recent innovations in Asia and show Asia's commitment to excellence and first prize in every field. 1. Cars that brake when you don't 14 November 2005 Honda has created a vehicle and its new gadgets to avoid any possible accident on the road. The Advanced Safety Vehicle (ASV-3) uses satellite technology to calculate the optimal speed and applies the brakes when necessary. For example, if a vehicle comes very close to your impact, a 5.8 GHz radio signal informs the on-board computer which in turn warns the driver and simultaneously applies the brakes for you. “The ASV-3 offers the prospect of safer, more comfortable and worry-free driving,” says Akihiro Kubo, Honda's executive chief engineer at the company's research and development center in Tochigi, just north of Tokyo. Unfortunately, the technologies that will be used in the ASV-3 are not yet in mass production, but this has alarmed many other automakers about the current trend in vehicle safety research. Making this prototype a reality won't be easy. Engineers don't expect this type of technology to be implemented in vehicles before 2010. The biggest issue this implementation faces is cost. A safety system like this would cost between $4,000 and $5,000, which consumers probably won't consider since most consumers expect passive safety devices like airbags to be standard, so a price this high won't be taken with enthusiasm.