From scaling teams to sparking innovation: How workplaces are enabling business growth
As organisations expand and evolve, CapitaLand is creating workplaces that support changing needs – from collaboration to customer engagement and innovation
CAPITALAND was formed in 2000 through the merger of Pidemco Land Limited and DBS Land Limited, the bank’s former property arm. That shared origin marked the beginning of a relationship between CapitaLand and DBS that would continue to evolve over the decades.
CapitaLand has since become a long-term partner of DBS, supporting its growth and regional expansion.
As DBS expanded its operations and workplace requirements changed, CapitaLand has been supporting the bank with workplaces designed around the way it operates. DBS Asia Hub at Changi Business Park is one example of that partnership in action.
At Changi Business Park, DBS Asia Hub brings together the bank’s technology, operations and support functions within a nine-storey building and six-storey annex spanning more than 400,000 sq ft. As one of DBS’ key operational hubs in Singapore, the facility supports the bank’s digital capabilities and regional activities.
Designed with flexibility in mind, the workspace allows DBS to adapt as its operational requirements change, providing room for teams and infrastructure to grow over time. Rather than simply providing office space, CapitaLand worked with the bank to create an environment that could support its changing business needs.
“As DBS continues to shape the future of banking, our long-standing partnership with CapitaLand enables us to create future-ready environments that empower our people, accelerate innovation and deliver new ways of serving our customers across markets,” says Erwin Chong, group head of Corporate Real Estate at DBS Bank.
The partnership has evolved beyond a landlord-tenant relationship. Through the integration of DBS PayLah! with CapitaLand’s CapitaStar rewards programme, customers can now earn STAR$ instantly when using any DBS or POSB payment mode, seamlessly bridging banking with shopping and lifestyle experiences.
Today, the bank operates across seven of CapitaLand’s office and retail developments regionally, including four branches across CapitaLand’s retail malls in Singapore, and its technology hub in the China-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City, a development co-created by CapitaLand.
Sharon Teo, managing director, Workspace Management, Commercial Management (Singapore) at CapitaLand Investment says: “Our relationship with our tenants goes far beyond the traditional landlord-tenant relationship. We see ourselves as long-term business partners, invested in their growth, responsive to their evolving needs and committed to supporting their long-term success.”
When retail spaces become experiences
The same approach extends beyond the banking sector. In the retail sector, for instance, businesses are looking for spaces that support not only day-to-day operations but also new ways of engaging customers.
CapitaLand has been supporting retailers such as COURTS to drive efficiencies and grow. COURTS Megastore at Tampines North is a built-to-suit integrated facility that brings together retail, logistics and corporate teams under one roof to improve coordination and efficiency as the business grows.
The partnership later extended to improving customer experience. When COURTS wanted to rethink the traditional shopping journey, it opened its Internet of Things-themed concept store at Funan in 2019. Instead of rows of products, customers move through spaces designed like real homes, where connected devices can be experienced in everyday settings.
COURTS Singapore chief executive officer Harry Higashiura says: “Funan’s concept gave us the opportunity to rethink the traditional retail experience. We wanted customers to interact with technology in a more natural and immersive way, and CapitaLand was supportive of that direction.
“CapitaLand has been more than a landlord to us. They have been a long-term business partner that supports how we innovate and grow.”
When location becomes a business advantage
Located in eastern Singapore, Changi Business Park is home to businesses across technology, financial services and other industries. Its proximity to the Singapore University of Technology and Design provides opportunities for industry-academia collaboration for technology and engineering talent. The park is also well connected to surrounding residential estates.
For multinational businesses, the value of a workplace increasingly extends beyond the office itself. For Dell Technologies, being anchored in a thriving business ecosystem creates opportunities for collaboration, strengthens industry connections, and makes it easier to support regional operations across Asia-Pacific.
Dell Technologies found those advantages when it established its Asia-Pacific and Japan regional headquarters at One@Changi City. Situated in Changi Business Park, the headquarters occupies a strategic spot in eastern Singapore, offering modern infrastructure and a wide array of amenities.
“As a hub for financial services, tech companies and multinational corporations, Changi Business Park provides valuable opportunities for networking and collaboration, helping us create technologies that drive human progress,” says Andy Sim, vice-president and managing director, Singapore at Dell Technologies.
Dell Technologies’ regional headquarters at One@Changi City is designed around how the company operates. It features an Executive Briefing and Solutions Centre where customers can experience Dell’s latest technologies and solutions first-hand, while bringing regional teams spanning sales, marketing, product development and customer support together for closer collaboration.
Proximity to Changi Airport is also what makes Changi Business Park well suited to serve as a regional headquarters for Dell Technologies, where executives travel frequently. It offers a diverse range of amenities, including retail, dining, fitness centres, hotels and excellent transportation links, making it a convenient and attractive workplace for Dell employees.
Built for research, fostering innovation
For science-driven businesses, a workplace has to do more than accommodate laboratories. It needs to bring together the people, facilities and partnerships that help ideas move from discovery to real-world applications.
At Singapore Science Park, Merck found an environment designed around those needs. Housed within the seven-storey Ascent, the company’s laboratory and office functions sit alongside spaces that encourage collaboration across scientific, digital and business teams. The workplace also includes Merck’s first BioReliance biosafety testing lab in Singapore and Asia-Pacific and its M Lab Collaboration Center, where customers can explore technical solutions, test applications, assess technologies and optimise their processes.
“Singapore Science Park gives us the right environment to connect scientific expertise, digital capabilities and customer collaboration, helping to turn ideas into applicable solutions,” says Linda Zhang, managing director at Merck Singapore.
The location was equally important, adds Zhang. Situated within Singapore’s research and innovation hub, the park places Merck close to universities, research institutions, customers and industry partners, while offering the flexibility to adapt its laboratory and office spaces as its research priorities evolve.
Beyond the workplace itself, Merck has also pointed to Singapore Science Park’s collaborative community, networking opportunities and tenant events as part of what makes it an environment that supports innovation. Geneo, comprising five Grade A buildings, supports the Singapore Science Park community’s recreation and rejuvenation with its vibrant event plaza and wide array of retail and gastronomical offerings.
A trusted partner through every phase of growth
Whether it is banking, retail, technology or life sciences, growth relies on workspaces built around how the business works, serves its customers and adapts as its needs change, says CapitaLand’s Teo.
“More than simply providing space, CapitaLand continues to support businesses through each stage of growth, transformation and expansion,” she adds.
Share with us your feedback on BT's products and services
TRENDING NOW
He built the Vingroup empire. Now South-east Asia’s richest man is handing some key roles to his sons
China’s Pinglu Canal likely to benefit Singapore, other South-east Asia ports in the long term
Suntec Reit to increase Singapore focus, sell three Australia properties
Despite the de-dollarisation debate, demand for dollar liquidity in Asia is growing
