ScandAsia Singapore - January 2016

JAN 2016
LEGO
builds for continued Asian success
ScandAsia.dk ScandAsia.fi ScandAsia.no ScandAsia.se

Open House
Register at www.sais.edu.sg
Friday, Jan 15 th 2016
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Coming Events
‘Hazebusters’ & DABS: Lifting The Haze
Where: Danish Seamen’s Church, 10 Pender Road
When: Tuesday 19 January 2016, 7:30 pm – approx. 9:30
The haze period in Singapore has not gone by
unnoticed. Palm oil production and haze – what
is that all about? What can be done, and what
can we do?
United Plantations was the world’s very first
certified producer of sustainable palm oil. United
Plantations has collaborated with Copenhagen
Zoo to develop and ensure environmental
management and biodiversity as an integral part
of the agricultural operations.
You are invited to join Carl Bek-Nielsen, Vice
Chairman and Chief Executive Director United
Plantations and Carl Træholt, Copenhagen ZOO,
who will do a dual presentation on the evening’s
topic.
Carl-Bek Nielsen will talk about Sustainable
Palm Oil Production, presenting various issues,
problems and solutions. Carl Træholt will talk
about Measuring and Monitoring Operational
Impact on Biodiversity in a Palm Oil Landscape.
Please, come and join us for this exciting
Fodboldturnering 2016
Where: Ubersport, 1020 East Coast Parkway
When: Saturday 23 January, 09:30 - 16:00
Nu kan du godt få snøret støvlerne og begynde
at gøre armsving, for årets fodboldevent er lige
om hjørnet.
Lørdag den 23. Januar 2016 afholdes
sømandskirkens årlige fodboldtunering, Fivea-side.
Det hele vil finde sted i de smukke
omgivelser ved East Coast Park.
Holdene hører enten til en dansk virksomhed,
klub eller forening i Singapore. For at deltage
i turneringen skal der som minimum være en
dansker på holdet eller holdet skal repræsentere
en dansk virksomhed.
SWEA Singapore: Fika på stan
Where: Wild Honey, 333A Orchard Rd, #03-01/02 Mandarin Gallery
When: Thursday 28 January, 10:00 – 12:00
OBS! Ändring av veckodag
Swedish Women’s Educational Association - Kom och träffa nya och
gamla medlemmar!
Vi testar ett nytt ställe: Wild Honey, Mandarin Gallery, Orchard Road.
Skicka gärna ett mail till programgruppen sweaprogram@live.com
om du kommer.
evening, where there will be plenty of time for
discussion and asking questions to the presenters.
Price: SGD 40 incl. light refreshments. All profit
will go to the NGO Rainforest Rescue’s project
on Sumatra to create a conservation area in the
elephant forest (www.rainforest-rescue.org).
Please register by email to: dabs@dabssingapore.com
by Tuesday 12 January 2016.
/Members of the Facebook-group
‘Hazebusters’ & DABS
På sidelinjen vil den danske Sømandskirke, i
bedste stadion stil, stå klar med hotdogs, øl, Faxe
Kondi og andre lækkerier.
Hvis du ikke er en del af et hold, er du stadig
meget velkommen til at deltage. Du melder dig
blot til som enkelt spiller, så skal vi nok finde et
hold til dig.
Prisen for at være med: Pr. hold: SGD 300
(op til 9 spillere), Pr. spiller: SGD 50 (hvis man
ikke har et hold).
I kan hjælpe med at støtte op om eventet ved
at blive Guld eller Sølv sponsor for turneringen.
Ved at blive sponsor får man f.eks. prominente
banner og bliver råbt op af kommentatorerne.
Samtidig støtter man selvfølgelig en god sag.
Sidste frist for tilmelding er den 05. Januar
2016 og kan gøres til enten
Martin Just (mju@semcomaritime.com
/ 9152 9229 ) eller Michael Jørgensen (mij@
klaveness.com / 9833 4003)
Organiseret af: Michael Jørgensen, Martin Just
og Den Danske Sømandskirke
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News Brief
DABS’ Christmas Lunch 2015 at Swiss Club
On Friday 4 December, the Danish
Business Association Singapore’s annual
Christmas Lunch was held at Swiss Club.
DABS had invited the whole Danish community
and their Asian friends for a traditional Danish
Christmas lunch or “Julefrokost” consisting in
a sumptuous festive buffet spread. Swiss Club
is one of the oldest and most historic Clubs in
Singapore, surrounded by lush greenery, offering a
fabulous setting in the middle of the jungle.
Human Rights Day marked
with seminar in Singapore
10 December was the United Nations Human Rights Day was
marked all over the world.
In Singapore, Government representatives and the EU
Delegation to Singapore hosted the Annual Human Rights Day seminar,
at the beautiful Raffles Hotel Ball Room on the Progress and Perspectives
for Women’s Rights in Singapore and ASEAN.
Danish Ambassador Berit Basse was among the distinguished
speakers, and she shared some Danish perspectives, experiences and
challenges on the implementation of equal rights for women.
Source: Embassy of Denmark in Singapore
4 ScandAsia.Singapore • January 2016

Future Watch workshop for Finns in Singapore
News Brief
On 3 December 2015 Finnish Business
Council and Team Finland arranged
a Future Watch workshop at the
Finnish Ambassador’s Residence. The aim of the
workshop was to impart knowledge and gather
participant’s views and signals on possible future
changes, opportunities and potential threats that
concern Finnish industries and policy makers. The
event was organised in collaboration with the
Embassy of Finland.
Aker majority owner starts
scholarship programme
Norwegians, or other persons with a strong link to Norway, have
a new way to get financial support for studies at world leading
universities, including NUS in Singapore, from a new scholarship
programme.
It is Norwegian industrialist Mr. Kjell Inge Røkke and his wife, Ms. Anne
Grete Eidsvig, who have established a non-profit foundation for education
and a scholarship in cooperation with Aker ASA, the industry group of
which Mr Røkke is the majority owner.
The objective of the Aker Scholarship is to inspire the recipients
to contribute to the development of Norwegian business, industry and
society to the benefit of generations to come.
The Aker Scholarships will be awarded for studies at world leading
universities including National University of Singapore (NUS).
“The fact that NUS has been chosen by the Aker Scholarships is a
testimony both to the global standing of NUS and to the maturity of the
collaboration between NUS and Norway. At the Norwegian Embassy we
look forward to welcome the first recipients of Aker Scholarships to NUS
and Singapore,” commented Tormod C. Endresen, Norway’s Ambassador
to Singapore.
The target group is talented Norwegian individuals at master and PHD
level, who have demonstrated great potential and motivation to contribute
to society. The first Aker Scholarships were awarded for studies starting in
September 2016, the same year Aker celebrates its 175th anniversary as
an industrial group. Applicants must have lived in Norway for several years
and speak Norwegian. The grant provides funding that complements other
sources of financial support. The foundation is financed by donations from
TRG AS, a family company owned by the family Røkke.
Ring og rekvirer yderligere
oplysninger om uddannelsen,
kostskolen og kollegiet.
International
Baccalaureate
- den internationale
studentereksamen
• internationalt anerkendt
• giver adgang til universiteter over hele verden
• undervisning på engelsk
Du kan bo på skolens kostafdeling.
Der er også mulighed for at bo på et kollegium
i tilknytning til skolen.
Source: Embassy of Norway Singapore www.nyborg-gym.dk · Tlf +45 65 31 02 17
January 2016 • ScandAsia.Singapore 5

News Brief
SBAS Ball 2015 - Party of the Year –
Celebrating Singapore Heritage
With a theme relating to SG50
(Singapore’s 50 years celebration as
an independent state), the Swedish
business community and friends gathered at
the Tanglin Club on 28th of November for the
annual SBAS Ball. There was a colourful display
of guests dressed in Chinese, Malay, Indian and
British Colonial costumes. Some 120 guests were
treated to a sumptuous four-course dinner while
a live band played some great music. A Bollywood
performance and an award ceremony were
other appreciated events during the course of
the evening.
Among the three nominated Swedish
companies, the winner of “Swedish Company of
the Year” was Envac Singapore Pte Ltd. With their
automated refuse collection systems they play
an important role in promoting Swedish “smart
technologies” for sustainable city development.
Mr P Jeyaratnam received a “Life Time
Achievement award” for his long term support
of the Swedish business community and
commitment to helping Swedish SMEs to enter
the Asian market.
As for the very special "Årets Svensk -
Swedish Person of the Year"- award, it went to an
organization called Together for Charity, founded
in Singapore by seven close friends to help and
support less fortunate children.
Photographer: Lam, Rainbow Photo Centre
6 ScandAsia.Singapore • January 2016

News Brief
LEGO expands Singapore office, new China factory
On 4 December 2015 the LEGO Group
inaugurated their brand new facilities
for the office in Singapore - one of the
company’s five main offices around the world.
This new main office in Singapore is another
important milestone in the LEGO’s globalisation,
in accordance with the company’s strategy to
reach even more children all over the world with
creative play experiences.
Over the past few years the number of
employees working in the office in Singapore
has increased to 220. The new office has capacity
for 400 LEGO employees, and as such, it further
enables the LEGO Group in adjusting for
expected growth in the future.
The need for new and more spacious
surroundings is the result of the extraordinary
double-digit growth that the LEGO Group has
achieved globally over the last ten years, not least
in Asia.
Chief Commercial Officer of the LEGO
Group, Loren I. Shuster commented that he is
very excited that we now have surroundings
to accommodate the increasing number of
employees.
“It is our ultimate ambition to bring creative
LEGO play experiences to children across the
globe, to enable them to develop and learn
through creative play. In order to do that we
need to be present globally and attract talented
employees in many locations. As part of this
effort, Asia is an important growth driver. Our
main office here in Singapore is one of the key
elements for us to fulfil our global ambition.”
The increasing presence in Asia will be further
supported by the factory that the Danish group
is building in Jiaxing, China. The factory recently
began packaging the first LEGO sets, and when
fully operational, it will produce the vast majority
of the products for Asia.
“We have experienced substantial growth
in Asia, and with our own factory in the region,
we will be able to provide even more children
with LEGO play experiences. The Jiaxing factory
will operate under the same global standards as
our other manufacturing facilities, as all LEGO
products live up to the strictest global safety and
quality requirements”, says Loren I. Shuster.
The importance of Asia is underlined by the
fact that two of the group’s five main offices are
placed in Asia (the second one in Shanghai). As
the first office in the region, the new office in
Singapore has applied the new ways of working,
called Activity Based Working.
“We realise that a key part of our success
has been the conscious approach we have taken
as a company not to ‘divisionalise’ the business.
Instead, we have a very flat corporate structure
where we encourage employees to think ‘end to
end’ across the business to maximise the benefit
of the whole as opposed to simply what may be
best for a certain individual or team. Our new
way of working – Activity Based Working – helps
facilitate and foster our collaborative spirit in the
company, a key part of our corporate culture”,
says Senior Vice President & Head of Asia-Pacific
for the LEGO Group, Marko Ilincic.
The main office in Singapore, located in
South Beach Tower, on 38 Beach Road, houses
employees from many global functions, among
others Procurement, IT, Finance, Legal Affairs and
HR, as well as management for LEGO Asia Pacific.
SMOE shipyard
Singapore visit
On 3 December 2015 the Norwegian
Embassy in Singapore visit SMOE
shipyard in Singapore with Det norske
oljeselskap ASA (DET NORSKE).
The impressive IvarAasen topside is in the
final stage before delivery spring 2016. Built
with a great deal of products and units from
Norwegian subcontractors, the Ivar Aasen topside
is an excellent example of joint Singaporean and
Norwegian efforts and collaboration. With a
daily focus and engagement in Health, Safety
and Environment, the Ivar Aasen project aims to
be the safest project ever at SOME, writes the
Norwegian Embassy in Singapore.
Source: Norwegian Embassy in Singapore
January 2016 • ScandAsia.Singapore 7

News Brief
Norway-Asia
Business Summit
to Singapore 2016
The Norwegian Business Association has
delightfully announced that the sixth edition
of the Norway-Asia Business Summit is to
take place in Singapore in 2016. 12-14 April are
the dates when this summit returns to where it
all started back in 1998.
The Norway-Asia Business Summit has
evolved into a meeting place for Norwegian
industry in the region, Norwegian government
agencies and the diplomatic missions in the
region - as truly representing the “Team Norway”
concept.
This annual summit (this time held at
The Fullerton Hotel) will once again present
opportunities for Norwegian companies in the
region, as well as for colleagues from Norway
attending for a rich mix of discussions on business
in Asia, Asian economics and Asian politics. The
aim is to strengthen the competitiveness of
Norwegian businesses in Asia through increased
knowledge of political and economic trends, as
well as market development in the region.
The main topics for next year’s summit
are shipping, offshore and energy. Singapore
was recently recognized as the world’s most
important maritime centre, followed by Oslo in
third place. Singapore also holds a strong position
in offshore oil and gas and provides access to
important growth markets in the region. These
are believed to be the reasons why Singapore
has the biggest concentration of Norwegian
businesses within Asia. The summit will also give
attention to successful entrepreneurship in Asia,
and to the ASEAN region, especially on how
Norwegian businesses can benefit from Norway’s
new partnership with ASEAN.
Participants will get to equip themselves with
a better understanding of to handle the challenges
and benefits of the great opportunities that lie
within Asian markets. Some 250 participants from
Norway and around Asia are expected to join.
Participating in the summit will better prepare
you and your company to handle the challenges
and benefits of the great opportunities that lie
within Asian markets. We are expecting some
250 participants from Norway and all of Asia. The
summit will be held at the iconic landmark hotel
The Fullerton.
Source: Norwegian Business Association Singapore
Finland’s Independence Day
celebrated in Singapore
The Embassy of Finland in Singapore celebrated Finland’s
Independence Day on 5 December.
The Finnish Ambassador, Paula Parviainen thanked SiSu
(Finns in Singapore) for their presence.
“Finland has a long history compared to our host country, who
is just wrapping up a whole year of SG 50 celebrations. During this
year Singaporeans have realized how much they have to be proud
of. The history has been told over and over again in various forms
of cultural, educational and nation-building forms. The younger
generations have heard from the pioneers how it all started and
how the Singapore story has evolved and Singapore become one of
the most modern, and rich countries in the world, not only in Asia.
A good place to live in,” said the Ambassador.
“Finland will be celebrating the centenary of her independence
in 2017. We are almost twice as old as Singapore. Preparations have
taken off in Helsinki, and other cities and also in various countries,
where we want to celebrate and make our country’s history
and achievements better known. The theme for the Centenary
of Finland will be ‘Yhdessä – Tillsammans – Together’. This motto
describes well the spirit of the Finns. Our history has not been the
easiest. Our grandfathers and mothers have had to fight for laying
the base for what we are today. And this fight continues in more
modern forms, we cannot be complacent.”
“Let us raise a toast to Finland – together.”
8 ScandAsia.Singapore • January 2016

New cooperation with Jetstar expands Finnair’s destinations
News Brief
Finnair and Singapore-based Jetstar Asia has
launched a codeshare cooperation that will,
through their Singapore hub, provide Finnair
customers with a wider choice of destinations
and departure times across Asia and Australia.
From December 15 2015, Finnair customers
will be able to travel on codeshare services
operated by Jetstar Asia to and from Singapore
Finnair customers will benefit from the
convenience of the single ticket itinerary
that includes Finnair’s baggage allowance. The
passengers will also enjoy a seamless transfer at
Singapore Changi Airport, with baggage being
through-checked and onward boarding passes
being received at the initial departure point.
Finnair’s code will be added to Jetstar Asia’s
flights between Singapore as well as Penang and
Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, Ho Chi Minh City
in Vietnam, Phuket in Thailand and Perth and
Darwin in Australia.
From today, customers can make flight
reservations with the Finnair marketing code.
“We are delighted to start this codeshare
cooperation that will leverage Jetstar’s Singapore
hub, improving connectivity throughout Asia and
improved access to Australia for our customers,”
says Hannu Sundberg, Director of Partnerships,
Finnair.
Jetstar Asia CEO Barathan Pasupathi said:
“The collaboration between Jetstar Asia and
Finnair is a welcome enhancement towards the
codeshare and interline model at Jetstar Asia.
The Finnair service from Helsinki will connect to
Jetstar Asia’s services at Changi Airport.
“This will allow customers from Europe to
connect via Singapore onwards to Jetstar Asia’s
Australasia destinations”.
Jetstar Asia first took to the skies in December
2004. Jetstar Asia currently operates more than
600 weekly return flights to 26 destinations
across 13 countries and territories in the Asia
Pacific region. In 2015, Jetstar Asia was named the
AsiaOne People’s Choice for best low cost carrier
for the third year running.
Finnair flies between Asia, Europe and North
America with an emphasis on fast connections
via Helsinki, carrying more than nine million
passengers annually and connecting 17 cities in
Asia with more than 60 destinations in Europe.
International Private Banking in Singapore
We serve the growing community
of Nordic individuals in Asia
From our branch office in Singapore we provide the increasing number of Nordic
individuals in Asia with the same high quality private banking services as Nordea
offers in Europe.
We are here to make your access to the financial markets easier, more efficient and
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Call me today to see what Nordea can do for your wealth:
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Making it possible
Nordea Bank S.A, Singapore Branch is part of Nordea Group, the leading financial services group in the Nordic and Baltic Sea regions. Some products and services may, due to local regulations, not be available to individuals resident in
certain countries and their availability may depend, among other things, on the investment risk profile of persons in receipt of this publication or on any legislation to which they are subject. Nothing in this publication should be construed
as an offer, or the solicitation of an offer, to purchase, subscribe to or sell any investment or product, or to engage in any other transaction or provide any kind of financial or banking service in any jurisdiction where Nordea Bank S.A.,
Singapore Branch or any of its affiliates do not have the necessary licence. Published by Nordea Bank S.A., R.C.S. Luxembourg No. B 14.157 on behalf of Nordea Bank S.A. Singapore Branch, 138 Market Street #09-03, CapitaGreen
Singapore 048946. www.nordeaprivatebanking.com subject to the supervision of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (www.mas.gov.sg).
January 2016 • ScandAsia.Singapore 9

News Brief
Our Arctic Future Danish
photo expo
Inuka, the first polar bear born in the tropics, turned 25 last year, and this
was celebrated for ten days at Singapore Zoo. Starting on 16 December
2015 the celebrations was combined with the Danish photo exhibition
‘Our Arctic Future’ to raise awareness on the natural arctic habitat of polar
bears.
Denmark’s Ambassador H.E. Berit Basse officiated the launch in
Singapore Zoo’s Frozen Tundra. The polar bear got to enjoy birthday ice
treats for 10 days
Mr Mike Barclay, Chief Executive Officer, Wildlife Reserves Singapore,
said, “As Inuka, Singapore’s very own locally born and bred polar bear turns
25, he is officially in his golden years and we will adjust his care to ensure he
continues to enjoy a great quality of life with us here in the Singapore Zoo.
We are very happy to celebrate his birthday with this excellent Our Arctic
Future photo exhibition.”
Our Arctic Future photo exhibition highlights the importance of
sustainability and evolving relationships between people and the arctic. It
was developed by the Natural History Museum of Denmark in collaboration
with the Governments of Greenland and the Faroe Islands for the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. The photo exhibition also commemorated 50
years of bilateral relations between Denmark and Singapore.
Inuka is fondly referred to as the “best Christmas present ever” by
Singapore Zoo keepers because he was born in his mother’s den in the early
hours of 26 December 1990. At 25 years of age, Inuka is a senior bear. His last
health check in July this year showed age-related conditions like arthritis and
dental issues which the Singapore Zoo veterinary team is closely monitoring.
Inuka currently measures 2.5m from nose to tail, and weighs 581kg.
Mr Alan Chan, Chief Executive Officer of Singapore Press Holdings and
Director of SPH Foundation, said: “SPH and SPH Foundation have adopted
Inuka since his birth 25 years ago. We are happy to see him grow both in
size and popularity over the years. We wish Inuka a happy birthday and hope
he can bring joy to many for years to come. Through our close partnership
with Wildlife Reserves Singapore, we will continue to promote community
awareness and responsibility in wildlife protection and conservation, which
is one of SPH Foundation’s core objectives.”
Source: Wildlife Reserves Singapore, Embassy of Denmark Singapore
10 ScandAsia.Singapore • January 2016

We believe in
your child’s
potential as
much as you do.
Choosing a school is no easy task.
You’re searching for the very best
and a large part of your child’s
future is resting on your decision.
You know your child better than
anyone, you see the sparks of
brilliance where others can’t, you
see the scholar, and the artist and
what might be.
We’d love the opportunity to
welcome you to our school and
discuss how to make your
children soar.
Admissions: +65 66535635
Email: admissions@iss.edu.sg
Visit www.iss.edu.sg/scandasia
We believe in your children as much
as you do, and we know what it
takes for them to realise their full
potential because that’s what we
do best.
Realising Potential
ISS is registered by the CPE | Registration no: 20136975E | Registration period: 16 June 2015 to
15 June 2019
January 2016 • ScandAsia.Singapore 11

Danish product Steppie
is launched in Singapore
By Mia Sandberg Svenningsen
12 ScandAsia.Singapore • January 2016
With a distinct focus on science
and research in the pursuit
for ergonomic perfection
and physical wellbeing,
Ergoworks and the Danish
company Steppie launched the Steppie Balancing
Board this Thursday, on the 10th of December,
in Singapore. The Steppie Board is designed to
activate your body in an otherwise static working
environment, limiting the likelihood of suffering
harmful back injuries. Ambassador of Denmark
to Singapore, Mrs Berit Basse held the opening
speech in which she stated that Steppie is a
good example of how Danish design and thinking
come together.
For most of human history we were hunters
and gatherers and often walked or ran 6 to
12 miles per day. In the late 18th century the
industrial revolution began and machines replaced
many manual tasks, which reduced the amount
of physical activity in our daily lives. Even more
recently computers became more common in
work environments, and it is now estimated that
half of all jobs in western society are computerbased.
“Many of us experience a very sedentary
lifestyle. It starts already in the morning sitting
at the breakfast table. Then we sit while we
commute to work. Then we sit in our offices and
maybe even when we come home at the dining
table and later with our tablets or watching the
television,” she said.
Sitting six or more hours a day makes you
up to 40% more likely to die within 15 years
than someone who only sits 3 hours or less. The
average person is sedentary for 9,5 hours a day.
Many office workers sit as much as 15 hours per
day. The Ambassador of Denmark also explained
how the human body wasn’t built to endure
the lack of activity and that it results in lifestyle
diseases like obesity, diabetes and high blood
pressure, and that doctors recommendations of
doing at least half an hour of exercise a day is not
enough to equalise negative effects of a sedentary
lifestyle.
“What really pushes the boundaries for
retrieving a truly healthy life is when clever design
goes hand in hand with a consensus consumer
culture. And the two things tend to enforce
each other in a constant development of viable
alternatives, that drive a healthy discourse
forward,” Mrs Berit Basse said.

She further gave insight into several surveys
showing that Denmark is not only the happiest
nation in the world, but also a country in which
healthy living and high living standards are among
the top priorities. Recent research has also shown
that a healthy living is seen as a cornerstone of a
modern society and the Ambassador told of how
the idea of a healthy lifestyle is becoming a trend
that for individuals revives from riding the bike or
walking rather than driving, but also that this can
be seen at companies in the form of a healthy
working environment.
In Denmark all employees are protected by
the Working Environment Act, which ensures
that workplace assessments are done every third
year. The Working Environment Act also requires
desk and chairs to be adjustable if being used by
several employees.
“Countless studies have shown that a good
working environment is beneficial for the company
in the long haul, as this impacts productivity and
work-related injuries positively. One of the most
commonly recognised working norms is the
use of a height-adjustable table. For the last ten
to fifteen years, this has been everyday life for
around ninety-five per cent of Danish employees,”
the Ambassador said but also highlighted the
problem with standing for a longer period of time,
as you become tired more quickly than when you
walk, for example.
“This is where Steppie comes in to place as
the missing link,” she concluded.
The sitting disease or, more accurately,
metabolic syndrome, is a condition where the
Lipoprotein Lipase enzymes in the blood vessels
essentially go to sleep after 60 – 90 minutes of
inactivity. Already as soon as you sit down the
enzymes drop 90%, the electrical activity in your
legs shuts off and your calorie burning drops
to 1 per minute. Sitting tenses the hamstrings
and causes a flattening of the normal curve in
the lower back and this distortion of the spine
increases the internal strain of the back. These
are among the many reasons why a lot of offices
now have adjustable desks for their employees.
One of the companies who is trying to fix these
problems is the Danish company Duba-B8, who
just celebrated their 100-year anniversary, and
recently opened a new showroom in the Central
Business District in Singapore.
Also speaking at the Steppie event were Peter
Michelsen, Key Account Manager at Duba-B8,
and Martin Li, Sales and Business Development
Manager for Duba-B8 in Singapore.
“Because we have been developing
ergonomic furniture from the beginning we feel
that we are the pioneer when it comes to office
solutions,” Peter Michelsen said.
In 2011 Duba-B8 established a sales office
and showroom in Singapore with the purpose
of servicing their Nordic cust¬omers’ business
units in Asia and Australia. The Danish company
is best known for its height-adjustable office
tables with table tops made from FSC certified
bamboo and desks that are highly flexible and
meets the needs of the user. 80 per cent of the
furniture manufactured by the company can be
customised. One of its features is a patented ‘click’
system underneath the table that makes for easy
assembly. The system also makes it possible to
replace the tablet tops easily, where necessary or
desired, without having to change the entire table.
But Duba-B8 is not only about the tables.
“We do 360 degrees work solutions. When
our clients come in with an empty work space,
we can supply everything from the carpet to the
acoustics,” Peter Michelsen further explained.
After a brief introduction to the company,
Peter Michelsen also highlighted the need for
ergonomics and showed a video in which it
was stated that the average person spends 80
per cent of their awoken hours sitting and that
standing for just fifteen minutes each hour will
increase the energy, boost the metabolism and
burn an extra 60 calories per hour.
“We have this program, that you can build
into your laptop, that will tell you when to sit and
when to stand, and then you can reconfigure it so
you burn 250 extra calories a day. When it comes
to standing and sitting it’s all about finding the
right balance,” said Martin Li, who joined Duba-B8
eight months ago.
They event’s final speaker was Henrik
Andersen, the CEO of Steppie, who explained
that the idea for Steppie originated from
acupuncturist, reflexologist and physiological
masseur Gitte Toft, who through her work
discovered that most people barely needed to
move in the course of their working day. From her
experience working with MBT shoes, which has
the purpose of enhancing balance, and a special
office chair, she brought the balance principle to
the standing work situation.
“She knew that in the gyms you often have
a balance board with a ball underneath where
you train your ankles and knees. So she formed
the idea of taming this board in a way so that
everyone can stand for a longer period of time,”
Henrik Andersen explained.
The company then started in the second half
of 2013, had the prototype made in November
the same year and the production of Steppie
started four months later. The product first
launched in Scandinavia followed by Germany
and in the second half of 2014 it was launched in
Australia bringing the total to seventeen countries.
The launching in Singapore is the first step of the
company’s Asian launch as Henrik Andersen
traveled to Korea the next day.
“From getting the idea and until we had the
first product, it took less than a year,” the CEO
stated.
January 2016 • ScandAsia.Singapore 13

Finnish Christmas
with Marimekko
in Singapore
By Mia Sandberg Svenningsen
Marimekko, the Finnish fashion and
design company known for its
original prints and colors since
1951, and The Finnish Business
Council invited the Finnish
community to celebrate Christmas at their flagship
store within Capitol Piazza on Stamford Road in
Singapore on Tuesday the 15 th of December.
The free-of-charge event that started at 6
pm and lasted until 9 pm had the purpose of
showing a multitude of corporate gifting ideas
from the Marimekko products while the guests
enjoyed refreshments and finger food. The FBC
Corporate Member also had 10% off store wide.
Among the attendees was the Ambassador of
the Republic of Finland, Her Excellency Paula
Parviainen.
Marimekko has over the past three years
opened up stores in China, Hong Kong and
Taiwan thereby doubling the number of stores in
Asia, while giving the brand a presence in about
40 countries and 140 stores. Marimekko first
entered into Southeast Asian market in Singapore
and Bangkok with the intention to open more
stores in Southeast Asia within the next few years.
The 240-square-metre flagship store in Singapore
opened its doors in May. It was designed by a
team of Marimekko interior designers in Helsinki.
“In our expansion, we have focused first
and foremost on regions with high growth
potential. The Asia-Pacific region is our secondlargest
market area, and we already have a fairly
strong foothold in East Asia. Thus, expanding into
Southeast Asia felt like a natural move,” Päivi
Lonka, CSO of Marimekka said in a previous
press release. “Singapore is a modern metropolis
and very attractive to us, as it is considered one
of the region’s top business hubs and shopping
destinations.”
Earlier in the spring, in April, Thailand’s first
Marimekko store was opened in Bangkok. The
number of Marimekko stores outside Finland has
more than doubled and in 2012 Marimekko and
Finnair began a unique partnership: two Unikkopatterned
aircraft fly from Helsinki to Finnair’s longhaul
destinations, and passengers on all Finnair flights
can enjoy textiles and tableware with Marimekko
patterns.
“Marimekko creates clear products that
do the job rather than complicated and fancy
goods. People don’t want to be surrounded by
anything unnecessary. At Marimekko, we work
like the company belonged to all of us. You need
to reach for the heights, but plain common
sense has to be applied often rather than
occasionally. Empty wishful thinking should not be
cultivated at work - or in life,” is how Marimekko
describes one of the brands six core values
on their website.
In 2014, brand sales of the products
worldwide amounted to EUR 187 million and
the company’s net sales were EUR 94 million.
The key markets are Northern Europe, North
America and the Asia-Pacific region. The Group
employs about 500 people.
14 ScandAsia.Singapore • January 2016

CIS Welcomes the
Danish Supplementary
School to Lakeside!
Canadian International School (CIS),
is delighted to welcome the Danish
Supplementary School to its new
home at our state-of-the-art
Lakeside campus in Jurong! Their
relocation complements the objectives of our
Global Language Programme, which is to equip
each of our students with important language
skills crucial to thriving in the 21st century.
“We are thrilled to host the Danish
Supplementary School at our Lakeside campus”,
said CIS Head of School Dr Glenn Odland. “ Not
only are we pleased to welcome members of the
wider Danish community to our campus, but also
to provide further support to the large Danish
community already studying at CIS. With students
from over 70 countries, supporting each of these
communities is a key objective of ours.”
Danish Supplementary School
The Danish Supplementary School is an
independent, not-for-profit school managed by
volunteers and focused on offering weekly, one
hour, Danish mother tongue classes to children
at CIS and in the wider community. Lessons
are available to children aged 6 - 15 years,
corresponding to the Danish ‘Grade 0 - Grade
9’ School System. Pre-school lessons are also
available to children aged five years.
Students aged six years and above, learn
Danish spelling and grammar using text and
exercise books widely used by Danish state
schools. For pre-school children, the focus is
on expanding their vocabulary through games
and songs. All lessons are taught following the
language guidelines set out by the Danish Ministry
of Education.
“The Danish Supplementary School’s
objective is to give all Danish speaking children
in Singapore the opportunity to learn to
read and write in Danish”, explained Danish
Supplementary School Chairman Kirsten
Newbigging. “Many Danish children don’t have
the opportunity to learn the language within
their school. We feel our relocation to CIS’
Jurong campus allows us to continue meeting
our objective as it is close to many other
international schools, giving as many Danish
children as possible the chance to join our
weekly classes.”
For more information about CIS’ Global Language Programme and the Danish Supplementary
School visit http://www.cis.edu.sg/globallanguages
January 2016 • ScandAsia.Singapore 15