FOCUS Magazine - Agri & Food Tech

FOCUS | 2019 – Issue 70 | agri & food tech

The Magazine of the French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore | www.fccsingapore.com

Exploring New Food Frontiers

Taking Singapore’s Food Ambitions to New Heights

Sustainable Food in Urban Cities?

Agri & Food

www.fccsingapore.com

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Cover 15

Agri-food Tech: Harnessing New Capabilities in Food Production

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30

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Why Singapore Needs to Look at Agri-food Tech Closely

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Taking Singapore’s Food Ambitions to New Heights

Edito

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Short News

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24

Exploring New Food Frontiers

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Patron Member Spotlight: BNP Paribas

36

Entrepreneur Member Spotlight: Wildness Chocolate

25

Rethinking What We Know About Food

26

Ÿnsect: Rethinking Nature’s Harvest

Chamber News

27

Olmix Vision: Thanks to Algae

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40

Business Services

Sustainable Food in Urban Cities?

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29

60

30

63

Planting Gardens in the Sky

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44

French Chamber Events New Members

Crop Monitoring from Above

As seen on So Chic

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Embedding Sustainability into Food

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Accelerating Fast Growth in Food Tech Systems

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3 F r e n c h C h a m b e r Pat r o n m e m b e r s

French Chamber Singapore

The French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore would like to thank its Patron Members for their continuous support.

Focus is published by the French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore. The views and opinions expressed in its columns do not necessarily reflect those of the Chamber’s members and management.

Director of Publication Carine Lespayandel Production Editor Lydia Fulton Lareina Choong Sub-Editor Anaëlle Fer Design & Layout Jeremy Soh Advertising Jeremy Soh Colour Separation & Printing Times Printers Cover Image Shutterstock

Issue 70 4,000 copies MCI (P) 103/07/2019

French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore 541 Orchard Road #09-01 Liat Towers Singapore 238881 Tel: +65 6933 1350 Fax: +65 6933 1398 www.fccsingapore.com info@fccsingapore.com FOCUS MAGAZINE

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life.augmented is our contribution to people’s lives ST is a world leader in providing semiconductor solutions that make a positive contribution to people’s lives, both today and in the future.

For more information, please visit www.st.com

5 G u e s t e d i to r ’ s n ot e

Matthieu Vermersch

Founder and Managing Partner, VisVires New Protein

T

he agri-food sector is simmering. Start-ups from the West are eyeing the East. Asian startups are shifting focus from food distribution to deep-tech innovation. Industry giants are hungry, and are on the lookout to partner with more nimble start-ups that could change the game.

The agri-food industry is still at the beginning of this transformative phase but it is certainly easier being a start-up today than about 5 years ago. Now, entrepreneurs find no shortage of support with the increasing number of investors, accelerators, incubators, and government funding opportunities. We expect the pipeline to grow in quantity – but not necessarily in quality.

As a pioneer in deploying venture capital in this sector, we have helped to germinate and grow some of the most iconic start-up companies that are revolutionising the world of food and agriculture today. This has earned us a reputation as the go-to fund, which means we have early conversations with budding entrepreneurs.

We have a unique problem-focused investing approach.

There are three themes that we perceive to be the

biggest challenges of the industry: a more efficient and sustainable production of better quality protein; how food can become a vector of health such as improvement of food safety and traceability; and reduction of food loss.

Much attention today is focused on plant-based proteins. In our view, there are other, pressing challenges deserving of entrepreneurial energy and creativity. For example, we need solutions to effectively manage disease in aquaculture or livestock farming without the need for antibiotics; creating mineralised water from our taps at home; eliminating a significant amount of single-use plastics; or innovations that make it possible to deliver tasty food to consumers with a positive nutritional and metabolic impact.

The challenge for corporates and investors alike is to discern which emerging solutions are “necessary and relevant” versus the “nice to have”, while the challenge for entrepreneurs is not to be distracted by the lure of “quick money” or chasing trends that come and go.

While we cannot predict what the future of food will be, we hope that our investments can help make it a more sustainable, healthier and safer food system. F

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JULIA SIEGER Explore the digital revolution and all the latest technological trends!

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 24/7 Available on in English CH.159, in French à la carte CH.686

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The WasteWatch powered by Leanpath Program prevents on average 50% of food wasted. Using the program, Sodexo teams can rapidly and easily capture food waste data, giving clear insights into what is being wasted in their kitchens and why. With this new understanding, teams can implement targeted operational and behavioral changes to help end avoidable food waste, whether food waste generated in the kitchen or consumer food waste. F

According to a “Connecting Countries” study, more than half of European companies with an Asian subsidiary are growing. A continuous increase in the new technologies sector, 71% of companies from this sector reported more than satisfactory results. This is a boon for Clever Age with its digital expertise, which already has a step in this market since the launch of Clever Age Asia in 2014.

Its presence is expanded by successive branch openings in Hong-Kong and Singapore.

The choice of Vietnam is the logical consequence of the strategic presence in the region. South East Asia is a 600-million inhabitants market, and an essential hub for global companies.

Nadjim Lakhdari will be in charge of the operations of Clever Age Vietnam as a COO.

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Sodexo announced the deployment of its data-driven food waste prevention program, WasteWatch powered by Leanpath, at 3,000 sites worldwide within a year. During the Tech for Good Summit, Denis Machuel, Sodexo’s Chief Executive Officer, reiterated the company’s goal to deploy the program to all relevant Sodexo sites by 2025, in line with its goal to halve food waste and food losses from its operations by the same year.

Clever Age has officially opened its doors in Vietnam.

Offices are located in Ho Chi Minh City, giving access to a new market to conquer for Clever Age.

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Sodexo steps up fight against food waste, aims to deploy data-driven program at 3,000 sites within year

Clever Age has opened its doors in Vietnam

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short news

Lyreco Group announces the acquisition of DeskRight Lyreco Group announced the acquisition of DeskRight, a leading office supplies business on the Singapore market. The move puts Lyreco, a European leader and number three worldwide in the distribution of workplace supplies solutions to businesses, in a leadership position on the Singapore market and represents the first step in its new development strategy for the Asia region.

The acquisition will boost business at Lyreco Group’s Singaporean subsidiary, opened in 2006, as it benefits from

DeskRight’s relations with local businesses and government agencies. This B2B client base will in turn benefit from Lyreco’s international scope, logistics expertise and global purchasing power.

Andy Koh, the long-standing owner of DeskRight, will serve as Managing Director for Singapore.

“Asia is a priority market for Lyreco Group. We know there is room for us on the market and we are determined to become the regional leader,” said Hervé Milcent, Lyreco’s CEO. F

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8x8 Acquires Wavecell, Entering Global Communications Platform-as-a-Service (CPaaS) Market

Accor has inked a deal with Global Premium Hotels (GPHL), one of Singapore’s largest hotel chains. This new deal will add a further 15 hotels to Accor’s Singapore portfolio, taking the French hospitality group’s inventor y to 30 hotels and 7,625 rooms in the city-state.

The 15 hotels will undergo asset enhancement initiatives to be in line with Accor’s global standards and will be rebranded to become one Mercure, one I bis Styles and 13 I bis Budget hotels. F

ENGIE and UnaBiz Embark on Smart Facilities Management with KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital The hospital is seeing encouraging results in this pioneer project. Feedback gathered from the Facilities Management (FM) Department mentioned that they can quickly respond to the temperature alarm if the set point is exceeded.

To enhance healthcare facilities and provide better patient experience, ENGIE and UnaBiz partnered KK Women’s and Children’s’ Hospital (KKH) and embarked on a Smart Facilities Management project with digitisation of temperature and humidity monitoring using lowpower sensors to provide remote monitoring while providing a better patient experience and enabling timely inter vention of anomalies.

O ver 100 temperature and humidity sensors by ENLESS WIRELESS have been deployed around KKH in areas such as the intensive care units, outpatient clinics, patient wards and pharmacies.

By deploying sensors to collect data of room temperature and humidity, staff at KKH no longer maintain manual 24-hour daily temperature logs and can now avail more time to look after patients.

Furthermore, digital records are much faster, and better for audit purpose. F

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Wavecell is expected to further accelerate 8x8’s growth, expand its international presence, and deepen the company ’s technology capabilities in cloud communications. F

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Accor’s Singapore portfolio doubles in size following Fragrance Hotel deal

represents a natural expansion of 8x8’s cloud business from Unified Communications-as-aSer vice (UCaaS), Contact Center-as-a-Ser vice (CCaaS), and Video into the CPaaS market.

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8x8, Inc. a leading cloud provider of voice, video, chat and contact center solutions for over one million users worldwide, announced the acquisition of privately-held Wavecell Pte. Ltd., a Singaporebased global Communications Platform-as-a-Ser vice (CPaaS) provider, for approximately USD $125 million in cash and stock. The acquisition provides an established technology platform and high-growth revenue business to pursue CPaaS globally and

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JCDecaux Singapore welcomes the first augmented reality campaign on its digital bus shelter network JCDecaux Singapore unveiled the first Augmented Reality (AR) out-of-home campaign on its digital advertising network on 24 July 2019. Fictional scenes overlaid on the surroundings will be displayed at a bus stop during the week-long brand activation along the prime stretch of Orchard Road.

Decathlon Singapore 7K run: a race accessible to more than 3000 runners O ver 3,000 runners were flagged off at Decathlon Singapore Lab on 4 August 2019 for the inaugural Decathlon x Get Active! SG 7K race. W ith the aim of making the race accessible to many, this race had three categories - 7K Men, 7K Women and 7K Pair.

Decathlon Singapore managing director Nils Swolkien said: “Being part of GetActive! Singapore is a logical consequence of the vision we share with Sport Singapore.

W ith the 7km race, we hope to demonstrate how fun and accessible running can be.”

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The scenes have been designed to pique the interest of commuters waiting for buses, such as a parachutist descending near the bus stop, a lion emerging from the bush and a dinosaur storming past and butterflies forming the VIVIFI logo. F

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The AR campaign was conceptualised to capture the imagination of consumers and garner awareness for the launch of VIVIFI, a new mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in Singapore. W ith the addition of AR to the innovative solutions under its belt, JCDecaux offers more modes of engagement for brands seeking to capture the attention of consumers in the urban environment.

Decathlon’s first ever race introduced shared tags where participants were able to complete the race as a pair. The categories encouraged people of all ages and fitness levels to run their first race, be it for leisure or to beat personal records. Each participant of the race were gifted a generous race pack containing Decathlon products - a bag, shirt, towel and other accessories. F

patron member

spotlight

Financial solutions in a digital age In our interview with a Patron Member, Sofia Hammoucha, Head of Transaction Banking, Southeast Asia, BNP Paribas shares about disruptions in the industry, the company’s strategy in Asia, and focusing on a sustainable future.

Can you tell us about the company’s recent initiatives in light of current global topics such as climate change and innovative disruptions in your industry?

BNP Paribas, as a group, has three key ambitions driving our strategic plan for 2020, namely digital transformation by promoting useful innovation for our clients, financial performance by encouraging sustainable growth in the economy, and company engagement by developing our contribution to society.

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What is your company’s strategy for the Asia Pacific region?

BNP Paribas has uninterrupted heritage Pacific region, where customised product solutions to clients Pacific markets.

a strong, in the Asia we provide and service in 13 Asia

We are committed to continually improve our clients’ experience by offering innovative solutions tailored to their specific needs as well as working with them to find solutions to finance sustainable value creation. This can range from being an active player in energy transition by financing alternative energy projects to helping clients review and improve their supply chain.

In Transaction Banking, which is the business I am responsible for in Southeast Asia, we offer a full breadth of award-winning solutions and continue to add new capabilities to serve our clients’ needs in Asia Pacific, including Cash Management and Trade & Supply Chain Finance.

Our approach to innovation and new technologies is very pragmatic. We have a keen interest in fintech innovations that complement our own internal expertise to offer new solutions. For example, in August, we helped our client Cargill successfully complete the first fully integrated paperless trade transaction in iron ore with Rio Tinto, reducing the transaction time from several days to two hours by using blockchain technology on Voltron’s web-based platform.

Our approach is client-centric, and our continued success is based on our connectivity and our collaborative approach both internally with each other, across regions, products and teams, and externally through our collaboration with our clients and fintechs.

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pat r o n m e m b e r s p ot l i g h t

t h e wat e r cool e r c h at Who inspires you?

– I find that my children inspire me the most with their curiosity, open-mindedness and kindness.

Finish this sentence: “The best use of sustainable resources is ...”

– Sof ia receives on behalf of BNP Paribas the Singapore government’s Certif icate of Appreciation for being an early adopter of the Networked Trade Platform (NTP).

What are the challenges and opportunities for BNP Paribas in Asia Pacific?

I believe that challenges and opportunities are two sides of the same coin. We live in a digital age where cash is no longer a preferred mode of payment and “instant ” is king. To me, the game changers are digital and data. The winners are those who understand how to mine and analyse data to improve efficiency and make business decisions. The question I ask myself every time I meet a client is: How can we help make their life easier?

In this issue, we explore the theme of Agri-Food Tech. From a financial institution perspective, how do you see BNP Paribas offering or adapting its services in this domain?

We recently participated in a pilot programme using blockchain technology to increase trust, transparency and traceability in the supply chain of a commodity. Farmers were able to access cheaper funds earlier in the production process through a data-for-benefits swap.

Agri and food production will be an important topic at our next Sustainable Future Forum. Launched in Singapore in 2016, BNP Paribas’ Sustainable Future Forum reflects the urgency and scale of redeployment of private sector capital needed to achieve the UN’s SDGs by 2030, and the targets agreed under the Paris Climate Agreement. This year’s Forum will focus on Asia Pacific’s role in creating – and solving – the world’s climate crisis as policy measures rapidly intensify around this crucial topic. F

…Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

We aim to ban single-use plastic from our office!

What is the best way to run a meeting?

– Personally, I find that we attend too many meetings. My personal motto in attending or running a meeting is to ensure that it doesn’t last more than 30 minutes; a decision has to be made, and minutes and follow up actions are clearly documented.

If you could give one piece of career advice, it would be....

– Being open to new challenges and appreciating the value of networking are two pieces of advice that come to mind. And as Roger Federer rightly says: “There is no way around the hard work, just embrace it.”

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Agri & Food

Agri-food tech has far-reaching effects on a global society and the world economy.

In this edition of FOCUS Magazine, we interview start ups and food manufacturers across France and Singapore to explore how bigger strides in technology lead to a more sustainable ecosystem of urban agriculture as well as food production and management.

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Cov e r s to r y : ag r i & FOO D TE C H

Agri-food Tech: Harnessing New Capabilities In Food Production

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The agriculture and food sector remains one of the few key drivers of the current global economy as food security tops government agendas, especially for an island city-state like Singapore.

rowing interest in agricultural and food technology is the result of increasing challenges in food supply and demand, as well as a significant shift in consumer tastes from mass-produced brands to healthier food products.

Powered by strong economic fundamentals, political support, infrastructure for innovation, and a strategic location, the building blocks are in place to “catalyse technological and business innovation to transform agriculture and aquaculture in the Asia-Pacific region,” said Dr Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry, at the Indoor Ag-Con Asia conference earlier this year.

4 of

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To address these rising challenges, the Committee of Supply 2019 for the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources announced earlier this year that the government has set out a vision to achieve “30 by 30” – i.e., to develop the capability and capacity of the country’s agri-food industry to locally produce 30 per cent of Singapore’s nutritional needs by 2030.

To achieve this, Singapore’s agri-food industry needs to leverage R&D and adopt new climate-resilient and sustainable technologies to raise productivity and overcome resource constraints.

Aquaculture

Sectors Interest

The National Research Foundation Singapore explains how the Singapore Food Story and expanding the agri-tech ecosystem turns food production constraints into strengths and new opportunities: With climate change, rising sea levels and temperatures could impact food production, resulting in global shortage of food.

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Indoor Vertical Agriculture

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Underlying this, however, is the significance of agri-food tech on Singapore’s ambitions to be more self-reliant when it comes to food production. With 90 per cent of its food supply being imported, the journey for Singapore to become a leader in agriculture technology has only just begun.

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Insect Farming

Alternative Proteins

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In this edition, FOCUS explores aspects of the broad eco-system of agri-food tech, from drone adoption in agriculture (page 30), insect and algae harvesting as food alternatives (pages 27), to how start-ups (page 34) and vertical vegetable plots (page 29) are changing the game.

According to the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA): Vegetable, fish and egg farms

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The Singapore Food Story is anchored on a strong foundation of food safety, to ensure that the food we produce are safe for Singaporeans to consume, with potential to be exported to other countries.

To support the “30 by 30” goal, funding of up to $144 million will be allocated from within the RIE2020 Plan to carry out R&D in Sustainable Urban Food Production, Future Foods and Food Safety Science & Innovation. In line with this, Enterprise Singapore will set up two new Centres of Innovation – the Centre of Innovation in Aquaculture and the Centre of Innovation in Energy – to support technology innovation for Singapore enterprises in the aquaculture and energy sectors.

Singapore has made significant efforts to move towards an economy driven by technology, innovation and enterprise. We are supporting Singapore-based companies to accelerate the deployment of solutions from the laboratory to the market, and encourage entrepreneurship among Singaporeans. There is also a range of government support, including grants for first-time technology entrepreneurs, co-investment funding with private sector investors, and support for incubators and accelerators. SGInnovate, a government-owned deep-tech venture builder, has also been actively facilitating the growth of deep-tech start-up companies in nascent technology sectors.

To fuel the growth of our vibrant innovation ecosystem, and build new enterprises that serve the needs of Asia, and even the world, we are deepening our efforts – forging links with other global innovation nodes through our Global Innovation Alliance, and attracting talent from around the world, to work together with talented Singaporeans in Singapore – to form a bridge between Asia and the rest of the world.

”

2018

2019

173 Farms

194 Farms

The amount of vegetables, fish and eggs produced locally also grew.

Locally grown leafy vegetables

2010

2018

9,300 Tonnes

12,200 Tonnes

12% Consumption in Singapore

13% Consumption in Singapore

Locally produced fish

2010

2019

3,200 Tonnes

4,600 Tonnes

6% Consumption in Singapore

9% Consumption in Singapore

Sources: EDB Singapore, National Research Foundation, The Straits Times ( Jan 16 2019), TODAYonline (24 February 2019)

Cov e r s to r y : ag r i & FOO D TE C H

Ever y year since 2016, the Université Paris-Saclay Design & Science Prize has brought together student designers and engineers to develop innovative projects based on an annual theme. In 2020, they will propose alternative and sustainable agricultural and food solutions for European and Asian megacities.

The winning team will win a trip to Singapore to meet partners and potential clients, in addition to a €3,000 grant and a place in an incubator to develop the project.

In parallel, the Agritech & Design Prize, led by EDB Singapore, will offer French startups the opportunity to take part in the thinking process in a dedicated competition.

The Design & Science Prize is led by Design Spot, the Université Paris-Saclay design center, in partnership with the Île-de-France region, EDB Singapore, Universcience, Strate - École de design, the Agence pour la promotion de la création industrielle (APCI), Laval V irtual and Incuballiance.

Supported by the Singapore Economic Council and the Île-de-France region, the 2020 Paris-Saclay University Design & Science Prize offers design and science students the opportunity to join forces to meet the challenges of urban agriculture in Europe and Asia.

The award ceremony will take place on Februar y 27, 2020 at the Palais de la découverte in Paris. F

Registration is open until 30 September 2020.

40 students will be selected for this programme where they will have 5 months to co-create innovative solutions in the field of urban agriculture.

The awards ceremony will take place on the evening of 27 Februar y 2020.

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For this new prize, Singapore and Université Paris-Saclay are joining forces to imagine the future of urban agriculture in Europe and Asia.

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Launch of the Design & Science 2020 Award by Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB).

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wat hy Singapore needs to look agri-food tech closely Mr Ted Tan, Deputy CEO of Enterprise Singapore shares with us how Singapore is creating a vibrant ecosystem for agri-food tech startups.

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ingapore, a true foodie’s paradise. Our little red dot houses a huge selection of food, from our favourite hawker centres, street food to celebrity restaurants. Despite our small land mass and limited agricultural output, food is big business here. Yet today, Singapore is producing only 10% of its nutritional needs domestically.

On a more macro level, expanding populations globally are driving food demand and consumption. Coupled with erratic weather patterns, fluctuating commodity prices and protectionist trade policies, food security is an issue that will continue to weigh significantly on individuals and communities.

Modern technologies in urban agriculture and aquaculture will play a central role in Singapore’s food production, enabling us to grow more with less in our highly urbanised and densely built-up environment.

The use of sensors, data and artificial intelligence, for example, can also improve the quality of yield through real time insights on farming conditions and reduce wastage by tackling problems before they imperil a harvest.

Future-proofing our food production is not solely about increasing the supply of fresh produce. Of equal importance is innovating the way we create our food, be it through the use of new ingredients or the development of products catering to niche sectors like our ageing population. With the number of Singaporeans aged 65 and above increasing to one in four by 2030, texture-modified food is an important area in food production which we should pay close attention to. For example, Singapore has produced texturemodified meals in local flavours that are ready-to-eat for those with swallowing difficulties, also known as dysphagia.

Putting in place the infrastructure to grow the nascent sector The 2019 Global Innovation Index ranks Singapore first in Asia. This is a testament to the strength of our innovation ecosystem.

Our intellectual property regime is reliable and our standards have earned the trust of people, businesses and governments worldwide. Together with a pro-business environment, these fundamentals create a solid foundation for technology transfer and product development in the agri-food tech sector.

The agri-food tech sector itself is nascent. To leapfrog the sector’s development, Enterprise Singapore is doing two things: 1. Building a vibrant startup environment to uncover more talent as well as anchor technical experts, incubators, accelerators and potential investors here, and 2. Deepening the capabilities of our homegrown companies, large and small, to upgrade, scale up and globalise.

Texture-modif ied rendang chicken dish which Singapore food startup, SilverConnect, has developed with support from Enterprise Singapore

More recently, in July 2019, SEEDS Capital announced its first agri-food tech co-investment with Openspace Ventures for Nutrition Technologies to establish Southeast Asia’s largest hi-tech commercialscale insect protein production facility. When ready, the insect farm will produce over 18,000 tonnes of animal feed and organic fertilisers annually.

Enterprise Singapore and SEEDS Capital will continue to catalyse more investments in this area, towards creating food solutions that have high market potential both for and beyond Singapore.

Global accelerators can also nurture and support Singapore’s local agri-food tech startups in fundraising, tech sourcing, product development, commercialisation and internationalisation. To date, five accelerators have made Singapore their home in Asia – Big Idea Ventures, GROW, Hatch Blue, Trendlines and The Yield Lab.

Strengthening globalise

capabilities

to

grow

and

Specific to putting in place the infrastructure to drive innovation in the agri-tech ecosystem, Enterprise Singapore is working with JTC Corporation, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) to establish the Agri-Food Innovation Park (AFIP).

The park will centralise hi-tech urban farming – both agriculture and aquaculture – R&D activities at Sungei Kadut.

The Aquaculture Innovation Centre (AIC) at Temasek Polytechnic will bring the vast expertise and manpower from nine different partners across

One example of a Singapore company that has done this is Barramundi Asia. It inked an agreement with the Brunei government to farm up to 36,000 tonnes of fish in Brunei Darussalam. This can potentially open trade channels into other countries.

For post-harvest innovation, Enterprise Singapore is leading FoodInnovate, an initiative that was rolled out in April 2018 to drive food innovation through four key pillars – infrastructure, knowledge-building, coinnovation and disruptive technologies. Our food companies will be able to produce, test-bed and commercialise products to meet consumer demands and nutrition needs of the future.

The next step for Singapore There is both business and social value in innovation.

While agri-food tech may still be in its early stages of growth in Singapore, it is critical to take a long-term view of developing this sector. We have started to make early moves to uncover promising startups and disruptive technologies; anchor investors, incubators, accelerators and experts; and creating the infrastructure to cultivate agri-food technologies. By fostering innovation, we lay the foundation to position Singapore as one of Asia’s leading food and nutrition hub. F

A b o u t E n t e r p r i s e S i n ga p o r e Enterprise Singapore is the government agency championing enterprise development. We work with committed companies to build capabilities, innovate and internationalise.

We also support the growth of Singapore as a hub for global trading and startups, and build trust in Singapore’s products and services through quality and standards.

Visit www.enterprisesg.gov.sg for more information.

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These partners were selected based on their capabilities in nurturing startups, access to funding and commercialisation resources, and good track records.

On top of injecting liquidity into the ecosystem, they will provide hands-on assistance, mentorship and connections with potential investors in their networks to fast-track product commercialisation.

Beyond uplifting Singapore’s capabilities, we support companies to source for alternative urban agriculture and aquaculture production sites to achieve scale.

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Earlier this year, Enterprise Singapore’s investment arm, SEEDS Capital, appointed seven co-investment partners to catalyse more than S$90 million worth of investments into deep tech and early stage agri-food tech startups, in order to create disruptive agri-food solutions. Capital is crucial in the foundational years of a startup, enabling them to bring their innovative ideas to fruition.

tertiary institutes and government agencies together through a consortium model. Such a model enables the AIC partners to tap complementary strengths and create sustainable aquaculture solutions to serve both the domestic and international markets.

FOCUS MAGAZINE

Building a flourishing startup landscape

Consumers are more aware than ever of the benefits certain foods can provide. Sodexo partners with clients who share our vision of providing healthy and tasty meals for better employee performance and engagement.

Sodexo’s culinary team gathers and tracks consumer trends, including the growing interest in plant-based dining. Today, there’s an increasing demand for plant-based foods and new fruits and vegetables with a range of nutrients and vitamins that promise wide benefits. Find out how we can delight your guests with vegan, vegetarian and plant-based menus from around the world, and reduce your carbon footprint.

Talk to us. Let’s chat about how Sodexo can support you on your sustainability journey. enquiries.sg@sodexo.com

www.sodexo.sg

Cov e r s to r y : ag r i & FOO D TE C H

Taking Singapore’s Food Ambitions to New Heights Melvin Chow, Senior Director (Food Supply Resilience Division) at the recently formed Singapore Food Agency, discusses the organisation’s key agenda – to turn Singapore’s food challenges into strategic advantages.

What is the “30 by 30” goal?

Panasonic Factory Solutions Asia Pacif ic

What is Singapore’s vision for food security?

Singapore faces space and resource constraints, and is vulnerable to global trends that impact food supply and safety. These include the growing complexity of food systems, climate change, urbanisation, and new business models and food products. Amid these global challenges, the Singapore Food Story seeks to turn our food challenges into strategic advantages to ensure and secure safe food for all.

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The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) is pursuing three broad strategies, called the 3 Food Baskets: diversify import sources, grow local, and grow overseas.

It is an ambitious goal that will require our agri-food industry to transform into one that is highly productive and employs climate-resilient and sustainable technologies that will enable us to overcome our land, water, energy and manpower constraints.

To achieve this, SFA is working closely with economic and planning agencies to develop the local agri-food sector through three broad areas: 1. Continue to develop agriculture land and open up sea space to farms with best concepts that can raise production in a sustainable and intensive manner. Alternate spaces such as vacant state-buildings and multi-storey carparks are also innovative spaces for food production; 2. Build an R&D ecosystem to enhance urban food production, develop production technologies for alternative proteins, as well as strengthen food safety capabilities and technologies; 3. Groom local companies and the future workforce to support the local agri-food eco-system.

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The “30 by 30” goal aims for local production to produce 30% of our nutritional needs locally by 2030. This is more than a three-fold increase from our current levels of production.

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The ‘grow local’ basket helps to mitigate our reliance on imports and serve as a buffer during supply disruptions to import sources, which contributes to our food security.

How does agri-food tech play a part in achieving our “30 by 30” goal and contributing to food security?

The “30 by 30” vision calls for a transformation of the local agri-food sector into one that is highly productive, innovative and sustainable. As such, we have to expand production in high-tech, controlled environments, and adapt our solutions to protect against climate change that affects crop yield. Such technologies will enable us to overcome our land, water, energy and manpower constraints.

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Technologies, such as indoor multi-storey LED lighting vegetable farms and indoor multistorey Recirculating Aquaculture Systems, can produce 10 to 15 times more vegetables and fish per hectare than traditional vegetable and landbased fish farms. Besides being highly productive, such farming technologies have the important additional advantage of being resilient against climate change.

Does SFA provide any support to the agrifood tech industry?

The Singapore Food Story R&D programme was jointly developed with A*STAR to grow a vibrant and forward-looking agri-tech and food ecosystem.

“ SFA is committed to work with farmers to achieve the vision of a high-tech, innovative and sustainable agri-food sector that makes efficient use of limited farmland, labour, water and energy. ” An example of how we support farmers is with the $63 million Agriculture Productivity Fund (APF). Farmers can tap on our APF to modernise and harness innovative, sustainable technologies and advanced farming systems. These include curtain systems that shade crops and minimise the negative impact of high temperatures on crop growth, or closed-containment systems that reduce vulnerability of fish stock to environmental changes in the sea.

Sustenir A farm which employs agri-food tech is local vegetable farm Sustenir, which uses advanced Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) technologies to grow their produce at their indoor farm in an industrial building. The technologies allow Sustenir to grow kale, arugula and strawberries which are not native to Singapore thus reducing the dependence on imports. It is the first farm in Singapore to produce strawberries for commercial sale; in 2018, Sustenir set up an indoor farming R&D facility at JTC Launchpad for R&D on urban farming. Some ideas being tested at this facility include robotics in seed sowing and seedling transplanting.

Singapore Food Agency A farm that benefitted from the APF is N&N Agriculture Pte Ltd, which implemented a fully automated system for crate washing, eggs packing as well as automatic wrapping of egg trays.

In 2017, the farm achieved manpower savings of 57,600 man-hours, and water savings of $35,700. The APF also co-funds R&D and testbedding of technologies.

Apart from local production, does SFA have any other measures in place to ensure our food security?

Diversification of Singapore’s food import sources is one of our key strategies to bolster food security and to ensure supply resilience.

“ By buying from many diverse sources, the risk of reliance on any one supply source is reduced, and enables us to tap on/ramp up supply from other sources when traditional sources are disrupted. ”

Sky Greens’ vertical farms are designed with productivity and eco-sustainability in mind.

In addition, we see the need to develop a pipeline of local talent to grow and support the agri-food ecosystem. SFA has been engaging Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) to develop relevant programmes to meet industry demand for local talent with a good understanding of urban food production processes and business models, as well as multi-disciplinary expertise in sciences (e.g. biology, food chemistry, nutrition engineering), engineering, info-communications, robotics, energy & waste management, and business management.

In this regard, SFA has worked with Temasek Polytechnic (TP) and Republic Polytechnic (RP) to launch relevant SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programmes (ELPs) in 2018 and 2019 respectively.

The ELPs lead to diplomas in Urban Agricultural Technology from RP and Aquaculture from TP. SFA will also be partnering with universities for undergraduates/ post-graduate programmes to groom agri- and aqua-technologists and culturists, urban farming specialists, and researchers to meet future needs.

• Regularly engage food industry associations, supermarket retailers, and importers. Issues on food supply challenges, potential new sources, consumer trends, and the plans to mitigate any supply disruption are discussed at these industry engagements.

Apart from diversifying our food import sources, we will continue to support our companies to expand and grow overseas so that their produce can be exported back home, contributing to our food security. By venturing overseas, companies can overcome land and manpower constraints and access new and bigger markets. They are then able to reap economies of scale and can also export food back to Singapore.

Some local farms have ventured into Brunei (Apollo Aquaculture Group and Barramundi Asia) to develop fish farms, and Hong Kong (Sustenir) to develop indoor vegetable farms. F

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• Organise and facilitate food sourcing initiatives, such as business matching between industry players (e.g. food importers, local farmers and retailers) with potential overseas exporters. The objective is to facilitate networking and increase imports of food from non-traditional source countries as well as explore new potential source countries for supply of food to Singapore.

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• Explore more import sources to share with the industry to facilitate their diversification efforts.

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SFA encourages food businesses to diversify their import sources and put in place business continuity plans to strengthen business resilience. We will continue to:

Bettina Hudry Gerez, Business Development Director, Alcimed, discuses how technology is changing the future of food production.

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Another example we can mention is Nordic Sugar, a sugar manufacturer in Europe that analyses more than 80,000 samples of beetroot each year through robots with sensors to detect contaminants, or NestlĂŠ which tracks milk from farms in New Zealand to its facilities in the Middle East through blockchain.

Agri-food is an exploration territory at Alcimed.

Please tell us what that means and particularly in a country like Singapore.

What are the implications of the relationship between technology and nutrition?

At Alcimed, we are 200 explorers who help corporate leaders, innovative SMEs & public institutions explore and develop their uncharted territories. For 25 years, we have been operating in life science including the agri-food industry where we explore areas like new technologies and their impact on the business, new offers to develop, new geographies to enter, new ways to speedup innovation or to envision possible futures.

One of the latest frontiers that we see emerging is personalised nutrition. This is driven by two technologies maturing sufficiently to be widely used - nutrigenomics, which is the study of how diet and nutrients affect gene expression and health; as well as next generation sequencing, leading to an exponential understanding of the microbiota in the gut. As one of the first large food companies, MARS has created a new division only focused on personalised nutrition.

The agri-food territory is an exploration for us working everyday with players throughout the value chain involved in agribusiness, ingredients and finished products, both in the human and animal nutrition sector. Singapore is our latest base camp after the 7 offices already existing in Europe and the US. In Singapore for example, our on-going explorations focus on alternative proteins, microbiota, healthy ageing, by-product valorization and sustainable packaging.

How does agri-food tech bring about more efficiency in food production?

Along the whole value chain, advancements in technology are bringing more efficiency, sustainability, traceability and safety in the food production.

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For example, precision farming helps predict optimal crop planting & harvesting while reducing the use of plant protection products; sensors can support detecting contaminants; and blockchain enables tracking ingredients & process.

Another aspect of technology and nutrition is related to mobile phones, which can track personal lifestyle data to help improve our health. In China for example, NestlĂŠ and Xiaomi have partnered to improve diets of adults and an aging population. Their developed platform allows users to upload their daily food intake, as well as information about their weight, blood pressure, sleep patterns and exercise habits.

Using big data analytics, the platform then generates individualised personalised nutrition reports for each user.

Last but not least, startups are growing in the field of alternative proteins. For example, Shiok Meats, a Singaporean startup, aims at producing cell-based shrimps. Technology embraces nutrition when these stem cells are fed with a nutrient mix that helps them grow into meat tissues. Producing shrimps this way prevents the use of antibiotics or hormones that affect human health. F

Cov e r s to r y : ag r i & fo o d t e ch

Rethinking What We Know About Food Jennie Moss, Founder & MD, Rethink Events talks about the upcoming Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Week in Singapore and the highlights to look out for at the summit.

Two examples of exciting companies joining the programme this year are Singapore-based start-up Kosmodehealth that will showcase its customisable 3D bioprinting technology for cell-based proteins, and JuiceInnov8 from Thailand who will present a sugar reduction biotechnology which uses non-GM microbes to create healthier juices with less sugar and lower calories.

Other featured start-ups include: Avant (cell-based seafood protein), Bite Back Insect Co (insect biorefinery), Bloom Agro (agriculture and irrigation platform), Cropital (financing platform for small farmers), Global Bugs (cricket farm and process factory), Jala (shrimp aquaculture monitoring platform), Karana (food brand innovating with jackfruit) and Phuture Foods (plant-based meat).

Daily themes move the discussions from agriculture to urban farming, aquaculture, protein innovation, and food-tech for health and nutrition.

The keynote address will be given

by Dr Koh Poh Koon (Minister of Trade and Industry), before authoritative experts such as Yu Xiang Liu (ADM), Howard Shapiro (Mars) and Purvi Mehta (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) explore in-field agriculture topics on Day 1 including digital farming, plant science, precision agriculture, crop optimisation and supply chain solutions.

Day 2 features insights from companies such as A*STAR, Spread and Mistletoe on new technologies and business models in urban farming and aquaculture with a particular focus on Singapore’s own food security and sustainability challenges.

The afternoon focuses on protein innovation, a hugely exciting area for investment and technology development encompassing plantbased and cell-based meat proteins.

Then of course throughout the week there are countless opportunities for networking, assisted by a one-toone meeting app, at our dedicated meeting hub. F

Now in its second year, the summit has partnered with Temasek Holdings to create an extensive agenda which investigates the expanding role of innovation and technology in building a more eff icient, resilient and sustainable agri-food supply chain across Southeast Asia, India and China.

The Asia-Pacif ic Agri-Food Innovation Week in Singapore, Grand Hyatt Hotel, November 20-22, www.agrifoodinnovation.com

is proud to be a partner of Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Week.

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What are the key discussion topics at Asia-Pacific AgriFood Innovation Week?

On Day 3, food business leaders including Ferrero, BASF and DSM will discuss topics such as ingredient reformulation and how food-tech innovations such as sugar replacements, protein and functional fibres can transform health and wellness in a region facing dietary health challenges including malnutrition, obesity and diabetes.

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Start-ups are at the heart of every agri-food ecosystem, and AsiaPacific Agri-Food Innovation Week is a fantastic springboard for start-ups seeking their next funding round or corporate collaborations. The Technology Showcase sessions are a highlight of the agenda, as entrepreneurs pitch their technologies on stage to an expert panel of investors and the summit audience. Meanwhile, the TechHub is a dedicated exhibition area for start-ups to display their disruptive technologies and meet with delegates.

With more than 80 active investors attending the summit, including Temasek, Mistletoe, Ankur Capital, Jungle Ventures and VisVires New Protein Capital to name just a few, Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Week will be a hotbed for the latest innovation trends, from farm to fork.

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What are some of the latest agri-food companies or innovations to look out for?

Ÿnsect: Rethinking Nature’s Harvest Antoine Hubert, Chief Executive Officer at Ÿnsect shares how insect farming provides a sustainable alternative method to feeding the future.

What is Ÿnsect and its role in the future of food?

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Ÿnsect is a leading manufacturer in mass-scale breeding of insects for the animal feed market. Our goal is to be a leading global provider of sustainable, premium nutrition by tapping into the potential of insect harvesting, to create a sustainable food system with universal nutritional performance and health benefits.

What is the food technology underpinning Ÿnsect?

We call our process of farming beetles and mealworms, ‘coleoculture’.

Our products are enabled by highly scalable technology and the entire production process – from feeding, to controlling the health and welfare of the insects, to the sensors used for quality control, to harvesting mature insects – is automated. We have 25 patents covering our technology, the products themselves and their different applications.

Drawing inspiration from nature, we are developing more vertical farms, as we see how insects can build complex, efficient structures to support their populations, while fine-tuning our automation processes to farm insects.

What does Ÿnsect bring to the food table?

We make a high-quality fertiliser derived from insect castings - a nutritious solution with biostimulating activities for plants and soils that has a positive impact on plant growth. Our insectbased products are also a natural and environmentally-responsible resource to feed pets.

Our products are focused on three main areas – aquaculture, pets and plants. ŸnMeal and ŸnOil deliver sustainable, natural, premium nutrition for fish-farming, and animal feed, while ŸnFrass is rich in organic matter and contains essential nutrients for plant growth and health.

Compared to alternative animal and crop-based protein sources, insect farming is environmentally friendly. We do not release as much greenhouse gas emissions and there are dramatic improvements in land use productivity through our unique vertical farm platform.

How is Ÿnsect rethinking the agri-food domain, especially in Asia?

By 2050, the World Resources Institute projects a 70% human food calorie gap. To meet the challenges of feeding a growing global population, and reducing unequal access to meat and fish, we need massive productivity increases in protein production.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation expects insect protein could help close the gap with 150 times more productive land use per hectare for insect farms compared to beef farms. By replacing traditional animal and fish-based feed sources with insect protein, Ÿnsect can offset this growing competition.

We need scale to be able to have a significant impact globally and we have been able to reinvest our capital in R&D to become even more efficient at what we do. Not only does Asia have tremendous cereal resources, which is the raw material needed for Ÿnsect’s farms, it is considered the world’s first fish feed market, and has the advanced industrial and digital capabilities that can support Ÿnsect’s operations going forward. F

Are algae-based products part of the new era of agriculture?

Algae, or more precisely, seaweed or macroalgae, collected from the sea represents an incredible and untapped resource. It is natural, safe (used for centuries in Asia!), renewable (up to 30% biomass increase per day!), does not need arable land or fresh water, and plays a vital role in the global carbon cycle.

Can you explain what Agri-Food Tech means for the future?

We have entered a new era and the food industry is facing huge challenges. The world’s population will reach 9 billion in 2050 while natural resources including fresh water and fertile soil are becoming scarce. Moreover, sanitary issues such as resistance to antibiotics or diseases from overuse of pesticides are increasing.

Thus, to have a sustainable future, we must change our ways to produce. We have to innovate in the agri-food tech sector: we must produce better quality even with less resources!

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Danièle Marzin, Marketing and Innovation Director, OLMIX Group, shares about the agriculture shift towards algae production, and how it plays a role in the carbon cycle.

Olmix has identified 5 different so-called MSP® (marine sulfated polysaccharides) and has proved that macroalgae extracts can both boost plant growth and plant immune system, a great step forward in modern agriculture. In conclusion, macroalgae can be considered as the new sea treasure, and science can guide us towards innovative efficient products.

What kind of technology and skills are required in this production shift?

Understanding seaweed components and chemistry shows you their potential, but the real key is the selection and extraction to reveal their full activity. For more than 15 years, Olmix has worked on the full macroalgae processing chain, called biorefinery. This means using dedicated innovative machines to collect algae from the sea and preserving both environment and algae freshness, right down to the final extract with structural or biological properties.

What is your strategy in the Asia and beyond?

Seaweed is collected from the Breton coast in France because of its numerous available species and the quality of the water. The final product is either fully produced in Britany or in Vietnam.

We are building ur network of subsidiaries and distributors in Asia. Our goal is to continue developing innovative solutions to improve our production performance, maintain all the health benefits of seaweed, and finally, to propose powerful and efficient antibiotic-free and pesticide-free algae-based products. F

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Olmix vision: Thanks to algae

Brown, green or red macroalgae transfer nutrients from the sea. Some algae, due to their poly-anionic structure, can be used to develop innovative new materials such as intercalated clays (Olmix patent – Amadeite®) that bind toxic compounds found in animal feed and are detrimental to animal health while exfoliated clays (Olmix patent – OEA®) have natural properties that boost digestion.

Sustainable food in urban cities?

Bjorn Low, Co-founder and Managing Director, Edible Garden City shares with us the future of farming in urban cities.

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dible Garden City helps cities become more self-sufficient by growing food in underutilised spaces like rooftops, beneath viaducts, and everywhere in between. We’ve built more than 200 edible gardens to date, across restaurants, hotels, schools and homes. Our urban farming model, Citizen Farm, produces fresh, tasty and nutritious fresh herbs, flowers, and vegetables. We teach and support our fellow farmers, whether they are experienced, or aspiring, and hire from marginalised communities and employ our gardens for horticulture-based therapy. Last but not least, we are committed to finding a sustainable solution to managing food waste and achieving greater food resilience in Singapore.

Singapore is a small nation state with limited natural resources, and hence, have limited abilities to grow crops in the traditional way. 90% of the food in Singapore is imported, and the Government has recently announced the “30 by 30” goal, to produce 30% of the nation’s food locally by 2030.

In Singapore, the agriculture industry is spurred by this national goal. And naturally, food-tech innovation will play a key role in increasing productivity of farms or to grow high quality produce within the limited natural constraints of our land.

Edible Garden City launched the region’s first closedloop zero waste urban farm in June 2017. The model aims to feed the community with sustainable, safe, and locallygrown fresh food. Our model features an array of different farming systems which grow the best quality produce with the least amount of waste. Unlike traditional farms, our agricultural by-products are composted and upcycled into fertiliser, which goes back into nourishing the soil and plants.

As part of a recent expansion project, we constructed a two-storey container farm where we grow leafy greens in a climate-controlled environment. The container farm will be test-bedded as a plug-and-play solution to include more sustainable urban farms into builtup residential estates. With more farms located more accessibly, Singaporeans will be able to buy local produce more conveniently, and will be able to recycle their food waste easily.

This past June, we also launched a new farm at Funan. We hope that the Funan farm will set a trend for more farms to be designed and purpose-built into developments.

This would help farmers to overcome land limitations as more building space could be activated to become productive, and increase awareness on urban farming to the general public.

The future of farming is most commonly associated with cutting edge technology. But at Edible Garden City, we believe that the way forward consists not only of innovative technology, but also regenerative natural farming. Technology can help to increase productivity, but traditional methods of farming could also be productive and healing for the environment. For instance, regenerative food forestry promotes healthy ecosystems, while still producing high quality and bountiful harvests.

Technology should be used responsibly, but never at the expense of the environment or the community. Farming should be an empowering and inclusive process. F

Cov e r s to r y : ag r i & fo o d t e ch

PLANTING GARDENS IN THE SKY Vertical farm, Sky Greens, has been lauded for its innovations in urban agriculture. Jack Ng, Founder, Sky Urban VFS Pte Ltd, shares his perspective on where the agri-food tech domain is headed.

Could you explain what food tech means for the future?

How is technology accelerating this production shift?

Our tech is primarily mechanical engineeringbased or design-based but it must be matched with horticultural and plant biology expertise. The engineering innovation can boost the quantity aspect in terms of production volume, operational costs and resource usage while breakthroughs in life science can enhance the quality of yield and stability in production. Sky Greens has always been known for its vertical farming finesse but we have just received our organic certification in April this year, achieving a milestone demonstrating that we can deliver both quantity and quality of fresh produce without the use of chemical materials that are harmful to both humans and our environment.

We need more governmental multi-agency support in carving out urban spaces for technology deployment or proof of concept, establishment of public private partnerships for scaling as well as experienced horticulturists to join our ranks.

What’s next for Sky Greens?

Since our establishment since 2012, we have implemented our systems in Malaysia, Thailand, China and Vietnam. We are very excited that we are going to implement a project in Canada later his year, on the other side of the globe. F

Where to find SkyGreens

veggies ?

SkyGreens fresh organic produce is available in Fairprice Finest supermarkets across Singapore.

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As a pioneer in vertical farming, we have been very focused in maximising production and utilising minimal resources, be it land, water and labour. We wanted to transform the lives of farmers and to a good degree, we have achieved this mission within the economics context. Now, we are looking into deeper into the benefits to food consumers and adding a purpose to improve the quality of produce while maximising quantity.

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How is Sky Greens rethinking agri-food?

In order to meet Singapore’s ‘30 by 30’ food production target, what kind of resources do you think is crucial for agri tech companies like yours to have?

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We believe food tech is an integration of sciences to feed the world with food high in an environmentallysustainable manner.

Cov e r s to r y : ag r i & fo o d t e ch

Crop monitoring from above

What are some of the challenges and benefits of drone adoption in crop cultivation?

When refering to plantations (such as palm oil plantations), we can see everyday on the field that our customers take advantage of drone technology to better manage their operations. That includes design and more accurate planning of areas suitable for planting or access roads, bring precision to their inventory management activities, assess vegetation health monitoring and support due diligence and audit projects.

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Jean-Philippe Polizzi, Chief Area Representative APAC of Delair shares with us about drone adoption in agriculture.

Can you explain what DELAIR does where are you based and which markets do you serve?

Delair provides end-to-end, drone-based solutions that enable enterprises to digitise their physical assets and turn the collected data into valuable business insights. The company’s solutions include Delair Aerial Intelligence (delair.ai), a cloud-based platform for managing, analysing and sharing aerial data, as well as data acquisition solutions with a range of high-performance drones. Our pioneering open ecosystem strategy, integrating best-in-class hardware and software partner solutions, delivers enterprise customers a flexible, one-stop approach for adopting digital transformation through drones. Delair’s solutions, available through an international network of distributors, are deployed in industries such as mining, construction, agriculture, oil and gas, utilities and transportation. Founded in 2011, the company employs 180 people, is headquartered in Toulouse, France and has offices in Paris, Singapore and Los Angeles.

How does UAV technology impact agribusiness?

Recent drone hardware and image processing innovations now enable large-scale, frequent, fast, non-invasive and accurate measures of agricultural data - at the plant level - and help streamline processes.

By combining new-generation drone systems and sophisticated aerial imagery analytics, agricultural companies such as seed companies, agriculture service providers and farm managers get a complete, integrated and easy-to-use workflow to better analyse crops and yields.

For applications such as field trials, high-value crops, plantations, inventory and monitoring, precision agriculture, forestry and surveillance, the UAV technology reduces the time and cost of operations and contribute to maximise yields.

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As per experiment and research, using aerial intelligence not only allows our customers to standardise and automatise their notation process, but also collaborate on many trials spread across geographies and accelerate the decision process on trial validation with plant counts.

The challenges to scale-up drone adoption in crop cultivation are usually bound to logistical issues, such as the availability of a pilot resource or appropriate material within short timelines. Another one is aerial regulation, that varies from one country to another.

However, farming remains the sector with the broadest opportunities even when regulation is still unclear or restrictive.

What does the future of agri tech look like in Asia and beyond?

Surveying planted areas from the sky is not new: remote sensing based on satellite imagery has existed for more than 50 years, and drones have democratised this capacity, with low cost equipment and more precise measurements.

As an example, a company like Michelin Tyres has used the delair.ai platform for plantation inventories in order to improve the sustainable management of its natural rubber plantations in Indonesia.

However, there are still plenty of farming applications to be developed such as (disease pre-identification, yield forecast models and more). F

Embedding Sustainability into Food

For us, the fight against food waste with a single-minded focus on prevention is the single biggest environmental impact action that we can take. We implement solutions that reduce waste at every point in the food service value chain. Through our data and behaviour driven program, WasteWatch, our teams can easily capture food waste data and take action to drive behavioural change, be it food waste generated in the kitchen or consumer food waste.

In Singapore, we have implemented WasteWatch in education institutes, hospitals and multi-national corporations, where we also proactively educate consumers on mindful consumption. Globally, WasteWatch will be deployed across 3,000 client sites by 2020, including additional sites in Singapore.

In addition, we work closely with local partners to integrate a range of innovative plant-based and plant-forward options throughout our menus, driving shifts in consumer perception and behaviour towards more sustainable diets.

How is Sodexo innovating its food programme?

Thomas: The service industry is transforming at an exponential speed, driven by consumer trends, digitalisation and disruptive technologies. To serve today’s digital-savvy consumers, our focus lies in transforming the consumer experience from a traditional offline experience to a digitally-enabled one, which opens up the opportunity for Sodexo to design and provide more value-added services.

As a leader in the food services industry, does Sodexo work with agri-tech producers to cultivate a more sustainable food system?

Roshith: Consumers are getting increasingly sophisticated and they expect food to be exciting, tasty, sustainable and value-for-money all at the same time.

As the demand for plant-rich diets rise, Sodexo chefs globally have developed menus that feature over 200 new plant-based recipes. This minimises our impact on the environment while promoting better health.

Responsible sourcing is a key tenet of our commitment and we work closely with Small and Medium Enterprises, as well as women-owned and minorityowned businesses to source fresh, local ingredients.

We have a commitment to deliver €10 billion in business value to such diverse businesses. From fruits and vegetables to seafood and animal protein, the focus on environmentally-friendly ingredients in our menus drives a reduction in carbon footprint.

From time to time, we host innovation dialogues to enable conversations with food producers and stay ahead of new food trends. We explore opportunities to partner with local producers to deliver new taste sensations to our consumers and increase the availability of fresh, locally-grown products. F

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Roshith: Sodexo’s mission is to improve the Quality of Life of the people we serve and the communities they live in.

As a company that serves 11.2 million consumers in 12 territories across APAC, we have a moral responsibility to address environmental challenges and create social impact.

We have also invested in a Chinese start-up, AEYEGO, in November 2018 through Sodexo Ventures, Sodexo’s venture capital fund. AEYE-GO is a cuttingedge self-checkout system based on artificial intelligence (AI) image recognition technology, offering both tray and facial recognition options for fast and personalized check-outs. This technology enables us to automate the payment for food, easing queues and enhancing user experience. After a successful pilot, Sodexo is deploying the solution in several client sites in China.

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Tell us about Sodexo’s sustainable food program in the domain of food tech.

SeeFood, AEYE-GO’s Food Imaging System, is currently piloted at Sodexo sites in China.

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Thomas Zhuo, APAC Digital Partnerships Director, and Roshith Rajan, APAC Corporate Responsibility Director discuss Sodexo’s partnership with start-ups to drive innovative, sustainable food services in Singapore and across Asia Pacific.

ACCELERATING FAST GROWTH IN FOOD TECH SYSTEMS Dr. Christine Pitt, co-founder of Singapore’s first agri-food tech accelerator program, GROW, shares her view on the evolving ecosystem of this new tech domain.

What is the current climate of food-tech and ag-tech, particularly in Singapore?

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Singapore is rapidly becoming a regional hub for the ag and food tech community with the government here being very proactive and supportive. Their recently announced “30 by 30” strategic vision aims to increase Singapore’s ability to produce 30% of the food that it needs by 2030 with priorities including aquaculture, vertical farming and alternative protein.

This has created great opportunities for agrifood entrepreneurs and new ventures. We are also seeing many large multinational companies and international research groups establishing and expanding their presence here in Singapore as they see the opportunities of this fast growing region.

We need ag-tech and food-tech startups to be attracted to Singapore, to see the opportunities to accelerate their businesses and to deploy new innovations for the benefit of the region. There is a really positive vibe here with a young and well-educated pool of talent excited to get involved and an amazing food culture that reinforces all possibilities.

How are startups transforming the food-tech and ag-tech space?

Because of the methodologies they use and the way they think, startups are very connected to their customers.

Successful startups are focused on understanding the core value proposition they bring to their customers and they are able to turn insights into valued products and services initially at relatively low cost. Traditional research institutions and big corporates on the other hand, are finding it quite difficult to do this and as a result they are not moving fast enough and they are losing ground to these agile startups It is pretty obvious that agri-food startups are going to play a big role in creating the future of food.

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I think startups are at the core of what is going to bring the changes we need in the food sector. They are innovative and have a different mind-set; they are more in tune with changing consumer needs; they move fast and they are prepared to take things on and challenge the status quo.

What can we do at a grassroots level to support emerging startups?

We need to create support mechanisms that help startups make the right connections so there is a mutual exchange of mindset, culture, speed, and different ways of thinking.

This is what GROW has set out to do in Singapore and the broader ASEAN region. We have already established a strong partnership with the Singapore government and we are now broadening our ecosystem to include research institutions, investors, corporates, mentors and other accelerators. We have attracted the interest of ag and food tech startups from across the globe and more than 150 have already applied to participate in our accelerator program. We believe that support at this grassroots level will be critical if together we are going to solve some of the big challenges facing our food and agriculture system. F

A b o u t GROW GROW is Singapore’s first global agtech and foodtech accelerator, founded by AgFunder, and Rocket Seeder.

Applicants have the chance to receive up to US$120,000 in funding and US$80,000 in-kind benefits, plus expert mentoring and network access.

GROW is a 12-week program that will commence on September 9 and will provide services including exposure via AgFunder News and eligibility for entry to GROW ’s +3 GROWth Program.

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Increase your visibility through our media and events

We provide a variety of advertising and sponsoring options, available for both members and non-members:

Fo c u s M aga z i n e

Website

e-newsletter

s o ch i c

events

Depending on your target and communication goals, we have the right solution for a successful marketing campaign.

Contact: marketing@fccsingapore.com CYBER SECURITY FOCUS | 2019 – ISSUE 69 |

The Magazine of the French Chamber

Cyber Threats

WWW.FCCSINGA PORE.COM

F

gapore.com of Commerce in Singapore | www.fccsin

Identity Security Reinvented

Sought After Cybersecurity Skills

entrepreneur member

s p ot l i g ht

W I L D LY D E L I C I O U S , S O C I A L LY G O O D Behind every piece of Wildness Organic Chocolate is a story. Marie Monmont, founder of the Singapore and New Zealand-based chocolate factory, shares how she got started and about the company’s mission to do good.

How did you get into the business of making chocolate?

I’ve always wanted to be a chef since I was a kid. Working in a kitchen is what drives me to be happy at work. I learnt cooking at Jehanne de France and chocolate making at Bernachon in Lyon.

The art of transforming cocoa beans from different countries into a chocolate bar was the most fascinating work I have seen. In the chocolaterie, you work with produce that are not only from the French countryside and so I discovered a whole new world of flavours. And how to work with them.

Tell us about your business, Wildness Organic Chocolate.

First and foremost, I am a chocolate maker and Wildness is a chocolate factory. At the same time, we are a social enterprise that makes organic chocolate with the help of prison inmates and adults with special needs.

As much as we care about making great chocolate, we are a business that wants to inspire our community to be better, to be good and to be helpful while working.

We are driven to create connections with our society, to bring them together and engage in good work. Currently, we are based in two countries – New Zealand and Singapore – and specialise in making hotels amenities and corporates gifts.

We are 100 % independent and I am responsible for bringing a new way of thinking to achieve business success.

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How has Wildness Chocolate improved the lives of your trainees and yourself?

The lives of my staff are so interesting as their paths are unknown to most of us. For inmates at the Rimutaka Prison in New Zealand, it provides them with a normal salary to pay their debts, child allowance, and prison bills like phone calls and electricity, as well as startup cash when they get out. I would say the real income they earn is the sense of confidence in themselves.

Most of them didn’t really work before getting into jail so it is a learning path with humility and a mutual understanding of what needs to be done to be successful.

e n t r e p r e n e u r s p ot l i g ht For our staff at APSN CFA in Singapore, I think their families are happy that their sons and daughters are doing something different in their daily routine and get to work with a luxury product. Both teams feel valued at work and give 100% of their energy to it.

“ As for me, my life was good as it was

but working with inmates and people with learning disabilities has totally changed how I see the world today. ”

I see how we can benefit from each other no matter what we have done or who we are. I always been open minded but it got to the next level with my both teams!

I am indebted to them as I feel more fulfilled now compared to a few years back.

t h e wat e r coole r c h at Can you share what motivates/ inspires you? What is the source of your creativity?

– That question has come up so many times and it is still difficult to answer that! I have a great amount of energy in whatever I undertake. I don’t read books about chocolate making or cooking. I travel to source my inspiration and the creativity comes from long conversations I have with people I encounter. People inspire me the most and I am turning that into something concrete to work the way I like. We have, in our nature, so much potential; I just mix that into a product.

What is your motto in life?

– Always see the positive in everything!

What is your business motto?

– Respect and discipline !

Where is Wildness Chocolate available?

–

How does Singapore support your social enterprise mission?

There is an entity from the government known as The Singapore Centre for Social Enterprise (raiSE), which has been a fantastic support. They bought our first chocolates tablets and helped me with the set-up here, offering advice and recommendations every step of the way. I would say that Singapore has been very welcoming to Wildness by opening its doors without questions. It only took a few months for the government to issue a visa and approve our set up, and now I am running nicely with great thanks to them! They made my life easy to create something new here! F

Wildness is sold at the Grand Hyatt on Scott Rd, SuperNature on Orchard Road, Fish Wives at Cluny Court and at APSN Café. You can find us in hotels such as Intercontinental Robertson Quay and other hotels around Singapore. We also work with corporates to produce chocolate gift boxes for their clients.

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W e ’ v e g o n e d i g i ta l !

At the French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore, we are continuously innovating our services to provide more value-added interactions for our members. Find out more about our latest digital transformation:

A New Private Space for Members The French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore has revamped its website. We are pleased to provide a new user-friendly experience for our members!

Membership Services Committees Events News Recruitment Publications

Our Chamber

W e lco m e to yo u r p r i vat e s pac e !

You can find here information about:

Members can now log in to their Private Space and enjoy a range of benefits: • Easier access to our Online Directory • Register for member-exclusive events and enjoy special rates all year-round • Enjoy offers with our exclusive privilege programme • A custom-made space where members can manage new features • Download your invoices for paid events and services

Hello!

H O ME F IND A M E M BER M E M BER O F FERS M Y ACCO UN T

• members with our Online directory • offers with our exclusive privilege programme • account to setup your personal informal information • connect with French Chamber members in Singapore and the worldwide business community from the CCIFI network To increase your visibility among the CCIFI network, accept connection request in your personal information tab.

Stay up-to-date by subscribing to our newsletter with our latest news and upcoming events!

A Powerful and Easyto-Use Online Directory

Directory available online!

To drive better and more efficient communication with our business network, our business directory is now digital!

Membership Services Committees Events News Recruitment Publications

Now members can connect with a worldwide community of more than 16,000 company members, and enjoy an easier way to navigate the Private Space to find all the information they need.

• Manage personal information (update contact details and privacy options) • Interact with French Chamber members in Singapore • Find other members and connect with the French Chamber business community worldwide • Increase visibility among the CCIFI network through connection requests

Our Chamber

member benefits

O n li n e di r e cto r y

become a member online directory

The online directory is an essential tool to find information and patron members connect with French Chamber members in Singapore and with the worldwide member benefits business community from the CCIFI network.

Find a member F ilter by k eyword

S ector submit

7 60 m e m b e r s fo r t h e s e l e ct e d c r i t e r ias filter v iew

all cate g ories

A Fresh New Look for our Newsletters Our Weekly Link is sent to your inbox every Monday!

Learn what’s happening around town and connect with the FrenchSingaporean community through our events announcements, news highlights and Members’ News.

Non-members and members can subscribe on our website www.fccsingapore.com to receive our Weekly Link!

Our Members Say… “ The French Chamber of Commerce just launched a beautiful user-friendly website. It is now much easier to f ind information, especially about events.”

“ The new website is really great. It’s easier to navigate, user account, and the registration is simplif ied. Congratulations to the project team!”

“Within a couple of seconds, I logged in and updated my personal & company info. Super simple and practical!”

“Congrats on your new website! Looks very chic!”

-

M ath i l d e

- Baptiste

- S a m a n th a

- E lo d i e

Advertise with us Take part in our digital transformation and benefit from our platforms to enhance your business visibility!

Contact: marketing@fccsingapore.com

JOIN US! 20 septembre 2019 TOUT SUR LA REC HER C H E D’EMP LOI A SIN GAPOUR

2019

A u p r o g r a mm e : • P résentation du marché de l’emploi à Singapour • Conseils et astuces • Témoignages

JO B S EE K ER TA LK 9 : 30A M – 1 1 : 3 0 AM Tarif: 20 SGD 541 Orchard R oad, Liat Towers #09-01, Singapore 238881 I n sc r i ve z - vo u s d ès main ten an t: https://www.fccsingapore.com/recruitment/candidate/workshops.html

4 journées, 5 ateliers

Boostez votre recherche d’emploi à Singapour!

26 septembre 2019 (1/2) Entretien

25 septembre 2019 (1/2) Networking

24 septembre 2019

9 octobre 2019 (2/2) Pitch

RESUME

CV

LinkedIn

JOI N U S! • Ateliers intéractifs en petits groupes avec des coachs experts • Feedback personnalis é

Tarif: Ateliers à partir de 80 S G D. Packages disponibles.

541 Orchard Road, Liat Towers #09-01, Singapore 238881 I n sc r i ve z -vo u s d ès main ten an t: https://www.fccsingapore.com/recruitment/candidate/workshops.html

business s e r v i c e s

COMPANIES that french chamber HELPED to incorporate: Onepoint Onepoint is a management and technology consultancy with 2,300 staff in 7 countries. We co-design and co-deliver transformations, always looking at the human dimension beyond the technology. In Asia, our focus areas are Operational Excellence & Lean, Employee Collaboration, Data & AI and Digital (eg software development). We drive the collective intelligence through Design Thinking and we do advanced tech (eg AR/VR, Bots).

Created in 2002 in Paris, Onepoint transformed the traditional consulting model. We flattened our organisation to only 3 management levels and shifted to a skillset model organised in communities of expertise that are highly collaborative and autonomous. This helps us deliver solutions that are beyond the obvious. F Contact: Emmanuel GOUTALLIER Email: e.goutallier@groupeonepoint.com Website: www.groupeonepoint.com

Maison Routin Maison Routin crafts a rich palette of syrups, sauces and fruit purees to inspire bartenders and baristas around the world.

With over 130 years of expertise in beverage flavouring, Maison Routin has developed an original portfolio of more than 100 syrups, recognised for their unrivalled authenticity in flavour, purity in taste and aromatic intensity, 1883 syrups are 100% made in France and created in the pursuit of aromatic excellence; using natural water from the French Alps and selected premium ingredients.

Maison Routin recently reinforced its presence in Asia by setting up a regional office in Singapore with a dedicated team of sales, marketing and beverage experts to serve our established clientele. F Contact: Cyndie ADAM Email: cadam@routin-asia.com Website: www.1883.com

Flowbird Flowbird is a global leader in on-street parking management and ticketing solutions for public transport. Today, it is offering its customers complete solutions from our open urban mobility platform to our parking meters & our mobile services with Flowbird App. These solutions are designed to make concrete improvements to the daily life of millions of town dwellers and can contribute to the development of new smart cities.

The company operates in 80 countries, providing urban mobility solutions to more than 5,000 cities with 280,000 connected parking stations with 200 million bank card transactions and 10 million mobile phone transactions handled every year. Every week, +100 million users interact with our systems.

Through its global presence, Flowbird has shown its ability to smart city solutions & services. Recent commercial successes in international markets (New York, Las Vegas, Mexico City, Helsinki, Moscow, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Perth). F Contact: Nicolas SOHIER Email: nicolas.sohier@flowbird.group Website: www.flowbird.group

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STUDIO OKTOPLUS STUDIO OKTOPLUS is a specialist structure design consultancy. STUDIO OKTOPLUS is specialized in design of architecture steel and Mass Engineer Timber (MET) structures. Our focus is mainly on long-span structures, light-weight structures and the study of building dynamic behaviors such earthquake engineering. STUDIO OKTOPLUS is currently involved in the design of various steel, and hybrid timber-steel building structures both in Europe and in Asia Pacific region, in collaboration with local contractors on Design and Build projects such as institutional building structures. At STUDIO OKTOPLUS, we are keen on collaborating with a network of architects, contractors and structural engineers to explore integrated and innovative approaches to develop solutions to engineering challenges. F Contact: Sophie WU Email: sophie.wu@studio-oktoplus.com Website: www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-wu-吴斐-1635905

Questel Questel is a global end-to-end intellectual property solutions provider to more than 1M users across 30 countries. We propose a comprehensive, unique and combined SaaS/Consulting approach to support the generation, creation, protection and commercialization of IP assets. Questel’s 700 employees have helped its clients save 30% of their IP maintenance cost and also generate over 50MUSD of licensing deals. F Contact: Gilles CRUANES Email: gcruanes@questel.com Website: www.questel.com

Actavia Actavia is a Singapore-based consulting firm operating across Asia bringing together former senior executives that have successfully expanded best-in-class companies in Asia across various industries (companies such as L’Oréal, Unilever, Danone, PepsiCo, Celgene, GSK, Ipsen, Alcatel, Cisco, Sodexo, and LafargeHolcim).

Our partners bring their comprehensive operational expertise and networks to support SMEs and MNCs as they expand in the fastmoving Asia Pacific environment. We leverage our customers’ assets and talents to customise their path to a sustainable success.

We focus on building practical and timely solutions – implementing strategy and project management, expanding into new markets, achieving value-creating deals, launching innovative products and services, optimising and transforming operations, and carrying out digital transformations.

Along the years, we have had successful inroads in all major Asian countries: China, Japan, Korea, India and ASEAN countries. F Email: contact@actaviaconsulting.com Website: www.actaviaconsulting.com

The French Chamber of Commerce helps numerous entrepreneurs and companies, every year, to setup their business in Singapore.

Benefit from our professional assistance and expertise as well as our wide range of personalised services to answer your needs.

Contact us now at bizsupport@fccsingapore.com or +65 6933 1360

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with Mehdi about Le Booster’s Co-Working Space

What is your role here at the French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore?

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Mehdi Trublet, Business Development Manager at the French Chamber of Commerce explains the aim of Le Booster and how companies can benefit from the services provided.

As part of our business services, I help companies and advise them in their process of incorporation and development. I am also in charge of managing Le Booster.

Can you please briefly explain what is Le Booster?

Le Booster is the new branding of our co-working space. We offer a range of services to support companies in their foreign expansion, and we are part of a network of 123 French Chambers of Commerce across the world.

We help companies set up their structure, recruit employees and obtain work passes for them.

We also host companies in our co-working space which allows them to be in the centre of our community network. It is also a great opportunity for V.I.E arriving in Singapore to be close to professionals and share their experiences.

Can you share with us some Business Centre activities?

In Le Booster, companies can take advantage of events held at the Chamber. We help to promote tenants’ business, put together meetings with company representatives from other Southeast Asian countries to learn more about their market and economy, and help tenants connect with our Business Accelerator Lab and different business committees.

Every month, we organise a friendly breakfast session with our tenants where we share news over coffee and pastries. Quite often, someone will bake a cake or cookies for the occasion! We also organise lunches at different restaurants to discover Asian cuisines together.

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Le Booster is more than a simple working place - we exchange and share about our business experiences, about our life in Singapore, and maintain a friendly community!

Why should companies choose Singapore to start their business?

Singapore is the most stable country in South East Asia (SEA) and its central location gives companies direct access to markets like Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and even Australia.

Furthermore, the process to create a company is simple compared to others countries in SEA. Last but not least, at Le Booster, we are on hand to help you every step of the way! F For more information about Le Booster, please contact mtrublet@fccsingapore.com.

F r e n ch C h a m b e r e v e n t s

French Chamber Annual General Meeting 2019

T

he French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore welcomed 30 newly elected board members at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 10 June 2019.

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The AGM was a wonderful opportunity to connect with other members, discuss points of view and ideas about the future development of the French Chamber of Commerce. F

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Held at the Alliance Française de Singapour, it was a lively evening as presentations were delivered and candidates were elected. The event concluded with a networking session served with delicious, savory bites prepared by Café Diabolo and plenty of congratulatory toasts to the new board members.

O

n 18 June, innovative start-ups stepped into a boxing ring to compete for the best business solutions in an open innovation challenge set by Danone, DFS, Société Générale and Total.

In an exhilarating showdown at the ASEAN Tech Awards ringside event, 12 start-ups went head-to-head to pitch ideas and solve real-life business challenges from the biggest companies in the world.

Organised by the French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore, the competition focused on emerging technologies and enterprise solutions to bridge the gap and foster collaboration between corporates and start-ups.

The event was presided by our Corporate sponsors Danone, DFS, Société Générale and Total, as well as a jury of Tech and Innovation experts from La French Tech, Google, Startup-O, Padang and Co, and Jungle Ventures.

In attendance were 150 C-level key players from leading French MNCs, international and Singaporean companies, investors and influencers with expertise in tech and startups ecosystem, and decision-makers from government agencies.

Thank you to our sponsors, jury members, our partners The Ring, Evenium, Agorize, La French Tech, Startup-O and Luxe Le Catering. F

The winners of the ASEAN Tech Awards 2019

M o s k i to s

Pow a t a

D a t a Ro b ot

Warden M a ch i n e r y

A r ct a n A n a l yt i c s

Thank you to our sponsors and partners!

C at e g o r y s p o n s o r s

w i th th e s u p p o r t of

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p ow e r e d b y

F r e n ch C h a m b e r e v e n t s

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summit

2nd edition of Smart Health Summit explores Singapore’s health revolution and beyond

R

ising demand for new medical innovations to improve care quality was the central topic at the 2nd edition of the Smart Health Summit, held on 28 May 2019 at the Grand Hyatt Singapore.

Main sponsors

More than 300 attendees including health policy makers, practitioners and tech innovators convened to exchange ideas about Asia’s current healthcare trends.

The panel discussions and start-up pitch sessions were a collective success to discuss collaboration strategies and partnership ideas to improve patient care and achieve healthcare sustainability goals.

Challenges aside, it is clear that Asia’s healthcare system presents tremendous opportunities to develop a world-class efficient and sustainable healthcare network in Singapore and Southeast Asia at large.

Our sincere thanks to our generous sponsors Alcimed, AXA, Biomérieux, International SOS and Schneider Electric. F

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In association with

F r e n ch C h a m b e r e v e n t s

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L

Supply Chain Symposium 2019: Ultimate Customer Experience, The Supply Chain Reinvented

eading global corporations are driving innovation to improve customer experience across supply chain operations.

Speaking at the Supply Chain Symposium 2019, held at Sheraton Towers on 31 May, our panel of speakers discussed their company initiatives in modifying the supply chain model to enhance customer satisfaction, and how deploying innovation in tech solutions and organisations ultimately meet the larger goal of an enhanced customer experience.

Thank you to our esteemed speakers from Lazada E-Logistics, BiomĂŠrieux, Bollore Logistics, Decathlon, Schneider Electric and B2G Consulting! F

F r e n ch C h a m b e r e v e n t s

French Chamber Pétanque tournament 2019

T

he last edition of the Pétanque tournament was a big success!

Over 150 participants enjoyed a leisurely day on the beach at East Coast Park, playing rounds of boules and soaking up the sun.

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Guests enjoyed cold beverages courtesy of our kind Food and Beverage sponsors: Ricard, The Vintage Wine Club, Badoit and Evian, as well as gourmet bites from Maison Kayser.

A big thank you to our event sponsors AGS Four Winds and Bolloré Logistics and our Gift sponsors: Bistro du Vin, diptyque, L’Entrecôte The Steak & Fries Bistro, La Petite Boutique Singapore, Les Bouchons, MyMarketSG, Napoleon, Sofitel, Soul & Tables and The French Grocer! F

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS!

Winner of the Main Tournament: Chips & Pétanque

Event kindly sponsored by

Winner of the Plate Tournament: The Caring Boys

Food & Drink Sponsors

Gift Sponsors

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Organised by The French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore, the event was a great opportunity for the French and Singaporean communities to convene in a relaxing atmosphere.

French chamber events

Technical Snapshot: Introduction to the New Leases Standard, International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) 16

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50 New Law, New Challenges? Commentary on China’s New Foreign Law With the new “Foreign Investment Law of China” to be formally implemented in 2020, what will this mean to foreign investors? Our speakers explained the salient terms under this new Foreign Investment Law and highlighted the key changes. The session was particularly useful for senior management to get prepared for the potential opportunities and legal risks of doing business in China following the implementation of this new law. F

The new standard on leases, IFRS 16, which replaces standards such as IAS 17 Leases and IFRIC 4 “Determining whether an arrangement contains a lease”, introduces changes that will primarily affect the financial statements of lessees. This presentation gave participants a snapshot of IFRS 16 framework and its key requirements, as well as an appreciation of the potential impact IFRS 16. F SPEAKER • Narissa Chen, Partner, Technical, Training & Quality Control, Mazars

Financial & Fintech

SPEAKERS • Amanda Chen, Head, International China Practice, RHTLaw Taylor Wessing • Wang Xi, Associate, RHTLaw Taylor Wessing • Shaun Wong, Senior Associate, RHTLaw Taylor Wessing

Financial & Fintech

Asia

Legal & Tax

The French Chamber Banking, Finance & Fintech committee has launched a series of exclusive events dedicated to CFOs. The CFO Club organised a special after-work networking event at Ginett Restaurant & Wine Bar. It was an evening to strengthen networks and share experiences and best practices with fellow peers. F

CFO Club

L’Anticipation de la Transmission du Patrimoine Privé Conducted in French, l’Office Notarial Prado Borely Decorps Serri & Associés gave an insightful discussion on inheritance tax and how to plan for transmitting one’s heritage. F SPEAKERS • Maître Jean-Paul Decorps, Notaire Honoraire • Maître Arnaud Decorps, Notaire • Maître Laurent Serri, Notaire • Ms. Cécile Caillau, Notaire Assistante

Legal & Tax Changes in International Dispute Resolution Landscape – What are Opportunities to get Value for Users?

A Conversation with Pierre Poignant, CEO of Lazada In March 2019, Lazada announced plans to win the market share in the Asia Pacific region. CEO Pierre Poignant presented an overview of the company’s strategy and how its business has grown to become one of the most diverse marketplaces featuring brands and merchants from all over the world. The Q&A was moderated by Sylvain Joandel, General Manager at Fabernovel Asia. F

Legal & Tax

SPEAKER • Pierre Poignant, CEO Lazada

Asia Marketing & Communications

Networking event The French Chamber’s Healthcare Committee organised a Networking Event following the success of the recent Smart Health Summit.

It was a fantastic evening for healthcare professionals to gather and exchange news within the community. F

Healthcare

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SPEAKERS • Michael Peer, South-East Asia Dispute Advisory Services Leader, PwC SouthEast Asia Consulting (Singapore) • Dmitry Kosarev, Director, Forensics Services, PwC South East Asia Consulting (Singapore)

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A great talk on the challenges of traditional international dispute resolution and what can corporates and in-house counsels do to increase efficiency in this domain. F

Business Leaders Giving Networking Event How can business communities to build a stronger culture of giving? Our speakers from Microsoft Singapore, Sodexo and Food Bank SG shared about their company practices and the power of collaboration. The French Chamber cohosted the event with the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC). F SPEAKERs • Antonia Ong, Communications & Philanthropies Lead, Microsoft Singapore • Roshith Rajan, Director Corporate Responsibility APAC, Sodexo • Nicholas Ng, Founder, Food Bank SG

Exceptional visit: French Navy’s aircraft carrier, Charles de Gaulle

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Sustainability & Responsibility

The French Navy aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle sailed to Singapore for the Shangri-La Dialogue 2019 with the participation of Florence Parly, French Minister of Armed Forces.

On this occasion the French Chamber of Commerce partnered with the French Embassy in Singapore to make a special tour of this navy ship. F

Maritime & Offshore

Joint Networking Event - Aero/Defence/ Maritime/SupplyChain

Newly launched Sustainabilty & Responsibility Club The French Chamber’s Sustainability & Responsibility committee recently launched the Sustainabilty & Responsibility Club, an exclusive platform for persons in charge of corporate responsibility in their organisation, to exchange experiences, challenges, issues, and best practices among peers. The first meeting kicked off with a great introduction “Sustainability and Responsibility at Accor”, followed by insightful presentations from other club members. F SPEAKER • Veronique Augier, Director of Communications & CSR – Asia Pacif ic, Accor

Sustainability & Responsibility

A great networking event at DS Automobiles Showroom for our Aeronautics, Space, Defence & Security, Maritime, and Sourcing & Supply Chain committees, a great opportunity to broaden the network in these sectors! Special thanks to sponsor and venue partner Cycle & Carriage Singapore! F

Aeronautics, Space, Defence & Security Maritime & Offshore

URA’s Draft Master Plan 2019 Exhibition An exclusive guided visit at the URA Centre gave members an opportunity to learn more about Singapore’s Draft Master Plan. The exhibition showcases the key strategies that will guide Singapore’s development for the next 10 to 15 years. F

Smart Cities

Site Visit: PPVC Modular

SPEAKER • Julien ESCH, Managing Director, Dragages Singapore

Smart Cities

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Helmed by Dragages Singapore, the Park Colonial condominium is an innovative project located in central Singapore. Consisting of six 15-storey buildings with a total of 805 apartments, the project is based on a fully reinforced prefabricated prefinished volumetric construction (PPVC) system. This unique site visit enabled participants with a first-hand experience of the major construction works. F

The 0G World – Get a Head Start on Your Digital Transformation Journey As smartphone technology has advanced, consumers have seen multiple generations of data technology emerge. The Sigfox 0G network is a connectivity option that complements existing communication and acts as a back-up when the main communication network goes down, such as during a power outage, a natural disaster or malicious attack. Speakers from UnaBiz and ENGIE presented on various applications of this 0G network in Facilities Management, Asset Management and Asset Tracking, and how it can help people embark on their next smart project. F SPEAKERs • Jonathan Tan, Managing Director, UnaBiz • Wandrille Doucerain, CMO UnaBiz & Head of IoT Asia, ENGIE

Smart Cities

Tech & Innovation

Creating Impactful CSR Partnerships Consumers, stakeholders and investors are recognising that society needs to act more collectively. How can private and non-profit sectors come together to respond to societal and build a more inclusive society? And how can parties build mutually beneficial partnerships that have a real impact on communities?

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This was the basis of a great discussion between our speakers from Macquarie Group Foundation and Facebook who shared how their companies have developed a strategic and impactful CSR approach engaging their employees in a meaningful way and working together with their supported charities to make a real difference. F SPEAKERs • Libby Beeching, Associate Director, Macquarie Group Limited, Singapore Staff Representative for Macquarie Group Foundation • Anni Tankhiwale, Head of Agency - Southeast Asia at Facebook

Coaching Skills for Managers Coaching is increasingly perceived as a fundamental leadership skill. In this workshop, participants were asked to reflect on what they want to change in their management style and practiced coaching role-plays. F SPEAKERs • Geraldine Gauthier, Professional Certif ied Coach & Founder of W2P • Ariane Jaubert, Executive and Career Coach, Facilitator, Mentor

Human Resources

M oderat ed b y • Jeanne Bellec, Marketing and Partnerships Director at Aidha

Human Resources

The New Singapore Employment Act Since April 1st, 2019, the new Singapore Employment Act (“EA”) has been extended to all employees. This session provided a comprehensive overview of the key changes and compliance in the new Act. F SPEAKER • Astrid CIPPE, Of Counsel, Ph.D. in Law, LPA Singapore

Human Resources

Legal & Tax

Café Pro AFS The Chamber of Commerce hosted the Café Pro AFS - Association Française de Singapour to present information on the context of Singapore, our business community and the job market. F SPEAKERs • Chloe Borgy, Vice President and Head of Human Resources, Association Française de Singapour • Emmanuelle Le Strat, Association Française de Singapour • Stephanie Grouselle, Patricia Mauclair, Marie Basset and Yael Collet from the French Chamber

Human Resources

Hermès Heritage - In Motion: Exclusive Guided Tour

SPEAKER • Menehould de Bazelaire, Artistic Director of the Cultural Patrimony of Hermès

The 5,000sqm Decathlon Singapore Lab at Kallang opened its doors at the beginning of 2019 – From the digitalised customer experience to the innovative inventory process, discover how Decathlon Lab is disrupting with the traditional retail sector to enhance the consumer journey. F SPEAKER • Maxime Chabaud COO, Decathlon Singapore

Retail & Luxury

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Personalisation vs Customisation: what is the right approach for your brand?

“Me, myself and I” are now the main consumer focus when it comes to purchasing behaviours. In this session, our speakers highlighted some of the different approaches that FMCG brands explored, how they stretched their brand / portfolio and provided tips and rules to help companies identify the right approach for their brand. F SPEAKERs • Oliver Boré, Global Creative Director, Crepuscule Brand Design • Maelis Bedu, Client Director, Crepuscule Brand Design

Marketing & Communication Retail & Luxury Tech & Innovation

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Retail & Luxury

Decathlon Singapore Lab Experience

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Participants enjoyed a wonderful experience at the Hermès Heritage: In Motion at Hermès, an exhibition of curiosities and keepsakes from the Émile Hermès collection, the Hermès’ archives and contemporary collections. F

Why retargeting is the first type of online advertising you should be doing!

An informative workshop on how retargeting improves your digital presence. Thank you all who attended the session! F

Marketing & Communication

If you are stuck about agility in your organisation, it is time to rethink the way you want to collaborate with your employees and customers.

Agility and flexibility are part of our daily jobs to bring about better processes and people efficiency while increasing our capabilities across the board.

F

SPEAKER • Jean-François Lauri, Founder & CEO, AGENTIL Group

Marketing & Communication Tech & Innovation

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SPEAKER • Romain Lazzarotto, General Manager, fewStones

Agentil Software event

Joint Chamber ICT Networking The American, British and French Chambers in Singapore teamed up to organise an interchamber networking evening with members from the Information and Communications Technology and Entrepreneur & Small Business Committees.

A warm thank you to all of our participants and technology professionals in Singapore.

Sponsored by leading software company COLT, the event was held at Jamie’s Italian restaurant and provided invited guests with a convivial atmosphere to meet peers. F

Tech & Innovation

Bootstrap your Innovation What is an ideal approach to anticipate, design, build and manage innovation projects? In this workshop, our speakers from Zenika offered insights on ideas generation, team structuration, methods and tools, as well as pitfall and good practices. Workshop participants learned about project methodologies inspired by design thinking, lean UX & start-up, craftsmanship and DevOps. F SPEAKERs • Timothée Dufresne, Delivery Manager, Zenika Singapore; • Badradine Boulahia, Full Stack Developer, Zenika

Tech & Innovation

TIGER Brewery Tour Experience

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A tour of Tiger Beer Brewery organised in collaboration with BLBG (Belgium Luxembourg Business Group), walking through the brewing process, tapping the perfect pint of draught beer, and of course sampling a few fresh pints. A great opportunity for networking as well! The event was introduced by Wouter de Veen, Finance Director at Asia Pacific Breweries. F

Networking Luncheons

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Every month, the French Chamber organises business luncheons at different restaurants. We recently visited these restaurants: Napoleon Food & Wine Bar, Souffle and Jamie’s Italian. These informal networking sessions are excellent opportunities to establish new contacts and exchange business opinions over a great meal!

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F&B & Hospitality

Lunch invitations are open to everyone, so feel free to invite your friends or colleagues to join us!

Discover more French Dining options on SoChic.sg. F

F&B & Hospitality

Entrepreneurs’ and New Members’ Drink

Business Accelerator Lab Every month, the French Chamber’s Business Accelerator Lab meets an entrepreneur seeking to present his or her business to get advice, recommendations and contacts from advisors composed of a panel of successful entrepreneurs and professionals from various sectors and functions.

Entrepreneurs represent 25% of our business community. This informal networking session is great for entrepreneurs and new members to meet peers and exchange experiences, tips, best practices, and contacts, in a convivial environment. F

Start-ups & Entrepreneurs

The latest session was with Estelle Forget, CEO Founder of ERGAPOLIS. F

Start-ups & Entrepreneurs

A co-initiative with Business France and the French Trade Advisors, the French Chamber’s DUO Mentoring Programme provides an opportunity for French entrepreneurs and SME subsidiary representatives to exchange on business issues in 1-to-1 with high-profile business executives from MNCs who volunteer to mentor for up to 12 months. F

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DUO Mentoring Programme

Start-ups & Entrepreneurs

If you are a French entrepreneur whose company was created in Singapore and has seen a minimum of one year of activity, apply to join this free programmne. contact: apoumaer@fccsingapore.com

Women Entrepreneurs Round Table The Women Entrepreneurs Round Table is organised at our office for female entrepreneur to present their business and challenges. Held over a simple lunch, it is a convivial way to share feedback and insights with other #girlbosses. F

Women in Business Start-ups & Entrepreneurs If you are a woman entrepreneur member, join our luncheons, masterclass sessions, and other dedicated events. contact: mfremaux@fccsingapore.com

If you are a French entrepreneur with a minimum of one year of activity, or a representative of a subsidiary of a French SME seeking to develop activities in Singapore and South East Asia, apply online to join this free programme. contact: apoumaer@fccsingapore.com

Dive into Marine Beauty with Thalgo!

A different kind of networking event for our Women in Business committee, participants enjoyed a beauty routine workshop led by Thalgo’s international trainer followed by light bites. F SPEAKER • Margaux Franco, International trainer, Thalgo

CEO Tech Club The latest meeting of the French Chamber CEO Tech Club was an opportunity to exchange ideas with Jérémie Bonnin, Senior Advisor at Altice Group. The session was hosted by Eric Barbier of Money Over IP, Denis Branthonne of Novade, and JC Bouglé of Powata. F

Start-ups & Entrepreneurs

Tech & Innovation

Women in Business Start-ups & Entrepreneurs

Meet the CEO The latest sessions of Meet the CEO had been held with Eric Festy, Regional Managing Director, Hermès Middle East South Asia Pte Ltd, Johnpaul Dimech, Regional Chairman, Asia Pacific Sodexo Ser vices Asia Pte Ltd. F

Start-ups & Entrepreneurs

Meet the CEO is a monthly initiative dedicated to business matching. It provides opportunities for start-ups, entrepreneurs and SMEs to connect with MNCS in 1-to-1 meetings. contact: apoumaer@fccsingapore.com

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59 This exclusive club brings together French CEOs from the Tech Industry, providing a platform for exchange among peers and talks with international CEOs.

n ew members Entrepreneur MEMBERS ASCENT

Contact: Mr. Lionel SINAI-SINELNIKOFF, Founder & CEO Website: ascent.flights Sector: Aviation & Aerospace

AWAKENED MIND GROUP

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NEORECOV PTE LTD

Contact: Mr. Julien REMOND, CEO Website: awakenedmind.com Sector: Education & Training

Contact: Mrs. Virginie BARRE, CEO Website: opensense.asia Sector: Industrial Goods

Contact: Mr. Maxime BERGER Website: blacaz.com Sector: Insurance

CO-CREATION LAB

Contact: Mr. Massimiliano BONDURRI, CEO And Founder Website: sgmc-capital.com Sector: Financial Services

FRENCH ELEGANCE AGENCY

Contact: Mr. Bernard GOLSTEIN, CEO And Founder Website: sharper.ai Sector: Education & Training

BLACAZ.

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MY SELECTION PTE LTD

Contact: Mr. Alexandre KEBABTCHIEFF, Director Website: myselection.sg Sector: Retail

Contact: Mr. Julien CONDAMINES, Managing Director Website: cocreationlab.co Sector: Education & Training Contact: Mrs. Carol LEMAIRE-SICRE, Founder & CEO Website: f rencheleganceagency.sg Sector: Education & Training

GAC CONSULTANTS PTE LTD

Contact: Mr. Jean-Michel SEVERYNS, Managing Director Sector: Other

SGMC CAPITAL PTE LTD

SHARPERAI

SMALL Contact: Ms. Marika POQUET, Director Website: small.com.sg Sector: Retail

STARTUPTOKEN

Contact: Mr. Yacine GUEUGNON, CEO Sector: Financial Services

TARATATA BRASSERIE

GOLDKNIGHT CAPITAL PTE LTD

Contact: Mr. Kevin BARRE, Restaurant Manager / Sommelier Website: taratata.sg Sector: Restaurants

JULIE EVENTS SINGAPORE PTE LTD

Contact: Mr. Nicolas LEBARD, Managing Director – Head of Singapore Website: tirocapital.com

JUMPSTER PTE LTD

Contact: Ms. Alexandra DUDEN, Community And Public Relations Manager Sector: Other

Contact: Mr. Andre SION, Head Of Sales & Marketing Website: singapore-commercialspace.com Sector: Property & Real Estate Contact: Mr. Bruno PARAGE, General Manager Sector: Services

Contact: Mr. Sebastien DE PERETTI, Co-Founder Website: jumpster.sg Sector: Software

KARETIS SINGAPORE PTE LTD

Contact: Mr. Julien LAURET, Partner Website: karetis.com Sector: Consulting

LA BONNE TABLE

Contact: Mrs. Manon CATTELAIN, General Manager Website: opensense.asia Sector: Restaurants

MY SCENT PTE LTD

Contact: Mr. Maxime PATAS, Co-founder & Finance Director

TIRO CAPITAL (SINGAPORE) PTE LTD

WEXPATS PRIVATE LIMITED

WILDNESS ASIA

Contact: Mrs. Marie MONMONT, Owner Operator Website: wildness.co.nz Sector: Food & Beverage

WYZCHEF PTE LTD

Contact: Mr. Nilo QUIROZ, CEO Website: wyzchef.com Sector: Services

YOGIST SINGAPORE

Contact: Ms. Elsa POIRIER, Managing Director Website: yogist.com Sector: Health

CORPORATE MEMBERS LAGARDERE SPORTS ASIA PTE. LTD.

Contact: Mr. Alexandre PARLANGE, Chief Finance And Administration Off icer Website: lagardere-se.com Sector: Marketing Communications

Contact: Ms. Elodie HECQ, Head of Sales Singapore Website: beebryte.com Sector: Software

Contact: Ms. Eeleen TAN, Chief Of International Website: ninjavan.co/en-sg/ Sector: Logistics

Contact: Mr. Jean-Louis MICHELET, Managing Director Website: equiteq.com Sector: Financial Services

Contact: Mr. Arnaud BERRIER, Sales Leader Website: oneaston.com Sector: Financial Services

EULER HERMES SINGAPORE SERVICES PTE LTD

Contact: Mr. Clemens PHILIPPI, CEO Website: eulerhermes.sg Sector: Financial Services

EXPAT INSURANCE PTE LTD

Contact: Ms. Laura IZZARD, Marketing Manager Website: expatinsurance.com.sg Sector: Insurance

FIELDBOX.AI PTE LTD

Contact: Mr. Peter V. CAMPE, Director - Business Development Website: f ieldbox.ai Sector: Software

GRABJOBS

Contact: Mr. Emmanuel CROUY, CEO Website: grabjobs.co Sector: Human Resources & Recruitment

HEALINT

Contact: Ms. Belma YEBKA, Head of Operations and Communications Website: healint.com Sector: Medical & Pharmaceutical

ONEASTON

ONEPOINT SINGAPORE

Contact: Ms. Emmanuel GOUTALLIER, Partner Executive Website: groupeonepoint.com Sector: Consulting

QUESTEL SINGAPORE PTE LTD

Contact: Mr. Gilles CRUNAES, Sector: Services

RIVIERA EVENTS SINGAPORE PTE LTD

Contact: Mr. Nicolas POREMBNY, Asean Area Director Contact: rivieraevents.com Sector: Services

SOITEC MICROELECTRONICS SINGAPORE PTE LTD

Contact: Mrs. Virginie DEIANA, Head of Finance Website: soitec.com Sector: Electronics & Electricals

VELVET CONSULTING PTE LTD

HYDRO SYSTEMS SINGAPORE LLP

Contact: Mrs. Anne-Charlotte ARGAND, HR Business Partner Website: velvetconsulting.com/velvetsingapore/ Sector: Consulting

IT CONSULTIS SINGAPORE PTE LTD

Contact: Mr. Jean-Philippe LIONNET, Advisor Website: via-ap.com Sector: Insurance

Contact: Mr. Maxime MARXER, Regional Key Account Manager Website: hydro.aero/en/ Sector: Aviation & Aerospace

Contact: Ms. Adrien BOUE, General Manager Singapore Website: it-consultis.com Sector: Marketing Communications

K.I.T. GROUP GMBH SINGAPORE BRANCH

Contact: Mrs. Anouk REY, Deputy General Manager Website: kit-group.org Sector: Services

VIA ADVISORY Pte. Ltd.

WEBDRONE

Contact: Mrs. Emilie PHILIPPE, APAC Managing Director Website: webdrone.sg Sector: Software

YES WE HACK PTE LTD

Contact: Mr. Kevin GALLERIN, Managing Director APAC Website: yeswehack.com Sector: Software

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EQUITEQ ASIA-PACIFIC

NINJA VAN

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BEEBRYTE

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AMARIS CONSULTING PTE LTD

Contact: Mrs. Catherine REMEUR, Regional Director Singapore / Malaysia / Australia Website: amaris.com Sector: Consulting

Associate MEMBERS ABRY PTE LTD

Contact: Ms. Adriana LIM ESCANO, Founder & CEO Website: abry.myshopify.com Sector: Distribution

BERLITZ SINGAPORE PTE LTD

Contact: Ms. Polly KUR CHAN, Business Manager Website: sg.berlitz.com Sector: Education & Training

BONVESTS HOLDINGS LTD

Contact: Ms. Kelly NG, Property Manager Website: bonvests.com.sg Sector: Property & Real Estate

CULINARYON SINGAPORE

Contact: Mrs. Ekaterina PERSHINA, General Manager Website: culinaryon.sg Sector: Services

GLOBAL FINANCIAL CONSULTANTS PTE LTD

Contact: Mr. Bruce BARRON, CEO Website: gfcadvice.com Sector: Financial Services

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GLOBAL TAX FREE PTE LTD

Contact: Mr. Leonardo MUN, Executive Managing Director Website: global-taxf ree.com.sg Sector: Services

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IMAGINAIR

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Contact: Mr. Valentin SCHLEGEL, Asia Business Manager Website: imaginair.aero Sector: Aviation & Aerospace

LAITERIES H. TRIBALLAT RIANS

Contact: Mrs. Alexia VERLET, Chief Representative Singapore Website: rians.com Sector: Food & Beverage

MC CONSULTANT PTE LTD

Contact: Dr. Marwan Maurizio CHEDID, Aerospace Engineer Sector: Aviation & Aerospace

METRIXLAB PTE LTD

Contact: Mrs. Edwige SHAH-LESOIN, Client Director Website: metrixlab.com Sector: Marketing Communication

OFX SINGAPORE PTE LTD

Contact: Mr. Jay SEE, Alliance & Partnerships Manager Website: ofx.com/FCCS Sector: Financial Services

PEBBLEROAD PTE LTD

Contact: Mr. Maish NICHANI, Director Website: pebbleroad.com Sector: Services

RTSYS

Contact: Mr. Maxime VELU, APAC Sales Manager Website: rtsys.eu/en/ Sector: Electronics & Electricals

SOUL & TABLES

Contact: Mr. Loic ESSELEN, General Manager Website: soulandtables.com.sg Sector: Retail

TAJ

HOFER TAN & PARTNERS PTE LTD

Contact: Mr. Sylvain GAGNEUX, Partner Website: taj.fr Sector: Legal

Contact: Mrs. Cecile HOFER, Managing Partner Website: www.hofertan.com Sector: Consulting

Contact: Ms. Sheirly LUGITO, Partner Sector: Food & Beverage

TIS Global PTE LTD

WINE ADVOCATE PTE LTD

Contact: Mrs. Monica KATHERINE, Finance Director Website: taj.fr Sector: Food & Beverage

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS IMPACT&PURPOSE PTE LTD

PROUDFOOT (SINGAPORE) PRIVATE LIMITED

Contact: Mrs. Ariane JAUBERT, Coach Website: impactandpurpose.com Sector: Human Resources & Recruitment

Contact: Mr. Welcome DE VILLELE, Executive Vice-President Website: proudfoot.com Sector: Services

Contact: Mr. Samuel REBOUL, Chief Financial Off icer Sector: Food & Beverage

KELVIN & FRANK REID PTE LTD

Contact: Mrs. Chloé VIALARD, Associate International Arbitration Website: shearman.com Sector: Legal

MAGIC 3

Contact: Mr. Charles PFAUWADEL, Regional Director - APAC Website: airswift.com Sector: Energy & Power

INTERFLOUR GROUP

Contact: Ms. Amandine MILLOT, Associate Director Business Development Website: kelvinfrankreid.com Sector: Architecture Contact: Mrs. Nadège PAUFIQUE, Head Of Strategy and Marketing Sector: Marketing Communication

OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY

Contact: Mr. Xavier GAUDIN, Senior Sales Manager Website: otis.com Sector: Construction & Inf rastructure

SHEARMAN & STERLING LLP

SWIFT TECHNICAL (SINGAPORE) PTE LTD

TRAFIGURA GROUP PTE LTD

Contact: Mr. Nicolas MARSAC, Chief Financial Off icer, Asia Pacif ic Website: traf igura.com Sector: Energy & Power, Trading

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experiences

We Turned One!

A year of French experiences in Singapore So Chic experiences was launched one year ago to bring a touch of France to Singapore, for all who are in search of French inspiration and that special je ne sais quoi - from gastronomy and art de vivre, to fashion, beauty and luxury. An immersion in the French cultural ecosystem, So Chic experiences allow participants to attend masterclasses and take part in new experiences offered by French brands and partners.

Find out more about So Chic experiences on www.sochic.sg. F

#1 - So Chic x Maison Kayser Mmmm! There is nothing quite like the smell of freshly baked French baguettes! At French bakery Maison Kayser in Raffles Place, an exclusive experience was organised for 17 participants. Being the first So Chic Experience, it was a great Saturday afternoon - Bastille Day, no less! mixing flour, kneading dough, and exploring classic French baking and pastry craft. A delicious success! F

#2 - So Chic x Diptyque On Wednesday evening at the end of a warm August, 10 participants enjoyed an intimate So Chic Experience with French luxury interior brand diptyque at its flagship store. With its heady concoction of scents and the soft, warm glow of candles, it was truly an experience for the senses. F FOCUS MAGAZINE

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experiences

#3 – So Chic x MAKE UP FOR EVER Makeup palettes, a photoshoot and champagne: it was the complete star treatment at the MAKE UP FOR EVER ACADEMY. At this wonderful atelier experience, participants learned how to apply makeup in an effortless French style and learned beauty secrets from the professionals . F

#4 - So Chic x CHANEL An exclusive So Chic Experience with CHANEL, participants were treated to a private evening in Coco’s universe to discover more about her iconic jewellery and style. Elegance, a dash of sassiness - a truly French experience. F

#5 - So Chic x Pernod Ricard Our 30 aspiring bartenders eagerly arrived at the cosy-chic bar of Pernod Ricard’s office space (no less!) for a special cocktail workshop. Without a doubt, it was certainly a tipsy, merrymaking evening! F FOCUS MAGAZINE

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experiences

#6 - So Chic x Christofle An exclusive workshop with luxury French brand Christofle about the secrets of a refined French table setting, conducted by the charming Madam Catherine Soulas-Baron. F

#7 - So Chic x Vintage Wine Club Pairing local Singaporean food with French wine is certainly a skill to impress others! Taught by French sommelier Stéphanie Rigourd of Vintage Wine Club, the gourmet experience was held at New Ubin Restaurant at CHIJMES. Who knows what wine goes best with chilli crab? F

#8 - So Chic x Capsule Collection by Juliette A girls’ night out of pampering with Capsule Collection by Juliette at the cosy House of AnLi Bistro. From choosing outfits, getting make-up done, to practising their catwalk, all the fun, chic moments were captured in a photoshoot by talented photographer Cédric Vrolant. F FOCUS MAGAZINE

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experiences

#9 - So Chic x ERES The perfect prelude to summer. In an evening reminiscent of balmy French summers, luxury-label ERES hosted an intimate soireé for guests to discover its latest collection and chic style tips. F

#10 - So Chic x Art Porters Gallery Thursday, 26 September 2019, 6.30pm – 9.00pm, Art Porters Gallery, 64 Spottiswoode Park Road, Singapore 088652 Discover charming history of Spottiswoode Park and learn how to paint on Peranakan style tiles with a young Singaporean artist. F

Visit www.sochic.sg to register

Want to be featured on So Chic?

So Chic is an initiative of the French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore and its retail members, and showcases French shopping and dining in Singapore, from prestigious luxury brands, to relaxing bistros, designer shops, online stores and more. Contact us at hello@sochic.sg.

corporate catalogue

My Little So Chic

8

Perrier-Jou ët

Since Pierr

giftS

e-Nicolas Perri er married Jouët in 1810 Rose-Adelaide , Maison Perri er-Jouët is most histo one of Franc ric and distin e’s ctive cham renowned pagne hous for its elega es, nt floral wines true essen which revea ce of the finest l the Champagn hectares, ranke e vineyards. d at 99.2% 65 on the scale and 5 of the of grands crus, most impo rtant wines exceptiona , without which l Champagn this e could not exist.

Particular attention is given to the which lend noble chard such recog onnays, nisable chara wines: elega cter to the nt, delicate House and stylish.

Influenced by its found ers’ love of Perrier-Jou nature and ët creates art, exceptiona moments of l experienc es and wonder that enhance every day life. www.drink sandco.sg

reSta uran tS team build ing

tel 6831 8785

237994

email marie.delo ffre@perno d-ricard. com

Corporate Catalogue 2019/2020

Gifts • Restaurants • Team Building The So Chic’s gift catalogue is an initiative of the French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore showcasing a wide selection of So Chic brand products and services: 1. A great way to reach over 750 corporates to celebrate special occasions 2. Boost your company’s brand and visibility F

e 2019/2020

French Chamber Singapore

Singapore

So ChiC Cata logu

An initiative by

ContaCt Marie Delof fre address Pernod Ricar d Singapore Great World City West Towe r1 Kim Seng Prom enade #11-09/12

The catalogue will be available in digital format on the French Chamber of Commerce and So Chic websites.

Be part of the catalogue:

For more information, contact Marion Fremaux at mfremaux@fccsingapore.com.

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upcoming events

The French-Singapore Voilah! festival takes place from 3 October to 17 November 2019. The objective of this festival is to strengthen ties between French and Singaporean communities through a series of programmes in the domains of culture, education, science, lifestyle, tourism and sports. This year, So Chic is proud to be part of Voilah!. F so chic Experience #11 - So Chic x wildness chocolate

Thursday, 10 October 2019 6.30pm – 8.30pm Learn from our Chocolatier Master, Marie, the delicious secrets of chocolate and discover how to make delectable chocolate treats... and an unforgettable cup of hot chocolate.

Our etiquette expert, Catherine, will reveal interesting facts about France’s chocolate history and teach you the rules for drinking and serving Queen Marie Antoinette’s favourite beverage. F French Gastronomy week

Saturday, 12 October 2019 to Friday, 18 October 2019 6.30pm – 8.30pm When we talk about France, we have to talk about Gastronomy!

Indulge your taste buds with classic French fare such as escargots, foie gras, boeuf bourguignon and more at our partner restaurants!

Enjoy a special Voilah! Menu at affordable prices to enjoy a taste of France during this yummy week! Discover all the participating restaurants at www.sochic.sg! F so chic Experience #12 - So Chic x Maison 21g

Tuesday, 5 November 2019 6.30pm – 8.30pm Unleash the power of your creativity in perfumery! Discover with experts and Maison 21G’s founder all the secret & tricks of Scent Design for a unique sensorial experience.

You share your personality, your desires and they provide you with the tools, the finest ingredients, and the knowledge to succeed! Become a true scent designer and create your own signature perfume! F Les Galeries So Chic - Festive French Corner at Boutique Fairs

Friday, 15 November 2019 to Sunday, 17 November 2019 15 Nov: 9am – 8pm | 16 Nov: 10am – 8pm | 17 Nov: 10am – 6pm Join us at our charming French corner of many delights! From brand discoveries, fun workshops, delicious tastings to lucky draw games, you will be in love with the French experience!

Boutique Fairs, founded in 2002, is a twice-yearly shopping extravaganza that brings together a curated mix of independent vendors across women’s fashion, menswear, jewellery, bags and accessories, gifts, home décor, as well as children’s clothes, toys and accessories. F

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member P r ivileges E xcl u sive offe r s f r om o u r membe r s fo r o u r membe r s

2019

Being a member of the French Chamber allows members to get the Privilege Card and enjoy exclusive offers from a wide range of member partners in Singapore and the CCIFI in France.

Participating members increase their brand and business exposure through the FCCS Community for free by partnering with us.

All members providing services or selling products can join the Member’s Privileges Programme.

About the card The Privilege Card is personal and is exclusively reserved to members of the network of the French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore. It gives access to many benefits in Singapore and even more in France!

Contact: businessclub@fccsingapore.com F ood & Res t a u r a n t s

i n t e r io r s

R E T A I L , F A S H I O N & B E A UT Y

hos p i t ali t y & T r avel

S e r vices