Enterprise SG

COMMENTARY

Africa presents a promising new frontier for Singapore businesses

The continent’s growth trajectory presents a compelling story, as businesses look beyond traditional markets

Based on a survey conducted at the National Retail Federation Retail’s Big Show Asia Pacific in 2024, local retailers are facing challenges such as building brand awareness and rising business costs.

EnterpriseSG, CapitaLand Investment launch challenge to foster, identify innovative retail concepts in Singapore

Winning brands will receive up to one year’s worth of free retail space in CapitaLand malls to pilot and showcase their concepts

Stephen Kines, co-founder and chief operating officer of Goldilock, notes that that it is currently working with channel partners and distributors. Its local channel partners include NCS and ST Engineering.

Cybersecurity firm Goldilock invests S$1.2 million, opens regional HQ in Singapore

It will hire five engineers here within the first 18 months of opening, and about 20 people over the coming three years

It has been noted that while there is growing traction among SMEs to embark on sustainability, many remain unsure of how to get started.

Enterprise Singapore launches new one-stop Sustainability Hub website for SMEs

The platform will help local enterprises easily access information and government resources to help them in their green transformation

The bank provides nearly 4,000 SMEs across Singapore and the region with sustainable financing as at Dec 31, 2024.

SME sustainable financing loan book up more than 40% to exceed S$9 billion in 2024: OCBC

The bank has also partnered Enterprise Singapore to launch a new sustainability initiative

Challenges such as geopolitical uncertainties and higher business costs could have "dampened companies’ appetite to transform and grow” in 2024, says EnterpriseSG chairman Lee Chuan Teck at the statutory board's year in review.

Companies could book S$14.5 billion more in revenue from EnterpriseSG support in 2024, down a tad from 2023

But each firm can expect an average of S$8.6 million more in annual revenue in 2024, up from S$5.7 million in 2023

The Singapore-Seattle connection is not as distant as it seems, with the city-state receiving a third of all Greater Seattle's exports to South-east Asia.
BRUNCH

A tale of two cities: Lessons from a US tech hub as Singapore revs up digital economy ambitions

The Garden City can take a leaf out of Seattle’s playbook in push to become a global innovation powerhouse

The acceleration programme will involve partnerships with corporate giants in Sweden, such as Arla Foods and H&M.

Singapore startups get access to the Nordics with EnterpriseSG’s new Global Innovation Alliance node in Sweden

The Stockholm programme will help startups to co-develop, test and commercialise solutions in areas such as agrifood tech and green supply chains

Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said there was "immense potential" for F&B companies to reap cost savings through more efficient use of resources and waste reduction.

New playbook for F&B companies to reduce food and packaging waste, optimise resource use

It is developed by Enterprise Singapore, and contains a three-stage roadmap that guides SMEs to integrate sustainable practices into their operations

The sustainability reporting grant will also help with the companies’ external assurance statements, minimally for limited assurance for Scope 1 and 2 emissions.

Enterprise Singapore and EDB to launch sustainability reporting grant in November

The initiative will assist companies in producing their first reports aligned with the ISSB standards