European MNC Schneider Electric and EDB set up new venture in Singapore

[SINGAPORE] A new Singapore-headquartered company was unveiled on Tuesday (April 13) by European multinational company Schneider Electric and the Economic Development Board (EDB) in a new venture that could lead to about 100 new jobs here.

NaviX Solutions will help companies manage and use critical power assets such as medium-voltage switch gears, without them having to fork out capital for the tools. These assets will be launched in phases.

The new company will lead to job creation in the areas of customer service, technical support, finance, human resources and logistics, among others, said NaviX Solutions chief executive Simon Claringbold.

Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat on Tuesday visited Schneider Electric's headquarters in Kallang, where he was showed some of the company's innovations.

Commenting on the new venture, Choo Heng Tong, EDB's executive vice-president of new ventures and innovation, said: "Through corporate venturing, Schneider Electric has been able to test new business models in a nimble manner and pursue opportunities that complement their core business.

"As a corporate venture, NaviX Solutions benefits from a strong entrepreneurial founding team that can drive growth with autonomy and agility, and at the same time, leverage the deep competitive advantages of Schneider Electric in energy management, customer networks and global scale.

"We are confident that this will give NaviX Solutions a strong edge in the market."

Mr Claringbold said the company will "address critical challenges in an evolving digital economy where power and cooling assets are now business critical infrastructure".

He added: "Our role and driving force is to support companies to keep pace with market change while balancing the need to transform sustainably.

"At the same time, we are driving a mindset change, bringing more visibility to the role these critical assets play and how to maximise the value they deliver."

THE STRAITS TIMES

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