SGC_issuu

Business Partners
German-Singapore Business Forum
Singapore and Germany have been sharing close diplomatic relations for more than 50
years. Today, Singapore is Germany’s most important economic partner in ASEAN while
Germany is Singapore’s main commercial partner in the European Union. The bilateral
relations between the two countries have always been excellent.
One of the reasons for this success is that both countries have many things in common.
One of which is our shared passion for using technologies to better the lives of our
people and create new opportunities for businesses.
Prof. Dr. Axel Stepken
Chairman of the Board of
Management of TÜV SÜD AG
Co-Chairman of German-
Singapore Business Forum
(GSBF)
Over the last few years, the German government has been focussing on the “Industrie
4.0” initiative as part of its High-Tech Strategy 2020. The High-Tech Strategy brought key
innovation and technology players together, intensifying partnership between science
and industry. The term, Industrie 4.0, was invented to represent the 4th Industrial
Revolution which uses cyber-physical systems to bring about higher level of productivity
and efficiency.
On the other hand, Singapore set its sights to become the first Smart Nation in the
world — one that will improve the lives of citizens and business opportunities for
companies by harnessing technology to its fullest. This inclusive approach will “futureready”
Singapore by co-creating technological solutions with citizens and provide
an environment conducive for developing solutions for mobility, health, security and
communication.
Both countries are taking a very similar approach of adopting smart technologies as an
enabler to improve the lives of businesses and citizens. Today, there are more than 1,500
German companies in Singapore, the highest after China and India, and more than 50
cooperative ventures between German colleges and Singapore’s 6 universities. Many of
these companies and academia are working together to develop technologies which will
support both the Industrie 4.0 and Smart Nation initiatives.
Organisations such as the Singaporean-German Chamber of Industry & Commerce
(SGC) also play a key role by providing a platform to facilitate networking, collaboration
and idea exchange. Together, we can co-create solutions which will have lasting impact
in the decades to come.
I hope this issue of the annual Business Magazine themed “Singapore and Germany:
Smart Technologies for our Future” will excite and inspire you about the opportunities
that the future will bring.
Enjoy reading!
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