Orient Issue 79

Orient

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SINGAPORE ISSUE 79 | OCT 2020

BUILDING NETWORKS | CONNECTING BUSINESSES | CREATING OPPORTUNITIES

IN FOCUS INTERVIEW

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Damian Bush, Managing Director, Singapore Sports Hub

Trade Relationships for The Future The UK-Singapore Economic and Trade Partnership In Conversation with Natalie Black, HMTC for Asia Pacific UK-Singapore Trade Agenda Reflections from the BritCham Trade Services Team Digital Healthcare Mission to Singapore Supporting UK Exporters: Agriculture and Horticulture Technology Services US Presidential Election 2020:

MCI (P) 067/04/2019

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President's Message Executive Director's Message News New Members Recent Webinars Upcoming Events & Webinars Special Feature: Winners of The 4th Annual Celebrating Diversity Photography Competition In Focus: Damian Bush, Managing Director, Singapore Sports Hub Trade Relationships for The Future: The UK-Singapore Economic and Trade Partnership In Conversation with Natalie Black, Her Majesty's Trade Commissioner for Asia Pacific UK-Singapore Trade Agenda Reflections from the BritCham Trade Services Team Digital Healthcare Mission to Singapore Supporting UK Exporters: Agriculture and Horticulture The US Presidential Election 2020: The Impact on UK-US relations Supporting UK Exporters: Technology Services Feature: The Future is Here: Business Education for Tomorrow Feature: International Women's Day: The Virtual Conference Feature: Dulwich College (Singapore) Comes of Age Feature: Understanding and Combating Cybercrime Let's Discuss: Developing a Hydrogen Economy Member Discounts

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Editor: Lucy Haydon lucy@britcham.org.sg

Orient is a bi-monthly magazine published by the British Chamber of Commerce, Singapore.

Co-Editor & Designer: Nicole Alison Lim alison@britcham.org.sg

© All rights reserved.

137 Telok Ayer Street, #06-03, Singapore 068602 Tel: +65 6222-3552 Fax: +65 6222-3556 Email: info@britcham.org.sg www.britcham.org.sg

The views and opinions expressed or implied in Orient are those of the authors or contributors and do not reflect those of the British Chamber of Commerce, its officers or editorial staff. No reproduction of articles without the prior permission of the Chamber.

Unsolicited transparencies and articles are sent at owner’s risk and the Chamber accepts no liability for loss or damage. Copy is not for sale and images belong to their respective owners. They are for illustrative purposes only, and no copyright infringement is intended.

@britchamsg @bccsingapore @british-chamber-ofcommerce-singapore

Advertising Inquiries Lucy Haydon lucy@britcham.org.sg +65 6718-0535

CONTENTS

Are you interested in the international school options in Singapore and further afield? In our 4th edition of the Guide to International Schools we provide a listing of the options across a broad range of ages and curriculums, with an in-depth focus on several schools.

G Intern uide to ation Schoo al ls

2020

4th E dition

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OUR PARTNERS PLATINUM PARTNER

BRONZE PARTNER

GOLD PARTNERS

SILVER PARTNERS

SUPPORTING PARTNERS

OUR BOARD

COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS

MANAGEMENT TEAM

PRESIDENT:

BUILT ENVIRONMENT: David Mackerness (Chairperson), Alisdair Gillies (Co-Chair)

Executive Director: David Kelly

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION: Andrew Ashman (Co-Chair), Alexander Harrison (Co-Chair)

Head of Marketing & Communications and Partnerships; Deputy Executive Director: Lucy Haydon

ENERGY & UTILITIES: Tim Rockell (Chairperson), Bree Miechel (Co-Chair)

Business Services Director: Nicole Wharfe

Richard Warburton, Arcadis Asia

VICE-PRESIDENTS:

Michael Shearer OBE, McLaren Applied Fiona Carney, Microsoft

SECRETARY:

Haslam Preeston, Jardine Matheson

TREASURER:

David Fowler, Sanne Group

BOARD MEMBERS:

Angel Cheung-Horenfeldt, Barclays Caroline Underhill, The Fry Group Damian Adams, Watson Farley & Williams Damian Hills, The British Club James Hennah, BT Singapore Pte Ltd James Nesbitt, Standard Chartered Bank Shivkumar Seerapu, Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets Plc Steve Firstbrook, Department for International Trade Lucy Watkins, British Council

FINANCIAL & FINTECH: Katharine Haggie (Chairperson), Francesca McKee (Co-Chair) HEALTHCARE & LIFE SCIENCES: Thalia Georgiou (Chairperson) ICT: Magda Chelly (Chairperson), Hitan Mehta (Co-Chair), Faisal Parvez (Co-Chair) LEADERSHIP, TALENT & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Joe Tofield (Chairperson), Don Rapley (Co-Chair), MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS: Suzy Goulding (Chairperson), Andrew Clark (Co-Chair) STARTUP, ENTREPRENEUR & SMALL BUSINESS: Lara Quie (Chairperson), Mark Florance (Co-Chair), Kris Sasitharan (Co-Chair) SUSTAINABILITY: Sarah Cragg (Chairperson), Mark Florance (Co-Chair) TRANSPORT, LOGISTICS & SUPPLY CHAIN: Simon Petch (Chairperson), Nicholas Potter (Co-Chair)

Member Relations Administrator: Melissa Ng Head of Events: Helen Starr Events Executive: Safreen Anwardeen Events Executive: Sabeena Nayyar Senior Marketing & Communications Executive: Nicole Alison Lim Marketing & Communications and Events Executive: Samantha Nelson Trade Services Advisor: Aisyah Ariffin Finance Manager: Radhika Chauhan Office Manager: Anna C Garciso

WOMEN IN BUSINESS: Luciana Vichino (Chairperson), Wanying Lim (Co-Chair)

CHAMBER INFORMATION

DEVELOPING THE CREATIVE INNOVATORS OF TOMORROW. DEVELOPING THE CREATIVE INNOVATORS OF TOMORROW. Dulwich College (Singapore) is an international school, for students aged 2-18, with a British independent school ethos which draws upon 400 years of excellence, innovation, tradition and values. To learn more about the Dulwich Difference, and to book a private tour, please visit singapore.dulwich.org or email admissions@dulwich-singapore.edu.sg Dulwich College (Singapore) CPE Registration Number: 201027137D. Period of Registration: 09 January 2020 to 08 January 2024. School Location: 71 Bukit Batok West Avenue 8, Singapore, 658966.

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Message from the President

Dear Members, In the same week that this issue of Orient is published we will be hosting our 21st Annual Business Awards ceremony, albeit our first virtual awards.

Richard Warburton President, British Chamber Of Commerce, Singapore richard@britcham.org.sg

I cannot think of a better way to start my final Orient magazine message of 2020 than to recognise the quality of the near record number of entries made for the awards. If we had been looking ahead from the same point in 2019, who among us could have comprehended the highs and lows of the 12 months to follow. It has been a difficult year for many on numerous levels but the award entries show a level of resilience, entrepreneurialism and achievement from SMEs through to large corporates. Many congratulations to everyone shortlisted as finalists.

In this issue, I’m delighted to see such a strong message around the UK and Singapore trade relationship, with insights and experiences shared from both countries. As the UK enters a future of new trade relationships, the Chamber has built upon our existing trade services knowledge and offering this year to provide an excellent support system for UK businesses looking towards South East Asia for growth.

It is also a testament to our team, the British business community in Singapore and the support of our partners that the Chamber continues to grow by welcoming new members each month. Look out for our annual Membership Directory, published next month, which includes an overview of the past 12 months of Chamber activity as well as showcasing each of our member companies.

I look forward to seeing and meeting members old and new in the months ahead.

Stay safe.

Best regards,

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

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Message from the Executive Director

Dear Members, Please click on this video or scan the QR code to watch David's full update.

David Kelly Executive Director, British Chamber Of Commerce, Singapore david@britcham.org.sg

MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

STERLING MEMBERS

D ET U R

P O N S M UN

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STERLING MEMBERS

GET IN TOUCH

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The Impact of COVID-19 to Members: September 2020 Travel Restrictions

Over three-quarters of British businesses have no plans to relocate from Singapore; the community calls for travel restrictions between the UK and Singapore to be reevaluated.

Organisations in the British business community in Singapore are calling upon Singapore and UK Government officials to review ongoing Covid travel restrictions, and welcome both the UK’s recent addition of Singapore to the quarantine exemption list and yesterday’s announcement from the Singapore Government of upcoming rule changes.

In the latest poll results from British Chamber of Commerce Singapore members, which opened for feedback earlier this month, 79% of businesses polled confirmed that they are not considering relocating any part of their business.

This result underlines the resilience of the business community as they look to manage thaeir P&L, cashflow and people throughout the pandemic, with the support of initiatives created by local Government.

Click here to download the full survey report

To avoid significant strategic changes becoming necessary, 72% of all businesses voiced the need for restrictions to be softened in both directions within the next year. 75% of members asked that combined costs for quarantine and testing be capped at less than SG$1,000 per traveller, with almost all members accepting of a quarantine period in either country of up to a week, with a preference of less than 4 days.

Prior to Covid, 83% of members required regular business travel between the UK and Singapore, with almost half travelling at least once per quarter. Just under half of respondents required transit to APAC countries via Singapore.

Almost three-quarters of respondents are waiting on practical options for short term business travel to the UK to resume, though a quarter of these will not travel until it becomes a viable option on a mass scale. Appetite for a return to business travel between the two countries remains strong, with 73% planning to travel for short term business in the future and almost a third in total expecting to do so at least once a quarter. The poll also confirmed that Singapore continues to remain the transit hub of choice for members.

“The response from our members is clear – Singapore remains their business location of choice, and there is an acceptance that quarantine, testing and some costs are necessary factors to limit introducing imported Covid cases into any country. However, a return to business travel is important if the business community is to recover to its full potential, and we support the call from our members for officials to negotiate a safe way for mobility to resume. We also welcome yesterday’s announcements from the Singapore Government to adapt new flexible working rules at the workplace and allow essential business travel through a pilot scheme. We recognise the concern of a second wave of Covid cases and the additional measures which Governments must take to protect people, yet this must be balanced with the wider recovery of each country. The British business community in Singapore continues to make a significant impact in job creation, upskilling and the economy. The British Chamber of Commerce in Singapore will proceed to support members and the local business community in their efforts to negotiate a path through this pandemic and provide a host of resources through our information channel at covid.britcham.org.sg and our activities. We applaud the various Government agencies for their efforts to keep people safe and stimulate the economy, and will continue to work alongside them and keep the channels of dialogue open with the business community.”

Businesses have been directly impacted by travel restrictions between the two countries, an issue seen around the globe between major business destinations in recent months. Almost half of all businesses polled confirmed the travel restrictions had caused significant impacts to their pipeline of new business development and strategic plans for this year.

The primary concern for around three-quarters of businesses is the period of quarantine required in either country, with similar numbers concerned over the lack of clarity for work pass re-entry approvals in Singapore at the point of travel, and the nature of short-notice rule changes which may become necessary for either country.

Executive Director of the Chamber, David Kelly, commented on the results from the poll:

NEWS:

FROM THE CHAMBER

NEWS:

FROM THE CHAMBER

BritCham President Participates in TAC Meeting With Minister Chan Chun Sing

The Singapore Business Federation (SBF) hosted a dialogue session on 1 October 2020 between Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing and key representatives from 16 foreign business chambers, including President of the British Chamber of Commerce Singapore Richard Warburton.

Thank you to the Singapore Business Federation and Ministry of Trade and Industry for the opportunity for our President to join this important dialogue, representing our members.

The participants exchanged views on the challenges faced by their members and discussed the outlook for Singapore’s business environment. Broadly, participants recognised the Singapore Government’s efforts in mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on society and expressed their confidence in the measures taken to safeguard public health and support the economy.

Singapore’s Openness Singapore’s success has been built on openness and connectivity. The presence of foreign companies and global talent in Singapore contributes to the creation of good jobs for Singaporeans and high-value activities which will have a positive spillover effect in the domestic ecosystem. Remaining open and connected is critical in ensuring Singapore remains relevant and resilient to enhance Singapore’s competitiveness and attractiveness in an increasingly competitive world.

Participants expressed confidence in Singapore’s fundamentals, in particular its stable and predictable operating environment, which have allowed it to play the role of a key business hub for many of their companies. They noted that Singapore’s status as a global business hub is intrinsically tied to its connectivity and openness, which is the reason why many of their members have set up their regional headquarters and operations here.

and connected to the world, and continues to welcome foreign investments and global talent to build the best team to play for Singapore in the global arena. At the same time, Minister Chan stressed that the concerns of Singaporeans also deserved to be addressed. In this regard, Minister Chan welcomed the commitment from participants and their members to adhering to responsible employment practices and strengthening the Singapore core. He also encouraged participants to showcase these efforts, so that more people could better understand the role that foreign companies and global talent play in the development and growth of our economy and our workforce.

Resumption of Business Travel Participants shared on the critical importance of resumption of business travel for business survival and growth, especially as many of their members also play the role of regional headquarters. While participants welcomed Singapore’s efforts to gradually open its borders, they urged the Government to push for further opening of borders with more countries, and to extend the pilot Business Travel Pass to more companies and employees. In addition, participants urged the Government to move from a Stay Home Notice (SHN) regime to a testing regime with a shorter SHN for business travellers.

The need for resumption of business travel was also echoed in SBF’s survey in August, where 68 percent of companies surveyed said that such a resumption is critical for their operations.

Reopening of Businesses Participants expressed appreciation for Singapore’s management of the COVID situation and the support that has been provided to businesses. They supported the 3 further easing of safe management measures to support business recovery and looked forward to details about the Phase 3 reopening.

Mr Ho Meng Kit, CEO of SBF, said:

However, participants expressed concerns over the recent rise in anti-foreigner sentiments and scrutiny on the role of foreign manpower in the Singapore economy. They noted that many of their members were worried that such sentiments and scrutiny were giving the wrong impression to the international business community that Singapore was becoming closed to foreign investments and global talents.

This could affect global businesses’ future investment decisions.

Participants also reiterated their members’ commitment to fair hiring practices and to providing equal learning and development opportunities for all. This would allow their employees, including Singaporeans, to acquire the relevant skills and gain the necessary exposure, to take on leadership roles in the future.

Responding to the concerns, Minister Chan assured participants that Singapore remains committed to being open

“We have the honour of hosting this important dialogue for the foreign chambers in SBF to engage Minister Chan on this issue on foreign talent that has arisen in Singapore lately.

This topic is so fundamental to our development. Singapore makes a living because we are open and relevant to the world. Is there a change in orientation? We do not think Singapore is turning isolationist as some economies have become. It is good to hear from Minister Chan that this is not the case. Our foreign chambers have given many examples of their members’ efforts to develop the Singapore core.

More of these efforts should be publicised and these businesses should prioritise their community engagement efforts. All these will help to square the debate how our foreign companies are here to add to the economy and not to take away value from it.”

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Remembrance Sunday 2020 Arrangements

On a typical year, a Remembrance Sunday service is held at Kranji in November and the British Chamber is one of several British community organisations where poppies can be obtained for a donation.

This year, there will be no service at Kranji due to COVID-19. Instead, a virtual Remembrance event will be live-streamed on the ‘UK in

Singapore’ Facebook page from 10.45 on Sunday 8th November, and at the same time on Wednesday 11th November.

Poppies will be available from our colleagues at The British Club, in their reception area.

Invitation to participate in the SBF National Business Survey (NBS) 2020/2021

The Singapore Business Federation (SBF), supported by the Trade Associations and Chambers of Singapore, would like to invite you to make your voice heard in this year’s SBF National Business Survey (NBS) 2020/2021. The NBS is an important annual survey that is closely read by our Government, its agencies, and our various stakeholders. This year, in view of COVID-19, we seek to gather feedback on the prevailing state of affairs, understand your unique business challenges and how you think we can emerge stronger together.

In the past, we have used the findings of the NBS to make recommendations to our Government on its national Budget, policies and programmes, as well as work with various stakeholders, including our business community, to develop our own programmes for the benefit of the wider community.

We would like to cordially invite you to participate in this year’s survey, which should take about 30 minutes to complete. Your participation is critical in helping us understand the priorities and challenges that you face in the current economic environment, and it will be a good opportunity for you to lend your voice via the business chambers.

To start the survey, please click here.

Your feedback will remain strictly confidential and only aggregated information will be released in any published form. We appreciate your response latest

by Monday, 16th November 2020.

If you have any questions or need any assistance, please contact: • Ms Felicia Widodo from Blackbox Research felicia@blackbox.com.sg +65 6958-7630 • Ms Ti Kai Xin research@sbf.org.sg +65 6827-6851 • Ms Jeanette Lee research@sbf.org.sg +65 6827-0257 This survey is also available in print. You can download a printable version of the survey by clicking here.

Upon completion, please scan the survey and email it back to felicia@blackbox.com.sg.

We thank you for your time and value your frank feedback.

NEWS:

AROUND THE CHAMBER

NEWS:

AROUND THE CHAMBER

The British Chambers of Commerce in The UK Announces Upcoming Change in Director General Source: britishchambers.org.uk The below announcement relates to the British Chambers of Commerce Head Office in the UK, with no direct impact on our international affiliate office here in Singapore.

The Board of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has today announced that Director General Dr Adam Marshall will leave the organisation in the Spring of 2021.

Marshall has been Director General of the leading business group for five years, and has been part of the leadership team of the BCC for almost 12 years. He leaves the organisation with an enhanced profile and impact, a stable financial position, strong governance and a record number of female leaders amongst both its non-executive and executive leadership.

Working closely with the Board, Marshall will remain at the helm over the coming months and will ensure a smooth and effective transition with his successor. He will leave the organisation with the respect and gratitude of the Board, staff, Chambers and members across the UK and worldwide. Marshall has not yet announced his future plans.

Outgoing BCC Director General Dr Adam Marshall said: “Chamber business communities represent the best of British business. It has been an honour and a privilege to serve this civic-minded, passionate, and purposeful network for nearly

PwC Singapore Newly Launched Reimagine Digital: Digital-first for Growth

twelve years. I feel the time is right to hand over to a great successor who will continue the fight for our business communities during the period of renewal ahead.”

BCC Chair Sarah Howard MBE said: “I know I speak for so many Chamber members, both here in the UK and across the world, when I say that Adam will be missed. He took over at a time of great uncertainty but has led BCC confidently to its strongest position in years. Chambers have never been more relevant or more necessary than they are today and together with the BCC Board, I will be leading a search over the coming weeks to identify a suitable successor to build on the BCC’s achievements and lead the organisation into the future.”

BCC President Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith CBE said: “Adam’s commitment to UK businesses, communities and diversity is one of many reasons I was excited to become President of BCC this year. He has dedicated great energy and passion to the organisation, and leaves the BCC and the Chamber Network in a stronger position at this critical moment for our businesses and for our country.”

COVID-19 has accelerated the need for digital adoption. At the same time, it has also brought previously underlying workforce and operational challenges to the surface, forcing many businesses to fast-forward their efforts on long planned digital programmes. In these challenging times, how can businesses quickly pivot operations to manage through the crisis and be future ready? As we rewire, re-organise, re-model and reboot for growth and resilience in the new world, adopting a digital-first approach is key.

PwC Singapore's newly launched publication, Reimagine digital: Digital-first for growth, explores the five key imperatives to putting digital first for growth in the new world.

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Available worldwide as either a desktop control panel or via the Horus-I mobile application, designated users within an organisation or a family can track the subscribers on their own account in real-time and view active alerts in accordance with their subscription preferences. This provides additional assurance to parents and responsible staff managers regarding the personal security of their family members/colleagues.

Innovative features of the app include: Real-time customisable alert feeds and notifications – providing the ability to choose which types of alerts and the locations to receive notifications (with more than 20 different incident categories in over 200 countries)

New Travel Information and Security App “Horus-I” Launched by UK Security Firm Horus Security Consultancy

Horus Security Consultancy, a UK and Singapore-based security and intelligence consultancy, recently announced the launch of their new travel security app for iOS and Android mobile devices. The internationally available mobile app offers a new way for business travellers to keep safe and stay informed as they go about their daily activities during these volatile times.

The Horus-I app utilises an easily accessible 24/7 information network to deliver global travel information, latest news and early warning alert notifications directly to the user’s phone, cautioning them of incidences that may affect their travel. COVID-19 is at the forefront of mainstream news and it can be easy to miss other important news that can impact travel plans. The Horus security experts are training in advanced research skills to find and disseminate any event or occurrence that may impact the users travel plans. With this reliable 24hour information network, the user can make an informed decision to adapt their travel plan safely.

“As businesses eagerly anticipate the resumption of business travel, it is critical that travellers are fully informed of events unfolding around them in order to remain safe and secure.” says Jed McInally, Operations Director at Horus Security Consultancy Asia Pacific. “This App has several features which will enhance traveller safety, including the availability of a control panel which gives businesses the ability to understand where their personnel are at any given time. For business with their own platforms, there is the ability to receive alerts, tailored to specific information requirements, through an API.”

Watch Me Closely – a unique feature developed by Horus, users can activate to enable enhanced tracking, increasing the precision of user tracking down to a few meters and automatically notifying Horus’ Control Centre to make contact and ensure that the user receives immediate assistance to get them to safety.

Near Me – option available to receive urgent notifications through the app and via SMS for security alerts within an associated geofence – this is a feature designed particularly for businesses and individuals travelling to medium-high risk locations where signal strength prohibits constant internet access but does allow for mobile signal transmissions.

24/7 chat support - the in-app Advice Centre connects users directly to the Horus Control Centre where one out the team’s security experts will provide them with advanced assistance in uncertain situations to get the user to safety.

As Horus-I has been designed in-house, the app can be easily adapted to meet the requirements and pricing models of a variety of businesses from global corporations to individual clients. This flexibility enables businesses and institutions to extend their duty of care of employees by mitigating potential risks involved in abroad travel. Alongside the 24/7 information alert network, Horus also offers additional services including itinerary monitoring, pre-travel assessment reports, VIP airport meet-and-greet and concierge services.

If your organisation has an existing app that could benefit from Horus’ real-time global alert monitoring service, Horus offers webhook integration to deliver alerts directly from the Horus Control Room as they happen - alerts can also be generated according to Critical Information Requirements decided by the client.

The Horus-I app is available starting 18th September 2020. For more information on the app, visit www.horus-iapp.com.

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MEMBER NEWS

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MEMBER NEWS

Steelcase Introduces Series 2 Seating with Air LiveBack Technology

The world’s leading office furniture company Steelcase introduced its Series 2 chair featuring innovative Air LiveBack technology that offers state-of-the-art seating ergonomics, with a diverse range of finishes, to provide for ‘mix-and-match’ personalisation. For the first time, the new collection will be launched through the Steelcase Online Store to help remote workers set up a healthier work environment at home.

“Since we introduced Steelcase Series 1, the collection quickly received great reviews and won several recognitions, including Interior Design’s ‘Best of Year’ award in the Seating – Contract/Task category in 2017, and subsequently became one of Steelcase’s most popular seating lines,” said Samantha Giam, Director, Product Marketing, Steelcase Asia Pacific. “We are thrilled to expand the series by bringing new performance features and fresh new style choices through Steelcase Series 2.”

Steelcase Series 2’s Air LiveBack technology works through an innovative geometric design that provides support for each part of the spine. Breathable and transparent, the specially engineered wave pattern is scaled to flex in two dimensions as the body moves, to create responsive, personalised comfort and fit. Additionally, the chair’s height-adjustable lumbar support, responsive back tension, 4D adjustable arms, and adaptive seat bolstering ensure continuous comfort and ergonomic support, as users toggle between tasks and postures throughout the day.

Thanks to its breathable and airy backrest design, Steelcase Series 2 has a slim profile and lean aesthetic suitable for any home interior. The collection’s range of material choices – from plastic Airback that celebrates the material’s unique geometric design, to the warmer 3D Microknit, to standard or quilted upholstery – are designed to deliver excellent performance and comfort in any setting.

“It’s become apparent that the global pandemic will continue to have an impact on how businesses operate, and how and where people work. Whilst Steelcase continues to help organisations create workplace environments that optimise teams’ wellbeing and performance as they return safely to the office, we need to address challenges facing remote workers right now. Steelcase Series 2 is a sustainable and accessible seating solution that enhances productivity and boosts wellbeing, even in home settings that are more confined and less adaptable," Giam continued.

To learn more about Steelcase Series 2 and explore a wider range of seating, desks and accessories that help adapt any space into a more ergonomic work environment, please visit: shop.steelcase.com.

BritCham members can enjoy an additional 10% discount on top of displayed prices on all products in the online store by using the discount code provided here. Please

19 seed for this idea. This initiative, is supported by Microsoft, Microsoft for Start-ups, SG enable, Metta School & Pathlight.

Empauwer will help the process of making workplaces inclusive, and creating more opportunities for persons with ASD.

X0PA AI Announces “Empauwer” for Employability of Individuals with Autism

X0PA AI announces a new initiative, "Empauwer,"; a Virtual Mentor for employers to make them more inclusive to hiring persons with autism and a virtual mentor for persons with autism to coach them through work-life. Empauwer will also have a job marketplace to connect employers and persons with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder).

Nina Alag Suri, Founder and CEO of X0PA said, “Its time to go beyond gender, racial and sexual orientation inclusion to make workplaces inclusive for neurodiverse persons with autism and help employers understand how to leverage the strengths of this talent pool” Singapore headquartered, X0PA AI is a SAAS company that helps in talent acquisition, hiring, assessment and related areas that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning and combines it with automation for accurate, objective and efficient hiring at scale. X0PA AI has other offices across India, UAE, UK. X0PA AI is recognized by IDC as one of four innovative companies in Asia-Pacific that provide Artificial Intelligence powered automation solutions and is a partner of Microsoft, SAP, Oracle, Intel and Nvidia.

For more information, visit X0PA AI’s Empauwer website at www.empauwer.com

The X0PA team won the Hackathon (Ai for Accessibility), organized by Microsoft in Singapore in 2019, which was the

Aderco Backs Calls for Seafarer Intervention

There are more than 300,000 seafarers currently stranded at sea and unable to get home as the global COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact world trade.

As both local and global restrictions are still being enforced and affecting the ability of ships to enter or leave ports around the world. The IMO is reinforcing its call on governments to immediately recognize seafarers as key workers to ease their plight and enable crew changes to be made.

Aderco, the fuel treatment technology specialists, is backing this call from the IMO and the other regulatory maritime bodies to support seafarers across the globe.

There are already reports of some seafarers who have been at sea and unable to leave their ships for more than 17 months, a period which exceeds the 11-months limit set out in the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC). This is unacceptable and Philippe Lecloux, Aderco Group Head of Marine, says they fully support the efforts of the maritime

world to resolve this situation.

“On land we have all been affected in some way by the global pandemic but at least we are able to access friends and family even in some limited ways. Seafarers are unable to do these things and are suffering from mental and physical issues as a result of their situations. Aderco supports the campaign to help these seafarers return to their homes and families and we are proud to stand alongside some of the leading maritime bodies who are working hard to achieve a resolution for these dedicated men and women.

The global economic recovery will be driven by maritime shipping and seafarers will be pivotal in keeping the industry driving forward. At Aderco we are adding our support to this campaign; through donating candies and sanitary kits parcels which are arriving with each Aderco delivery in Singapore waters to show our appreciation and support for these often forgotten mainstays of the maritime world.”

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CAPITA Capita is the UK’s largest Business Services Company, interacting with over 45 million people globally every day, through clients including Barclays, Telefonica, EDF and the UK Government. As a market leader in Human Resources, Customer Management and Business Process Outsourcing, we are at the forefront of innovation and recognise the value of partnering with the most cutting edge businesses to ensure our clients have access to the latest technology. Capita Scaling Partner was created to enable Capita to access the very best in technology from some of the most exciting global start-up businesses and make it available to the world's biggest brands. To date Capita Scaling Partner has partnered with 7 start-up businesses, supporting them to grow and helping them to deliver services at scale to hundreds of leading companies. Find out more at www.capita.com Representative Member: John Downes, Partner and Co-founder

HOGARTH DAVIES LLOYD Hogarth Davies Lloyd is a Global Executive Search firm with offices in London, New York and Singapore. Established in 1995, the firm has grown to become one of the pre-eminent providers of Executive Search services across front office, infrastructure, C-suite and investment activities.

Hogarth Davies Lloyd is proud to work with clients including global Investment Banks, Hedge Funds, Asset Managers, Sovereign Wealth Funds, Private Equity firms and major Non-Financial Corporations.

It is crucial for us to understand our clients' businesses, cultures and strategies given our market facing role when engaging with and attracting the highest calibre candidates. We are frequently mandated to produce comprehensive business intelligence and market analysis documents in addition to our more traditional executive recruitment services. Find out more at hogarthdavieslloyd.com Representative Member: Charles MacLean, Partner

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CORPORATE MEMBERS CHANGI AIRPORT GROUP Changi Airport Group (CAG) is the manager of Singapore Changi Airport, a leading air hub in Asia and one of the world’s most awarded airports. As airport manager, CAG performs the key functions of airport operations, air hub development, retail and commercial activities, infrastructure development and airport emergency services. CAG also manages Seletar Airport, and through its subsidiary, Changi Airports International, it takes Changi’s presence beyond Singapore’s shores through consultancy projects and investments in foreign airports. Find out more at www.changiairport.com/corporate.html Representative Member: Xiao Xin, Manager

IP INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT PTE LTD IP Investment Management sponsors closed-end single asset real estate private equity funds and invests HNWI and family office capital into direct real estate in developed overseas markets such as the US, UK and Europe. The company seeks to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns by investing and proactively managing assets in sectors supported by strong demographic trends and markets with favourable fundamentals. Founded in early 2013, IPIM employs 17 professionals across 2 offices who currently manage a combined USD 446 million of assets (by GDV) and funded USD 160 million across 13 deals. Find out more at www.ip-im.com Representative Member: Jason Lamb, Associate Director

MEDIX MEDICAL SERVICES ASIA LTD (SINGAPORE BRANCH) Established in 2006, Medix is a leading provider of innovative, high quality health management solutions. With offices in London, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Tel Aviv, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Mumbai and Melbourne and a client base exceeding 5 million members in over 90 countries. Medix services offer its clients, primarily global health & life insurers, financial groups, large corporates and governmental institutions, significant added values in the world of healthcare. Find out more at www.medix-global.com Representative Member: Joanathan Sternberg, Chief Strategy & Business Officer

THE BALTIC EXCHANGE (ASIA) PTE LTD The Baltic Exchange is the world's only independent source of maritime market information for the trading and settlement of physical and derivative contracts.

Our international community of over 3000 members encompasses the world's maritime interests including the dry bulk, tanker, gas and container shipping markets. Members include shipowners, shipbrokers and charterers as well as maritime lawyers, arbitrators, P&I Clubs and other shipping associations. Each member commits to a code of business conduct - the Baltic Code - summed up by the motto “our word our bond.” Find out more at www.balticexchange.com

NEW MEMBERS

NEW MEMBERS

CORPORATE SME MEMBERS

BLUEFIREAI BlueFireAI are a successful machine intelligence company, who specialise in the reinvention of the active investment decision making process using advanced cognitive computing. Their vision is to become the most efficient conduit for the preservation and allocation of capital. Find out more at www.bluefireai.com Representative Member: Luke Waddington, CEO

DRAGONFLY AI Dragonfly AI is predictive visual analytics software that shows you instantly what is grabbing your customers attention. Use it to your advantage to ensure consumers are seeing what you want them too. Minimise lost sales, maximise self-serve, increase conversion and minimise cost and time to publish content. Built around iOS, WebApp and Chrome, Dragonfly AI is instantly deployable to brand, creative, marketing, e-commerce and analytics teams with no integration required. Within minutes they will be able to use predictive customer behaviour metrics to optimise content like never before. Find out more at dragonflyai.co Representative Member: David Mitchall, Founder

ELLWOOD CONSULTING With offices in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, Ellwood Consulting is a boutique regional search specialist offering recruitment support across the following corporate functions; Accounting & Finance, HR, Procurement, Sales & Marketing and Technology. Our commitment is to the efficient and effective delivery of bespoke recruitment solution, honest advice and the establishment of long term meaningful partnerships. Find out more at www.ellwoodconsulting.com Representative Member: Maidlin Mistry, Head of Accounting & HR

LONDON DYNAMICS London Dynamics is an innovative provider of solutions enabling the augmented reality revolution for retail, led by Michael Valdsgaard, former Senior VP Digital Transformation at IKEA. Using London Dynamics, retailers can bring their products to life online, allowing customers to interact with physical items virtually from every angle, and even see how they would look in their own home. The company is based in London, United Kingdom. Visit www.londondynamics.com for more information.

Representative Member: Michael Valdsgaard, Founder

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CORPORATE START-UP MEMBERS

BRITISH BEVERAGE COMPANY The British Beverage Company's mission is to champion English wine in Singapore and beyond. We are much more than just an importer and distributor, our passion for connecting drinkers with English wines and other British beverages means that we work hard to bridge fans of these fantastic drinks with our (on/off) trade partners. We also operate eCommerce for consumers and supply and support with events, tastings, visits to and from our vineyards, branding and more. The British Beverage Company is run by the Parsons family. We are based in Singapore with roots and strong ties to Sussex in the southeast of England, the heart of English wine production and home of our key partners. Find out more at www.britbev.com Representative Member: Michael Parsons, Co-founder

LARA Q ASSOCIATES Lara Q Associates is a boutique consultancy offering executive coaching, business advisory, training, and networking. Founded by Lara Quie in September 2020, it serves clients who are leaders, lawyers, and founders, helping them to achieve their full potential and transforming their professional life. Find out more at www. laraqassociates.com Representative Member: Lara Quie, Founder

OVERSEAS CORPORATE MEMBERS OILGEAR At Oilgear, we make historically good pumps, valves and engineering systems. But mostly, we make your problems go away. As your technology advisor and provider for mission-critical jobs, we take on the toughest challenges in the Marine, offshore, subsea, industrial and mobile industries. We’re your one-stop problemsolver; nonstop when it comes to looking at your issues with fresh eyes. Even helping you prepare for scenarios you haven’t imagined yet. When there’s no time for downtime, the world demands Oilgear. Challenge us today. Find out more at www.oilgear.com Representative Member: Stephen Raper, UK & International Sales and Marketing Manager

NEW MEMBERS

RECENT WEBINARS

RECENT WEBINARS

Discover more webinars at britcham.org.sg/webinars

03 September 2020: Tax Strategies and Planning for Returning to The UK

Supporting Partner:

For those considering an eventual or imminent return to the UK, consideration of the tax implications compared to the Singapore tax environment.

08 September 2020: Singapore - Future Cities: Opportunities for UK Companies

Supporting Partners:

For UK businesses interested in expanding to Singapore.

Hear from keynote speakers from Economic Development Board, Urban Redevelopment Authority, & Mott MacDonald on the future of cities.

17 September 2020: Business Opportunities in China & Singapore The British Chamber of Commerce in China and the British Chamber of Commerce in Singapore held a joint webinar exploring the challenges and opportunities for British businesses in China, Singapore and Southeast Asia.

06 October 2020: Waste to Value in ASEAN Our Energy & Utilities committee hosted a webinar on waste management governance.

07 October 2020: Design Challenges for the Post Pandemic World Our Built Environment committee bring you a discussion on the future of design and how can we be better prepared.

08 October 2020: Political Violence in Turbulent Times We discussed the indirect impact of COVID-19, looking at how organisations can mitigate the effect on their assets, people and revenue streams in 2020 and beyond.

Partner:

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UPCOMING EVENTS & WEBINARS Visit our Upcoming Events page at www.britcham.org.sg/events to find out more about the following events, or contact the events team at events@britcham.org.sg

DATE

NAME

TIME

VENUE

29 Oct 2020

SIEW ThinkTank Roundtable: COP26 and the next 12 months

2:00 PM 4:00 PM

Webinar Format

29 Oct 2020

21st Annual Business Awards Virtual Awards Ceremony

6:00 PM 8:00 PM

Webinar Format

11 Nov 2020

Unlocking True Leadership with Neuroplasticity

12:00 PM 1:30 PM

Webinar Format

13 Nov 2020

Dialogue with Minister for Manpower, Josephine Teo

3:00 PM 5:00 PM

Webinar Format

17 - 24 Nov 2020

Simon Sinek – The Infinite Game

9:00 AM 12:00 PM

Webinar Format

EVENT PARTNERS

UPCOMING EVENTS & WEBINARS

SPECIAL FEATURE:

WINNERS OF THE 4TH ANNUAL CELEBRATING DIVERSITY PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION

Congratulations to the Winners of the 4th Annual Celebrating Diversity Photography Competition!

On 7th September Her Excellency Kara Owen, British High Commissioner, unveiled the winning entries of last year's 4th Annual Celebrating Diversity Photography Competition.

In a special virtual ceremony organised with AsiaWorks due to COVID-19 constraints, Her Excellency awarded the Most Popular, 3rd Prize, 2nd Prize and 1st Prize winners who will each win a cash prize sponsored by Newcastle University, represented by Professor Matt Bentley, CEO & Dean of the University in Singapore.

Hosting the event, Daisy Radford, Head of Operations and Delivery for BAE Systems, APAC D&I lead and Chamber committee member, gave an overview of the competition and the importance of continuing these important

Most Popular

By Le Van Tran Three generations, one mobile phone.

Digital age has certainly bridged the generation gap between children and elders, as they could share the same interest towards technology.

Official D&I Partner:

Prize Partner:

discussions despite the pandemic. Daisy then introduced Andrew Ashman, Head of Loan Syndicate at Barclays and Co-Chair of BritCham's Diversity & Inclusion committee.

Barclays has been the Official D&I Partner of the Chamber for several years and continue to support our activities in this area. Watch the virtual awards ceremony here:

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#1 First Prize

By David Wirawan Ability, we can do it, and we have spirit to do it, for some case because of our limit, we need others to become our partner to achieve the goal, we can do it together.

#2 Second Prize

By Evonne Lim Diversity is for life! I'm a Chinese married to my husband who is Indian Muslim, with our Muslim friends celebrating each individual as unique beyond ethnicity, culture or religion.

#3 Third Prize

By Umie Nurlisa Kamal Equality comes in different colours and forms.

SPECIAL FEATURE:

WINNERS OF THE 4TH ANNUAL CELEBRATING DIVERSITY PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION

SPECIAL FEATURE:

WINNERS OF THE 4TH ANNUAL CELEBRATING DIVERSITY PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION

Congratulations to all of the finalists These photographs were featured in this year's Celebrating Diversity desktop calendar. We would like to take this moment to thank our partners and the High Commission team, and all those who entered. This competition is a true community outreach activity, with participation from schools throughout Singapore, both MOE and international, our members and keen photographers.

By Susan Miles Horses and volunteers give so much allowing personal fulfilment for the wonderful children who take part in our therapeutic sessions at RDA Singapore.

By Jeremy Leong Three continents, two born overseas and one bright future.

Different genders and ethnicities blending together harmoniously. One common thread that all their parents lived in the UK and are now together in the diverse, cultural melting pot of Singapore.

By Yinqiao Feng

By Sunny Park

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By Nadya Tay Many people of old age are capable of working and they mostly work as security guards or cleaners, a job that many people would not want to work as. We should not look down on them just because their jobs are low paying, instead we should be more grateful as these jobs require a lot of strength for the elderly to continue working.

By Wei Hao Although we are different on the outside, our appearance on the inside is the same.

(Image is a photo of an existing artwork).

By Gina Ng Zhi Ting Always remember that your sister will always be your umbrella.

By Rachel Wilson

By Suhaimi Abdullah

Part of your world.

Celebrating as one.

SPECIAL FEATURE:

WINNERS OF THE 4TH ANNUAL CELEBRATING DIVERSITY PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION

IN FOCUS INTERVIEW WITH THE EDITOR:

DAMIAN BUSH, MANAGING DIRECTOR, SINGAPORE SPORTS HUB

In Focus:

Damian Bush, Managing Director, Singapore Sports Hub

By Lucy Haydon When the pandemic stalled the events scene in Singapore, the Singapore Sports Hub pivoted quickly to support the needs of migrant workers for the Government. As the country looks to reopen the economy and chart a safe return to events, our Editor spoke with Managing Director, Damian Bush, about future planning, community support, and his own journey from the London 2012 Olympics to the highlights of recent years.

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IN FOCUS INTERVIEW WITH THE EDITOR:

IN FOCUS: DAMIAN BUSH, MANAGING DIRECTOR, SINGAPORE SPORTS HUB

You’ve been involved with the Singapore Sports Hub project since the beginning. What have been your highlights of the journey so far?

We have a pretty versatile site, and there have been many incredible moments over the years.

Regionally, the Southeast Asian Games in the summer of 2015 was fantastic because we were using every facility inside the venue. Eleven countries competed, with huge national and regional interest and over 1.3 million people attending across the six-week period of competition. Locally, the NDP in 2016 was incredible, with 50,000 people joining the previews.

High profile events like the WTA Tennis at the Indoor Stadium which ran for five years and the International Champions Cup, bringing world-famous athletes and teams to Singapore, are amazing.

Coldplay brought in 104,000 people over their two shows, 35% of which were visitors to Singapore, driving inbound tourism to the country.

When BTS came through for their

shows, the planning was phenomenal.

We spoke with the band’s management and other venues who had hosted them to learn from their experiences.

We, in turn, have since spoken to the team at Wembley Stadium to share our own insights. Thousands of people planned to arrive early - for these fans the whole day is an experience and they want to take in the merchandise and photo opportunities before the performance. That event took maybe eight or nine months of planning with many stakeholders, and it’s so rewarding to get great feedback from those who came along and those who performed.

On a mass scale like this, event organisers can learn from and develop the best possible experiences for the audience and performers by sharing experiences. This all leads to building a strong foundation for our venue to encourage world-class performers to add us to the calendar.

One of your career highlights came in 2012 as the Central London Venue Lead for the Olympics. How was that experience and what were the

biggest takeaways that have helped you in your current role?

For the London Olympics I was concentrated around St. James’s Park and The Mall, which took me into a different level of stakeholder engagement with senior representatives from the private and public sectors and those representing the Royal family. The Foreign Office became a key partner in Whitehall to navigate the system and deliver on those plans.

Coldplay brought in 104,000 people over their two shows, 35% of which were visitors to Singapore, driving inbound tourism to the country.

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It was great to see the UK come together that summer, and to see the enjoyment and buzz felt well beyond London. We were in such an event-planning bubble that you don’t get to experience all the little moments that people talk about until after the fact. Being involved in a project of that scale certainly helped me with the high-profile events I support today.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on the events industry.

How has the Singapore Sports Hub team adjusted through the past months and how are you planning for an eventual safe return to large scale events, given the long lead time necessary for planning?

We’ve been working hard to support the Government. The Singapore Sports Hub became a dormitory for migrant workers, with up to 3,000 people at any time staying here, predominantly in the National Stadium and OCBC Arena. We were running 24hr operation rooms working with multiple Government agencies and of course our team were classed as essential workers, so we really haven’t stopped. That experience

made us safe management ready from the very start of the pandemic.

On a mass scale like this, event organisers can learn from and develop the best possible experiences for the audience and performers by sharing experiences.

This all leads to building a strong foundation for our venue to encourage world-class performers to add us to the calendar.

We work closely with Sport Singapore, the Ministry of Culture, Community, and Youth, Enterprise Singapore and the Singapore Tourism Board. People look to us to take the lead in how venues can safely reopen and operate. We’ve opened venues and classes in safe distanced arrangements which is of course complex, but we are a big space and we’re built for big numbers. We’ve been fielding enquiries from event organisers and agency partners to start planning provisional dates for major future events, with everyone appreciating the need for flexibility and restrictions.

With the facilities covering a significant amount of real estate, how important is it to ensure that the local population is supportive of the Singapore Sports Hub project and can use the facilities beyond large-scale events? How are you enabling this community outreach?

This has been a great success story for us. The whole footfall is around 15 million.

IN FOCUS INTERVIEW WITH THE EDITOR:

IN FOCUS: DAMIAN BUSH, MANAGING DIRECTOR, SINGAPORE SPORTS HUB

IN FOCUS INTERVIEW WITH THE EDITOR:

IN FOCUS: DAMIAN BUSH, MANAGING DIRECTOR, SINGAPORE SPORTS HUB

Everything that we plan for the community has been well received to date – our water sports centre probably has one of the highest footfalls in the country, the aquatic centre has huge demand with the indoor swimming pool, and our badminton courts get booked out at 90% capacity. We host activities with the Health Promotion Board and Sport Singapore to support the battle against illness like diabetes.

As we emerge from COVID-19, our goal is to explore innovative event formats in the near-term, while building calendar and support event partners.

There will be a focus on local content in the near term, with a view to explore innovative formats of how our venues can be used for creative and original event concepts. We have special zoning capabilities that allow us to have “bubbles” of patrons with single points of entrances and exits,

ABOUT THE COMPANY The Singapore Sports Hub is a state-of-the-art, fully integrated sports, entertainment, and lifestyle hub. Spanning a 35-hectare land in the heart of the city, it houses a cluster of world-class venues for hosting major international sporting events and entertainment acts, and offers endless fun, active and diverse community programming for Singaporeans and visitors, creating memorable experiences and healthy lifestyles for everyone. For more information visit www.sportshub.com.sg.

designated washrooms and concession stands, to allow for safe distancing. In the future, as the Kallang Alive Project develops, the Singapore Sports Hub will be at the core of Singapore’s sports, entertainment and lifestyle precinct, targeting 30 million visitors a year. We will work with the government closely to fulfill our role in this project.

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OFFICIAL PARTNER:

Trade Relationships for The Future SPECIAL FEATURE:

TRADE RELATIONSHIPS FOR THE FUTURE

TRADE RELATIONSHIPS FOR THE FUTURE:

THE UK-SINGAPORE ECONOMIC AND TRADE PARTNERSHIP

The UK-Singapore Economic and Trade Partnership

By Dennis Lee, Regional Group Director for Europe, Enterprise Singapore In this article, Dennis shares his insights on the UK-Singapore trade relationship and economic agenda, and how Enterprise Singapore facilitates partnerships between companies from both countries.

INTRODUCTION Singapore and the United Kingdom (UK) enjoy longstanding historical, political and economic ties dating back to the 19th century. In 2019, on the bicentennial of Sir Stamford Raffles’ arrival in Singapore, the 'SingaporeUnited Kingdom Partnership for the Future' was launched, building on our historical links by celebrating our nations’ shared achievements and looking to the future through the launch of new collaborative initiatives1.

Singapore is also a founding member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and a partner for the UK to access this increasingly important region.

ASEAN: A REGION OF GROWING ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE ASEAN is the fifth largest economy in the world today with a combined GDP of US$3.0 trillion (S$4.1 trillion2) in 20183, and is expected to become the fourth largest by 20304. Total trade in goods and services between the UK and ASEAN reached £41.7 billion (S$73.3 billion5) in 2019, a 12.2 percent increase from the year before6. UKASEAN economic ties are set to grow in the coming years due to a confluence of the three developments below.

Rise of the Middle and Affluent Class.

ASEAN has a total population of 650 million, of which 40 percent falls into the middle and affluent class, and this is expected to increase to 65 percent by 20307. ASEAN’s rising purchasing power will drive demand for consumer and luxury goods, creating opportunities for many UK companies.

Regional Economic Integration.

ASEAN is not only a market but an increasingly important manufacturing base as it pursues closer integration with its neighbours. Intra-Asian trade

grew four-fold between 2000 to 2017 compared with growth in global trade of 2.8 times8, enabled by ASEAN’s network of free trade agreements (FTAs). Even with the onslaught of COVID-19 in the first half of 2020, container volumes on the intra-Asia trade route remained stable, and this trend is expected to persist in the coming months9. ASEAN’s economic hinterland is set to expand further via the ongoing Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) process, launched in 2012 by 10 ASEAN member states (including Singapore) and ASEAN’s 6 FTA partners – Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand10.

... The total trade in goods between the UK and Singapore amounted to over S$18 billion in 2019 , while bilateral trade in services reached more than S$21 billion in 2018

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Resilience amid COVID-19.

ASEAN remains a bright spot of economic growth amid the uncertainties of COVID-19. In its June 2020 outlook, the International Monetary Fund projected that the ASEAN-5 economies will see a contraction of 2 percent in 2020 – a smaller drop compared to the advanced economies – before rebounding to 6.2 percent growth in 202111. In Singapore, output in the biomedical manufacturing, electronics and precision engineering sectors bucked the trend and rose in second quarter 2020 due to stronger-than-expected demand for semiconductor chips and semiconductor equipment12.

UK-SINGAPORE TRADE RELATIONSHIP AND ECONOMIC AGENDA The UK-Singapore economic relationship is one of the most important relationships for Singapore in Europe. The total trade in goods between the UK and Singapore amounted to over S$18 billion in 201913, while bilateral trade in services reached more than S$21 billion in 201814. Key products traded between Singapore and

the UK include non-electric engines & motors and pharmaceuticals, while the largest services categories include transport, financial and business management services15.

As a government agency under Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry that supports Singapore enterprises in innovation, productivity and internationalisation, Enterprise Singapore has been closely involved in nurturing this relationship. Enterprise Singapore maintains an Overseas Centre in London which has been assisting Singapore companies to access the UK market and supporting British companies in finding local partners to expand into Singapore or other parts of Southeast Asia. Close to a hundred Singapore companies have established a presence in the UK serving the retail, hospitality, infrastructure and financial services sectors. The UK is the most popular investment destination in Europe for Singapore companies with a total stock of S$56.9 billion in direct investments from Singapore in 201816.

Enterprise Singapore has also been facilitating partnerships between UK

and Singapore companies in ASEAN. ASEAN has the world’s third largest population of Internet users with 360 million users, and the value of ASEAN’s digital economy is expected to triple from US$98 billion (S$133.9 billion) in 2019 to US$304 billion (S$415.2 billion) by 202517. With strong support from the British High Commission in Singapore and the UK Department of International Trade (DIT), Enterprise Singapore and the DIT E-Exporting team have organised a series of webinars to connect Singapore companies such as Shopee (e-commerce marketplace), Janio (e-fulfilment) and Sift & Pick (online and offline retail platform) with UK retail and lifestyle brands keen on exporting to ASEAN.

TRADE RELATIONSHIPS FOR THE FUTURE:

THE UK-SINGAPORE ECONOMIC AND TRADE PARTNERSHIP

Going forward, Enterprise Singapore sees three bright spots of growth in the UK-Singapore trading and economic relationship: Conscious Consumer.

In a recent webinar co-organised with the Intellectual Property Intermediary (IPI), Enterprise Singapore shared on the rise of the Conscious Consumer in the US and Europe where demand for organic, clean label and sustainable products is on the rise. Singapore food manufacturers with an emphasis on health and wellness and clean labelling practices will find opportunities in this growing consumer segment18.

Digital Economy.

In June 2020, the UK launched its first Digital Trade Network, starting in the Asia Pacific, to strengthen its partnerships for the digital economy19.

Singapore has a thriving ecosystem of digital startups and SMEs that are wellplaced to partner innovative UK tech companies to jointly tackle new business opportunities in Singapore and ASEAN together.

Innovation and Technology.

Enterprise Singapore has been working closely with various UK stakeholders to drive innovation and technology collaboration. For the second year in a row, Enterprise Singapore and the UK DIT have joined hands to organise a technology forum at one of the largest innovation festivals in Asia – the Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SWITCH), which will be held from 7th to 11th December 2020.

Enterprise Singapore and Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, are also close partners in the multilateral EUREKA GlobalStars programme, under which a number of technology coinnovation partnerships between Singapore and UK companies have been fostered. Enterprise Singapore will continue to deepen our engagements with the UK innovation ecosystem both directly and under the Global Innovation Alliance (GIA) banner to give Singapore a boost in its aim to become the GlobalAsia node for technology, innovation and enterprise. In November 2019, London became Singapore’s 13th GIA node; our innovation partner, IoT Tribe, runs regular programmes to help Singapore startups and SMEs scale up in the UK and vice versa.

ASEAN has the world’s third largest population of Internet users with 360 million users, and the value of ASEAN’s digital economy is expected to triple from US$98 billion (S$133.9 billion) in 2019 to US$304 billion (S$415.2 billion) by 2025

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www.mfa.gov.sg/Newsroom/Press-Statements-Transcripts-andPhotos/2019/01/04012019-UK-Foreign-Secretary-Jeremy-Hunt-Visit 2 Converted from USD at an exchange rate of S$1.37/USD 3 Source: ASEAN Key Figures 2019 (October 2019) 1

www.ukabc.org.uk/market/asean/ Converted from GBP at an exchange rate of S$1.76/GBP

4 5

www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-asean-factsheet/ukasean-factsheet 6

www.consultancy.asia/news/1660/bcg-report-highlights-thegrowing-upper-wealth-classes-of-asean 7

www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/asia-pacific/reimaginingemerging-asean-in-the-wake-of-covid-19 8

www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/

9

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mr Dennis Lee is the Regional Group Director, Europe for Enterprise Singapore. He leads Enterprise Singapore’s efforts to foster partnerships between Singapore and European enterprises in trade, technology and open innovation. Based in Frankfurt, Germany, he oversees Enterprise Singapore’s operations in the UK, Germany and other European markets. Prior to Enterprise Singapore, Dennis served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore as a Foreign Service Officer, and with Mapletree Logistics Trust as an Investment Manager.

shipping/091520-intra-asia-container-trade-weathers-covid-19storm-trend-to-persist-in-h2 asean.org/?static_post=rcep-regional-comprehensive-conomicpartnership 10

www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/Issues/2020/06/24/ WEOUpdateJune2020 11

www.mti.gov.sg/Newsroom/Press-Releases/2020/08/MTINarrows-2020-GDP-Growth-Forecast 13 Source: Enterprise Singapore 14 Source: Department of Statistics 15 Source: Enterprise Singapore and Department of Statistics 12

www.singstat.gov.sg/find-data/search-by-theme/trade-andinvestment/direct-investment-abroad/latest-data 17 Source: Business Times 16

ABOUT ENTERPRISE SINGAPORE 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.

SPECIAL FEATURE:

IN CONVERSATION WITH NATALIE BLACK, HER MAJESTY'S TRADE COMMISSIONER FOR ASIA PACIFIC

In Conversation with

Natalie Black, Her Majesty's Trade Commissioner for Asia Pacific On 23rd September our Executive Director, David Kelly, interviewed Natalie Black, HMTC for Asia Pacific for our ‘Representing the UK’ podcast series, where we hear from leaders representing the UK in their day to day operations. In this extract, David and Natalie discuss how COVID-19 has made an impact on trade and the future of working.

Natalie also shares more about sustainability, Fintech and the UK's biggest export industries.

You can listen to the conversation in full on our podcast channels or at www.britcham.org.sg/ podcasts. This podcast episode is sponsored by St. James's Place Wealth Management and is part of our Future of Trade series.

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[David] You have been in Singapore since September 2018. Can you describe your role as the Trade Commissioner, your remit and what some of your priorities are?

• How are they trying to grow their business across Asia Pacific?

• Where are they running into trouble?

• How can we help them?

[Natalie] The Trade Commissioner role is relatively new – with nine of us around the world – and one of the highlights of the job is getting to work with the other eight Trade Commissioners. The UK has to position itself slightly differently on the trade front in a post Brexit world, and we are there to turbo boost our engagement efforts and make the world feel a little bit smaller. As we are a relatively small group, I usually start the day with a chat with Antony Phillipson, the Trade Commissioner for North America, based in New York. Many of your listeners will remember him as a previous High Commissioner in Singapore. I will then finish the day with my colleague, John Edwards, Trade Commissioner for China. I am regularly in touch with the others and it is fantastic to get that global perspective.

How we collectively navigate the future is most important. A good proportion of my time is also spent just responding to the immediate and making sure that companies who are going through difficult times have the best possible support from the British government

We hope to provide a way for businesses to engage at a relatively senior level. The whole idea is to put more senior resource out around the world and to have strategic conversations such as;

With COVID-19 having a massive impact on the economy, can you share what you are doing within the Department of International Trade to support businesses that are struggling at the moment?

.

There are lots of people navigating difficult challenges but also making the most of opportunities, and most importantly, doing it together.

We have been dealing with this since January, so I think it's worth splitting the story into two.

Immediate Crisis Response and Priority There was the immediate crisis response. This included everyone working in Embassies and High Commissions overseas. It was a phenomenal team effort. Some of my team were dedicated on trade responsibilities, while others rolled up their sleeves and made sure that people were getting on flights. We were getting advice on how to manage various family issues and all the different things you would have read about in the paper. It has been a time of everyone coming together and doing whatever needed to be done.

In the trade space, our immediate focus was on supplying Personal Protective

SPECIAL FEATURE:

IN CONVERSATION WITH NATALIE BLACK, HER MAJESTY'S TRADE COMMISSIONER FOR ASIA PACIFIC

Equipment (PPE) back to the NHS in the UK. Like every government in the world, this absolutely rocketed up the priority list. We ran a small coordinating team out of Tokyo for the whole region and worked closely with colleagues in China and Europe to identify suppliers, making sure we could get what the NHS needed as quickly as possible. It was not an easy process, but the team worked incredibly hard. For a long time, a lot of people were doing very long shifts without any form of breaks, so I'm immensely proud of them.

Many businesses found themselves in precarious situations, some who had just decided to expand into Asia Pacific.

Some had that first contract, which was their hook and that had fallen away.

Some might have been waiting on a key investment, and perhaps that had been delayed. We thus had to provide business intelligence in terms of how the investment landscape was likely to evolve.

Opportunities There were a lot of opportunities amongst the challenges. We listened to what governments and big corporations

needed across Asia Pacific and we tried to get British businesses in there quickly to help solve problems. One example is MedTech, which is an area of strength in Singapore. There is a high level of interest and we collaborate often. We had to understand what was needed, whether it was for testing or diagnostics, and we tried to move as quickly as possible.

It has definitely not been boring. If we have learned anything over the last nine months, it’s that no one can do it alone. A real upside is the deep partnerships and friendships that have come out of all of this. There are lots of people navigating difficult challenges but also making the most of opportunities, and most importantly, doing it together.

What excites you about this region and where do you see strong synergies? You must see different pockets of opportunity here in Asia Pacific.

There is nowhere more exciting to be at the moment. Asia Pacific has

everything – its diversity and energy.

When I arrived, what really struck me was the importance of technology across Asia Pacific, as well as the demand for great technology. It is one of the top subjects that people bring up because everyone is really interested in how they manage the threat and where the best technology and businesses are coming from. One of the things I've really enjoyed from this role is getting into the technology space across Asia Pacific and really developing those relationships.

I've been surprised at how little is known about the UK technology sector.

One of my favourite things to do is to ask an audience, "how many unicorns has the UK produced?". I was giving a lecture in Jakarta before COVID-19 and they guessed “maybe two or three”.

They were genuinely shocked at the answer; “79 and growing”. I sometimes think that we take the success of our tech sector in Asia Pacific a little bit for granted, so changing that perception has been a focus area over the last two years.

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A big thanks to the Chamber as well – you have been so supportive while championing that cause. We have seen some great wins and really great British unicorns heading out into Asia Pacific.

Perhaps most importantly, we are seeing the next generation coming through. They are definitely recognising the growth opportunities here, and it shows how strong the ecosystem is now, in Singapore and across the region. So we have done several things over the last couple of years to help facilitate and accelerate that.

Being in an important position within the UK government, and during a massive period of change for the UK, who do you turn to for advice or support?

I have been incredibly grateful in my

career to work with amazing people.

I'm very lucky to have a great network of people to call and ask, “what would you do about this?” I was also very lucky to study in the US, with two fantastic years at Harvard, and I have a very close-knit group of girlfriends from there who are all doing very different things now, and we share advice and guidance.

There is nowhere more exciting to be at the moment. Asia Pacific has everything – its diversity and energy.

I think it is true for all of us - no one

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL TRADE The Department for International Trade (DIT) provides trade and investment services and practical support. They help UK companies succeed in Singapore, and Singapore companies set up and invest in the UK. They also offer expertise and contacts through our extensive network of specialists in the UK, and staff in the British High Commission in Singapore. Visit www.gov.uk/ world/organisations/department-for-international-tradesingapore to find out more.

can do this alone. And anyone who thinks they can usually runs into a little bit of trouble. Having that support network in the best of times, and at the moment, is really important. Especially as leaders, where you are going through tricky times, your focus is on the team.

You spend most of the time on the phone checking in with your team and it is easy to forget that you need to look after yourself too. So having that network of people who you can either get in touch with or will proactively ask, "I saw this happened in the paper, how are you doing?" is really appreciated and really important. And I think ultimately, that is what builds resilient leaders.

TRADE RELATIONSHIPS FOR THE FUTURE: UK-SINGAPORE TRADE AGENDA

UK-Singapore Trade Agenda Introducing Steve Firstbrook, Country Director Singapore, Department for International Trade

My first full month in Singapore has flown by. Like anyone fortunate enough to be able to enter Singapore right now, my stay began with a spell of selfisolation. A spacious hotel room and a balcony overlooking a landscaped garden meant I was luckier than some, but what a feeling it was to re-join the world. As it seems to have been for many, self-isolation was an opportunity for self-reflection, helping me appreciate the daily experiences I’d perhaps started to take for granted (my family served their SHN separately, and I won’t forget in a hurry reuniting with my 15 year-old daughter!). Lock-down also highlighted how quickly some things have become the new norm - my first official event was BritCham’s “Back-To-Work” virtual networking who could have imagined such a thing 12 months ago? But what a fantastic introduction to the vibrancy of BritCham, its members and British business in Singapore.

I’ve enjoyed meeting some of you personally since (although where that’s been over a drink, I haven’t quite got used to evenings ending abruptly at 10.30pm!). I’ve been struck by the closeness of BritCham’s relationship with the High Commission and how we operate as one team. For example, I welcomed a BritCham virtual Welsh trade mission, HM Trade Commissioner

Natalie Black recorded a BritCham podcast, and High Commissioner Kara Owen spoke at BritCham’s hydrogen economy webinar and welcomed your Chairman Richard Warburton and Executive Director David Kelly to newly refurbished Eden Hall. The house, at the heart of the UK’s presence in Singapore for over 50 years, looks amazing, and Kara is eager to welcome more of you as restrictions ease, starting with the chairs of BritCham’s committees during October.

My team has been busy organising our own activities: • a Singapore session at the 'Unlocking Global Tech' day at London Tech Week; • a UK med-tech virtual mission with Singapore’s Ministry of Health; • supporting the Royal Institute of British Architects at Singapore Archifest; • 12 UK companies virtually exhibiting at ConnectTech Asia; and • a webinar highlighting UK clinical research investment opportunities with Singapore’s innovation hub, CATALYST. And we’re looking ahead to a packed remainder of 2020 preparing for Singapore International Cyber Week, Singapore Week of Innovation &

Technology (SWITCH), and Singapore FinTech Festival. As we engage in these events, we must keep in mind that every activity we undertake should be in support one of four core objectives: • breaking down market access barriers faced by British business; • delivering a new trade policy framework for the UK as we leave the EU; • building the appetite for British goods and services; and • attracting high-value investment to the UK to drive innovation and create jobs.

In each of these areas there’s a great story to tell here, meaning UK business in Singapore was able to tackle the challenges of COVID-19 in good shape.

Our exports to Singapore year ending Q1 2020 were £11bn - an increase of 20.4% or £1.9bn on the same period the previous year.

Technology was key to this, and research by StartupBlink shows that Singapore and Brazil are the fasting rising global opportunities for UK tech exporters. So this summer’s launch by International Trade Secretary Liz Truss and Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden of the £8m Digital Trade Network (DTN) for Asia-Pacific could not have been

45 business here with a digital heart health company and with a health consultancy procuring across ASEAN. The DTN will mean we can support more companies like Inavya by raising the profile of the opportunity for UK tech across Asia-Pacific, and boosting our aftercare offer through stronger in-market commercial networks.

The DTN is part of a wider programme to ensure UK industry benefits from new global trade opportunities, including free trade agreements (FTAs). On that front, we are working with Singapore to ensure the continuity of the EU-Singapore FTA so UK businesses aren’t disadvantaged compared to EU counterparts at the end of the Transition Period following our EU exit. We are also working to further advance UK trade and investment in Asia-Pacific through membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for TransPacific

better-timed. It will increase our digital tech expertise in Asia-Pacific to support SMEs internationalise and enhance UK digital economy collaborations in the region.

AI health-tech firm Inavya Ventures (avatr.ai), who we’ve supported since 2017, is an example of an innovative UK company that the DTN can help succeed. Inavya has been developing

Partnership (CPTPP). In September, Liz Truss, alongside the chair of the CPTPP Commission, opened discussions between the UK and Chief Negotiators from all 11 CPTPP members on our potential accession.

UK innovation is not limited to the tech sector. The UK is playing an important role as Singapore expands its transport network. In June, Colas Rail were awarded a $63m contract by the Land Transport Authority to upgrade power supply assets for the Bukit

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL TRADE The Department for International Trade (DIT) provides trade and investment services and practical support. They help UK companies succeed in Singapore, and Singapore companies set up and invest in the UK. They also offer expertise and contacts through our extensive network of specialists in the UK, and staff in the British High Commission in Singapore. Visit www.gov.uk/world/ organisations/department-for-international-tradesingapore to find out more.

Panjang light rail transit. And GoAhead, whose Loyang depot I visited last week, has just had its licence to operate 30 bus routes here extended for two years.

COVID-19 has obviously had a massive impact on all business sectors, but a ray of sunlight is the recovery of public transport as governments recognise the need for resilient and sustainable transport networks. The UK is wellplaced to benefit.

Finally, Singaporean investment to the UK continues to flow. For example, Forefront Medical Technology last year invested in UK contract medical manufacturer Arrow Medical, safeguarding 60 jobs in Herefordshire.

We’ve linked Forefront into the NHS supply chain, leading to Arrow’s expansion into surgical mask production, creating 21 new jobs - great news for Arrow, Forefront and Herefordshire. We want to bring more high-value Singaporean investment in every corner of the UK, working alongside our Invest Northern Ireland and Scottish Development International colleagues at the High Commission, as well as with Trade & Invest Wales and the English regions.

I am privileged to represent the UK, especially in Singapore, which attracts the UK’s finest. BritCham is one of our very best exports, and I look forward to meeting and working with many more of you.

TRADE RELATIONSHIPS FOR THE FUTURE:

REFLECTIONS FROM THE BRITCHAM TRADE SERVICES TEAM

Reflections from the BritCham Trade Services Team

As the in-country delivery partner of the UK Department for International Trade, the BritCham Trade Services team provide multiple levels of support for UK companies seeking opportunities to enter the Singapore market. The total amount of UK exports in goods and services to Singapore amounted to £11bn in the four quarters up until the end of Q1 2020 (57.6% Goods and 42.4% Services). This was an increase of 20.4% compared to the same period year on year, and places Singapore as the UK’s 16th largest export market, accounting for 1.6% of UK exports, not including foreign direct investment. The Chamber is proud to be supported for the second consecutive year in all our trade activities by our Official Future of Trade Partner, Lloyds Bank, and we encourage to visit our information pages for more details of these activities and the latest trade updates.

negotiating arrangements to export to Singapore. We are currently delivering another Virtual Trade Mission for the same Government agency, this time from multiple sectors including education, food and beverage,

Despite the uncertainty that has unfolded in 2020, it has been reassuring to see a continued interest from UK companies seeking opportunities to expand into Singapore. From the beginning of April until we went to press on this issue, the BritCham Trade Services team have provided support for almost 200 UK companies. This support is delivered through bespoke consultancy projects, providing market insights and highlighting opportunities via the new Trade Webinars series, business matching with potential incountry partners, or via Virtual Trade Missions. The work that is delivered through this activity opens doors that may otherwise be challenging for incoming UK companies, as well as enabling established companies in the BritCham community to connect with new market entrants and deepening our connections within the local market.

Further information can be found here and again, we would be happy to introduce you to any of these companies should you wish to start a conversation. A huge thank you goes to

In March we successfully diversified our offerings to deliver a Virtual Trade Mission for the Welsh Government to support seven food and beverage producers to enter the market, which resulted in three of these producers

technology and beauty products: Act Sustainably, Atlantic Service, BCB International, Drone Evolution, Wild Beauty by Rhug Estate Organic Farm, Sims food, and Lawler Education. All of these delegate companies are still open for conversations, so please do get in touch if you would be interested in connecting with any of them.

From the 26th-27th October we are working together with the Emerging Payments Association to deliver a series of virtual activities intended to introduce a variety of FinTech companies to the Singapore market.

our Sterling member Vistra, our Official Partner for this activity. Vistra will join us in sharing their expertise to the delegates on how to set up and establish their business in Singapore.

For more information visit www.britcham.org.sg/ trade-services-support or contact trade@britcham. org.sg

Looking forward, there is still plenty of activity on the cards before the end of the year – we will be working with the Agricultural & Horticultural Development Board (AHDB) to raise the profile in Singapore of UK producers, delivering a series of outreach activities for new and innovative technology for the healthcare, sustainability and marketing/design sectors, and delivering the 5th edition in our series of Trade Webinars, this time focused on the development in Singapore and the opportunities for UK companies in the cyber security sector. This series of webinars are intended to equip UK companies with the market information and valuable sector insights when considering Singapore as an ideal entry point to ASEAN and are made available for on-demand viewing. To date, we have covered consumer goods, food and beverage, maritime and future cities in the series and have several planned into next year.

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Digital Healthcare Mission to Singapore Tees Valley firms set to participate in a virtual trade mission to boost overseas business A team of export experts are extending the reach of Tees Valley firms operating in the digital healthcare sector.

Teesside has particular strength in the field, with a wealth of blossoming tech companies. The virtual mission, part funded through the 'Expanding Tees Valley Presence in International Markets Project', which is part of the ERDF 2014-2020 funding programme, is supercharging the sector by providing a gateway into lucrative foreign markets.

The digital healthcare virtual trade mission will introduce firms to the region and help create soft landings in this key eastern market.

The digital health market is expected to reach US$379 billion by 2024, and the Tees Valley boasts companies breaking new ground in robotics, smart hospitals, medical record data analysis, decision marking optimisation and predictive programs.

Singapore is a doorway through which companies can gain a foothold in extremely dynamic far eastern markets. There is without doubt an appetite for the innovation being pioneered here in the Tees Valley and the virtual mission is designed to help companies make those connections that could open up a wealth of opportunities. There is much to be gained in exploring eastern markets with a great deal of appetite for UK services and goods.

It arrives at the perfect time for firms looking to start exporting or expanding their overseas portfolio, with current exchange rates making UK products and services extremely attractive. There is also the benefit of a common language and strong historical ties between the two countries.

The commonalities between the way businesses in the UK and Singapore operate are really beneficial with similar business and legal practices and comparable technical standards.

Singapore’s proximity to major Asia Pacific economies is a huge benefit for UK firms, which is why it remains the UK’s largest trade partner in south east Asia.

Executive Director of International Trade at the North East England Chamber of Commerce, Julie Underwood, said: “There are many benefits to a virtual trade mission. Our ITAs work hard to support companies in developing international marketing strategies and enhancing sales skills. We also provide a tailored itinerary that suits the requirements of an individual business, and we deliver virtual matchmaking with potential clients.

“Our hands-on support will help businesses prepare for operating in different cultures while generating leads and prospective partners to meet during the visit. In short, we do everything we can to help our native businesses succeed in foreign markets.”

List of Participating Companies: ActivCare Coaching Duco Digital Ghost Innovations LightOx Micropore Technologies OptiMe Radical Panda SafeSpace VR SamplePod Sapere

TRADE RELATIONSHIPS FOR THE FUTURE: DIGITAL HEALTHCARE MISSION TO SINGAPORE

ActivCare Coaching

Duco Digital

At ActivCare Coaching, our Training Courses and CPD Resources enable care staff to deliver high quality seated activity sessions to help improve or maintain the health and wellbeing of participants. We help organisations who want to make an impact to the wellbeing of adults in their care and are trying to deliver high standards under tough commercial pressures. We support and nurture our learners throughout their training process with the skills and knowledge to make a difference to participants' wellbeing and become Accredited Coaches. Our fun and informative CPD Resources support ongoing development for ActivCare Coaches once they are accredited.

Duco Digital is the leading online UK BCS (Chartered Institute for IT) accredited provider of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning courses for individuals and businesses looking to understand the benefits of using AI and Machine Learning, how to identify commercial opportunities; choosing the right application, best practices, the challenges of AI and ethics, and understanding EU guidelines, along with a globally recognised professional certification and career support.

Duco Digital also provides professional digital marketing services including marketing automation with SharpSpring, commercial websites, social media marketing, digital advertising, SEO and marketing consultancy including promoting new products or services to the UK.

Ghost Innovations

LightOx

Due to a personal life experience, Ghost Innovations Ltd designed and developed Ghost - digital life goes on, which is a phone App specifically aimed at people who have a terminal illness. It provides the tools to enable phone calls, videos, photos and text messages to be created and scheduled to a date in the future to friends and loved ones. Ghost App works via a scheduled service, messages can be sent to loved ones for up to 50 years in the future. Imagine receiving a phone call from a family member who has passed away 5 years ago?

Whether it be a birthday or a special occasion, the possibilities are endless and the content, absolutely priceless.

LightOx are developing light activated drugs initially for the treatment of Oral cancers, using new technologies LightOx is changing the way in which light-based therapies are delivered to the patient through a new class of patented small molecule, fluorescent drugs which overcome the limitations of current light based treatments. LightOx also offer research tools to the industry including a number of fluorescent probes and most recently their PhotoReact365 a benchtop photoreactor enabling reproducible irradiation for photochemical and photobiological applications. These are both available for purchase via MilliporeSigma.

Micropore Technologies

OptiMe

Micropore Technologies, based at the Wilton Centre on Teesside, is a technology solutions provider to multiple market sectors whose clients manufacture formulated products.

These range from small volume specialist controlled release drugs and novel vaccines in the pharma sector through fragrance encapsulation in the cosmetics sector to large volume microcapsules and emulsions for the food and household products sectors. The company’s award winning technology delivers significantly increased yields, zero waste and improved product performance for its clients. Around 85% of its revenues come from export markets across the globe. It has a presence in the USA and India and has sales in over 30 countries and has plans to enter more country markets in the Americas and Far East.

The OptiMe digital solution provides personalised employee wellbeing on the go with an extensive bank of video workshops developed by leading professionals, a goal setting feature, occupational exercises, bespoke recipes and 24/7 Wellbeing Support Line. Our team will support your organisation to build a culture of wellbeing whilst providing personalised support to employees for greater health, happiness and productivity.

Gain insight into organisational wellbeing and trends through the OptiMe HR Support Platform. Here you will have the capability to send out employee engagement surveys, analyse data, create and distribute awards and add new employees to the system.

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Radical Panda

SafeSpace VR

We are a team of radical innovators, forward-thinkers, creators, explorers and dreamers – all with one shared goal: to improve the world we live in. Together, we are pushing industries and organisations forward. Our innate curiosity about our surrounding world creates a work environment where all are encouraged to follow their instincts, try new directions and work collaboratively whenever possible – resulting in a mindset where everything we do, we approach in our own unique way.

A spin-out from established and multi-award winning Digital Transformation company Spearhead Interactive, SafeSpace is a unique app for Android and iOS mobile devices; offering immediate access to a Virtual Reality sensory room experience wherever and whenever it is required. The software has been designed to benefit children and young people with autism, learning and developmental issues or other neurological and emotional conditions; providing a solution whereby traditional methods of stimulation and support have been augmented and transformed like never before. SafeSpace enables selfregulation and behavioural management to improve mental health by reducing levels of anxiety and distress associated with sensory issues.

SamplePod

Sapere

Samplepod is the first laboratory pallet of its kind to hold the 7 standard sample tube diameters safely and securely during transport, whilst also allowing full end tov end sample traceability using low cost printable electronics within the system. Samplepod eliminates the use of plastic bags and massive amounts of manual handling within the pathology sample process. We are set to reduce the waste and inefficiencies in the Pathology Lap Sample process - potentially saving the NHS over 250m per year.

This is a Global problem that we want to share. Also 1,000,000 plastics bags £ per year also going directly into landfill at approx 4 tons per lab. (Clinical Waste)

Sapere are a modern, professional software design and development company based in the North East of England. To every project we work upon we bring decades of IT industry experience implementing and managing major software development projects for multinational companies. We specifically pride ourselves on our customer service, our integrity and our fantastic team of software developers who consistently deliver high-quality and cost-effective business solutions. Our core aim is to always meet and exceed the requirements and expectations of any business we work alongside. We are proud to provide world-class software consultancy, software design and software development services for business and industry globally and throughout the UK.

TRADE RELATIONSHIPS FOR THE FUTURE:

SUPPORTING UK EXPORTERS: AGRICULTURE AND HORTICULTURE

Supporting UK Exporters: Agriculture and Horticulture By the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) In this article, AHDB discusses meat and dairy production in the UK, their welfare standards and what they do as an organisation to support and promote UK exports worldwide.

The UK’s climate, rich tradition, and heritage is uniquely placed to produce high quality food. We have been farming for years, utilising lush pastures to produce great tasting food for you and your family. We know what we are doing when it comes to producing high quality food and high food safety. High welfare standards mean we produce some of the best quality and great tasting food.

With highly established and recognised quality, sustainability with our hedgerows, and flower meadows, we can trace each animal right through from farm to fork. Growth hormones and routine use of antibiotics are not allowed. Latest technology, breeding standards, state-of-the-art processing and a fully-assured, independently audited supply chain gives you confidence that our products are produced to the highest standards, producing high quality, tender and flavoursome beef, lamb and pork to be enjoyed with confidence by you and your family. Food from the UK is regarded as some of the best in the world. British farmers care about their animals and the food they produce for you. We care about the food we produce as we care about the people who eat it.

Singapore is a key market for UK exports of high-quality British meat and

dairy products.

The British pork sector is focused and highly professional, producing 950,000 tonnes of pig meat on an annual basis. Britain produces about 11 million pigs. Pig meat exports from Britain in 2019 were 378,000 tonnes, worth £609m. High quality pig meat exports to Singapore in 2019 were worth £1.8m.

Uniquely, 40% of the sow herd is farmed outdoors in the natural environment. Temperate climate is perfect for this, as well as producing feed for the pigs. Growth hormones are not permitted for use. The British pork supply chain is fully-assured from farm, through approved transport operators to highly regulated, dedicated pork processors.

The UK produces approximately 900,000 tonnes of beef per year. In 2019, UK exported 183,000 tonnes, worth £531m. Britain’s beef industry is the envy of the world. Breeding from our livestock and genetics, breeds native to Britain are much sought after by farmers in other countries. The UK has a mild, wet climate, which is optimal for ruminant production.

Cattle and sheep are reared in a green,

nutrient-rich environments. Grazing livestock is viewed as a science in the UK, to optimise the production of sustainable quality beef and sheep meat.

Our unique climate and rainfall mean beef produced in the UK is grass fed.

This results in a high amount of Omega three and Vitamin E with lower saturated fat than grain fed beef. The UK’s Quality Standard Mark (QSM) across beef and lamb chains includes standards throughout the supply chain – from the farm through processing, on to the meat maturation, and regimes to enhance eating quality.

The standards combine guarantees of food safety, animal welfare, care for the environment and enhanced eating quality.

Building on the recent successes we have seen in Singapore, including the Food is GREAT showcase in February 2019 and Speciality & Fine Food Asia (SFFA) in July 2019, AHDB in partnership with BritCham Singapore will be rolling out a range of marketing activities as we lead up to FHA in March 2021, a key trade show of the food sector across South East Asia.

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Supporting and promoting UK exports worldwide of high-quality British meat, dairy, potatoes and cereals is a key part of what AHDB does. We work across market identification, market research, export events such as tasting, trade shows and retail promotions, and play a key role in supporting the government on Market access. This means more people across the world can enjoy and appreciate high quality food produced in the UK. We support the export of pork, beef, and lamb from the UK to key markets across Asia through a coordinated and targeted export programme, including attendance at leading international trade shows,

outward and inward market missions and integrated PR campaigns.

Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) is a statutory levy board in the United Kingdom, funded by farmers, growers and others in the supply chain. AHDB supports meat and livestock (cattle, sheep and pigs) in England, horticulture, milk and potatoes in Great Britain, and cereals and oilseeds in the UK. Annually, £60m is invested in the future of agriculture and horticulture – delivering projects Including opening and developing markets here in the UK and overseas.

ABOUT THE COMPANY Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) delivers transformational projects to drive productivity and boost farming and supply chain businesses. To cover the whole supply chain, we work with farmers, growers, packers, processers, agronomists, vets and abattoirs.

This helps us unify the industry, bridge gaps in knowledge and encourage collaboration to build a stronger future for everyone. Visit www.ahdb.org. uk for more information.

Our purpose is to inspire our farmers, growers and industry to succeed in a rapidly changing world to be more competitive and resilient. We equip the industry with easy to use, practical know-how, which they can apply straight away to make better decisions and improve their performance. A key role supports the industry to understand and deliver what consumers will trust and buy in global markets.

AHDB also plays an active role on behalf the British industry in market development work and marketing activity to inspire and inform consumers. AHDB covers 72% of total UK agricultural output.

TRADE RELATIONSHIPS FOR THE FUTURE:

THE US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2020: THE IMPACT ON UK-US RELATIONS

The US Presidential Election 2020: The Impact on UK-US relations Will it be better the devil you know or time for change for the American people?

On 3rd November, America will either re-elect Donald Trump or newly elect former Vice President Joe Biden to the office of the President. The campaign has become so divisive that at the time of writing, over 58 million votes have already been cast(1) with talk of voter suppression and absentee ballots regularly making the news. Whatever the outcome, the results of this election will impact the geopolitical relationships across the globe for at least the next four years.

In this special feature, experts from our US Election event this month provide their take on the possible outcomes.

(1)

- Associated Press, 25 Oct 2020

Angela Mancini Partner and Head of Southeast Asia, Control Risks If President Trump wins reelection, we can expect four more years of global business uncertainty, driven by his erratic approach to foreign policy, and a high probability of further escalation of trade disputes. These trends are likely to be amplified, because Trump would no longer be constrained by future reelection considerations and because multilateral institutions and alliances, which have traditionally held US policy in check, have weakened in the past four years. And if the current situation is any indication, the US is unlikely to get the pandemic under control soon, contributing to a more challenging global investment environment.

Notwithstanding the US-UK special relationship, four more years of Trump would pose challenges to the UK’s foreign policy and business. Trump is likely to escalate the US-China trade dispute, prolonging uncertainty faced by UK businesses in Asia. Prompted by broader US-China disagreements, Beijing may respond by taking regulatory action against businesses of US allies like the UK, Canada and Australia.

If Biden is elected, we can expect a more stable and predictable US foreign policy and less business uncertainty.

Economists have predicted a quicker and more robust US economic recovery under Biden, based on his promises to address COVID-19 and proposed $2 trillion stimulus package to boost spending on infrastructure, climate change mitigation, education and healthcare. Such economic activity and the reduced risk of new trade escalation would bode well for UK investors.

A Biden administration is unlikely to rush into a bilateral trade deal with the UK. In its first year, the new government would focus on tackling three ongoing domestic crises – COVID-19, the economy and bitter social divisions – even as it recalibrates its approach to China. While Biden is cognisant that the US cannot step back into global agreements that have evolved over the past few years, he looks set to rebuild alliances, return to or revisit global agreements (e.g., the Paris Agreement and the Iran nuclear agreement) and leverage traditional diplomacy. This would entail the US playing a more active role at regional summits and reprising its leadership role on issues such as setting standards for the digital economy.

Regardless of who occupies the White House, the US will continue to focus on Asia and remain “tough on China”.

Although a Biden administration would conduct its relationship with China in a more strategic manner, focusing on cooperating where possible (e.g., climate change) and competing where necessary, the US-China rivalry is here to stay. This also means that, regardless of the outcome after November 3, UK businesses operating in China are likely to face increased regulatory scrutiny, and they should ensure their compliance programmes, stakeholder engagement plans and government relations initiatives are updated, robust and fit-for-purpose, to mitigate risks to their operations.

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Philip Steggals Global Head of Research, Kadence Could Trump Winning be better for ASEAN in the long run Much has been written about Trump pulling the US out of the TPP early into his first term. Trump is obviously ‘America First’ and a second term would likely see him double down on this stance. Whilst there is hope in the region that a Biden win will see the US re-enter CTPTP, much suspicion has been raised on dealings with China by Trump within the US, coupled with the ongoing challenge of COVID-19, it is unlikely that ASEAN and Asian policies in general will be a top priority for Biden.

Digital strategy for brands Building upon the viewpoint, that a Trump victory will cause a predictable increase in the ‘America First’ mentality – there is arguably no single beneficiary more than Singapore. With global uncertainty around US and China policies, but with billions of potential buyers in Asia – companies will be looking to see how they can navigate the best trade deals, whilst gaining access to new markets. Singapore stands with a foot firmly in each part of the World. PM Lee stated on 20th September that "We take no joy in the troubles in the world, but it is a fact that in a troubled world, Singapore is one of the few trusted countries that stands out, and we must guard that reputation zealously”.

As such, whilst a Biden win should be a benefit for future ASEAN commerce, and all multilateral trade on paper, there will still be uncertainty in terms of what the US will actually commit to. With a Trump win, ASEAN must move forwards together, now. PM Lee stated earlier in the year that a ‘secure and predictable environment’ was a key step that US needed in its ties with China and ASEAN. With Trump, there can be no predictability, so ASEAN nations must look to secure longterm growth regardless of future US foreign policies.

A recent study by Visa and STB has shown that local Singaporean brands have been most severely hit by COVID-19. A lack of online presence has seen only $2 out of $100 being spent online on local brands. A rise in digital spending means that consumers can look outside of Singapore for more products and services. US and UK firms looking to reach a new audience will be able to utilise a variety of online platforms for their distribution. Trump victory and a promised 2021 Brexit will likely mean closer economic ties between US and UK – but online retail and the desire for the latest global brands will see many Asian consumers looking online for their products.

Robert Carnell Regional Head of Research, Asia-Pacific, ING

China has been gradually losing market share of trade to lower cost rivals, both other cheaper Asian countries, and cheaper local producers to key markets (US and Europe). The shift of production and trade away from China to other sources is not new, it had begun before the trade war, before the tech war, before Covid-19 and was driven by an increasing lack of competitiveness as Chinese wage growth regularly exceeded its productivity growth. The trade and tech war and now the pandemic, have simply accelerated these changes. A recent MAS study suggests that between 2017 and 2019, China lost more than 25% market share in the electronics segment (final and intermediate goods) to Vietnam, Taiwan and Malaysia.

One of the most depressing things about the last four years, has been the way in which radical policy initiatives have sprung out of thin air, requiring some early morning firefighting. I don’t expect these headaches to entirely disappear, but would happily see their frequency diminish.

Tension between the US and China looks set at best to moderate, not disappear under a different administration, and could well intensify further if President Trump wins again, which we cannot rule out.

And the tension stems at least as much these days from a resurgent China, not just a bellicose US. China is no longer content to just bide its time quietly on the sidelines. It is increasingly challenging the US as a rival for the model of the next century, and not just in the trade sphere, but technologically, militarily. It would be surprising if there was not more pushback from the US as this happens, whoever is in the White House. And inevitably, this will lead to international political considerations to impinge on the economic /trade arena for countries like the UK. In reality, though, Trump or no Trump, Asian trade has been undergoing a significant transition in recent years, and the main impact of a potential change in the US administration, is merely that we might see fewer policy surprises – making life for analysts and business leaders alike, a little easier to plan around, though not necessarily a more cooperative trade environment.

What is also becoming clear to many MNCs operating in Asia is, whilst China is the great prize in terms of market entry, it is also a high risk market. The trade and increasingly tech wars which the US is waging with China are growing reasons not to have all your eggs in one basket. The nature of this conflict may change under a new administration, more WTO, more WHO, more NATO, for example – basically more multilateral, with allies and partners like the UK. But it is not necessarily going to be any less challenging for China.

TRADE RELATIONSHIPS FOR THE FUTURE: SUPPORTING UK EXPORTERS: TECHNOLOGY SERVICES

Supporting UK Exporters: Technology Services One of our latest Sterling members is Capita plc., the largest business services company in the UK. The Co-founder and Managing Partner of their corporate venture capital business, John Downes, discusses why he sees Singapore as a key market for their portfolio of technology businesses.

What does Capita do?

Capita provides technology enabled services in three main areas; customer management, HR and back office administration. We employ 65000 people globally and interact with 45 million customers every day on behalf of our clients across a broad range of sectors. We are especially strong in retail and financial services, we also provide services to several UK government departments, in total Capita has around 7000 enterprise clients.

How does your business fit in?

Capita Scaling Partner (CSP) is our corporate venturing business, founded in 2018 to help us source the most innovative digital solutions for our clients. CSP specialises in investing in early stage, B2B enterprise SaaS (or technology led) companies, with a focus on strategic areas to Capita, for example: 1. HR - Future of work and future of learning 2. Customer Experience - Future of e-commerce and digital customer services 3. Automation of administrative tasks through artificial intelligence, machine learning and intelligent use of customer data

using it today. Their technology enables consumers to view and interact with a high-fidelity 3D model of a product in their own homes. London Dynamic can increase in sales conversation by 200%, halve returns and drive a fivefold increase in brand engagement for almost any high involvement online purchase. Think luxury goods, furniture, electricals, cars or even houses or yachts! Get your smart phone out, use this QR code and have a play right now:

Plug and play, infinitely scalable, a seamless customer journey and you can be up and running in days, we’re excited about this product.

Dragonfly AI is a predictive visual analytics product that shows you instantly what element of content grabs consumer attention first when they engage your e-commerce platform. It enables retailers to hone content in real time for maximum sales impact. In the last year, we have landed in major clients such as GSK, Sony, McDonald’s and Diageo, displacing expensive eye tracking spend, maximising value from agency and creative spend and reducing reliance on less accurate (non-AI) analytics products.

These technology companies must tackle key pain points for incumbents (i.e. Capita clients) and have a large addressable market (>£1bn pa). As a shareholder in these companies we can support their growth agenda – helping them with business development and solving some of the scaling challenges that can often hold back high potential businesses.

How has your portfolio faired during the COVID-19 crisis?

2020 has been a challenging year for business, especially in sectors such as retail, travel and hospitality where the economic brunt of lockdowns and social distancing measures have been borne out, as governments around the world have dashed to protect the health of their citizens. Whilst volatile trading conditions are always a concern, not to mention the horror of a dangerous global pandemic, COVID-19 has accelerated two market trends that were always core to our investment thesis; ‘future of work’ and ‘future of e-commerce’. Therefore, in the medium and long term, we see a bright future for the portfolio and are very optimistic.

Why do you see Singapore as pivotal for international expansion?

Singapore is great for us for three reasons; 1. It ranks number one in the region for digital infrastructure and is the most innovative nation in Asia.

2. It is a business and UK friendly country, where many large global corporations are regionally headquartered, many of whom we’d love to speak to!

3. It is a globally connected economic powerhouse, therefore a great platform from which to address the wider APAC market.

Remote working – whether at home or a hybrid / co-working model – is here to stay in one guise or another and this presents a range of challenges for large companies that technology can solve. A much larger portion of consumer spend will also now be online, and capturing that business will require companies to innovate in customer experience to drive slicker, more immersive experiences.

Technology will help improve these customer interactions and we are already seeing significant traction for our portfolio in these areas.

Why BritCham Singapore?

The chamber has been exceptional. At the end of 2019, they organised our first trade mission in Singapore, where we met over 40 businesses in a single week. This really kick-started our portfolio in the region.

Sadly, our plans to launch physically in the region in 2020 were delayed due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. Nonetheless, we are intent on maintaining our global outlook. We have now joined the chamber and in the coming months, you will be hearing from us as we begin a series of webinars and one-to-one meetings with companies who have the same affinity for technological innovation as us.

Can you give some examples of where your portfolio can help retailers post COVID-19?

Let’s throw the spotlight on two of our portfolio companies who sell their software to the FMCG and retail sector: London Dynamics, our latest partner, provides high fidelity Augmented Reality (AR) solutions for e-commerce, a market that is expected to explode to £50bn pa by 2024 despite only 1% of retailers

With the chamber’s access and finger on the pulse, we know we can continue to replicate the successes we have had in EMEA, here in Asia.

If you are interested, don’t hesitate to get in touch with John on john.downes@capita.com.

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The Future is Here: Business Education for Tomorrow

By Dr Richard Thain, Director, Learning Solutions and Innovation, Plymouth Marjon University With managers and businesses under increasing pressure to adapt to a changing world and evolving customer requirements, sustainability is a growing area of strategic focus. Traditional business education courses may not equip the executives of the future with the toolkit that they need to succeed, and the value-for-money and specialist focus afforded by other qualifications such the Master’s in Management are receiving increased attention.

FEATURE:

THE FUTURE IS HERE: BUSINESS EDUCATION FOR TOMORROW

FEATURE:

THE FUTURE IS HERE: BUSINESS EDUCATION FOR TOMORROW

The World is throwing a seemingly endless list of challenges at everybody involved in management. With the immediate issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, many organisations have been in permanent crisis mode since early 2020, and there seems to be little respite to take a breath and think about strategy, or indeed, anything else. Covid has certainly highlighted how interconnected our supply chains are, and how we need to adapt our business practices and strategies to survive.

Organisations large and small, public and private sector are focussing on resilience as never before. Businesses and their customers are taking stock and considering what really matters.

Climate change, the environment, clean water, good health and wellbeing are just four of the areas highlighted in the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Whilst these Goals are a useful framework for our trajectory as a society, we cannot afford to ignore them in a business or a management context either. Consumer demand and behaviour is evolving rapidly, and organisations are facing greater scrutiny of their products and services, and sustainability is often high on the list. Indeed, the role of business in society is itself being questioned, with

the large global tech companies in particular being in the spotlight in recent months.

... widespread adoption of circular economy principles would result in a CNY70 Trillion saving for households and businesses in China by 2040; and in Europe, a EU3,00 increase in annual household disposable income.

Is it enough then, for the business of the future to ‘just’ have a carbonneutral strategy? Google, for example, has been carbon-neutral since 2007, and says that it has now eliminated its entire carbon footprint since its founding. Apple on the other hand, has committed to be 100% carbon neutral

for its supply chain and products by 2030. But how about a company like Danone? A global food company present in more than 130 markets, Danone has fully committed to combine economic success and social progress, having achieved ‘B Corp’ Certification for 17 of their entities to date. B Corporations aim to use business as a force for good, balancing profit and growth to generate positive impact for employees, communities and the environment.

Pursuing a certified B Corp strategy is clearly not for everyone, but there is a growing movement behind a more general ‘B Economy’, with a focus on the ‘Triple Bottom Line’ approach.

The Triple Bottom Line judges social and environmental achievements with equal weight alongside financial performance.

This might be an uncomfortable thought for many Finance Directors and Chief Executives, but there is no avoiding the fact that it is starting to matter to both consumers and regulators. Designing out waste and pollution, keeping materials in use, and regenerating natural systems; the three principles of the Circular Economy, are also becoming increasingly relevant in this time of disruption and uncertainty.

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There may well be a strong argument for evolution and change based on all these drivers, but what’s in it for business?

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a notfor-profit pioneer of the circular economy estimates that widespread adoption of circular economy principles would result in a CNY70 Trillion saving for households and businesses in China by 2040; and in Europe, a EU3,00 increase in annual household disposable income. These are clearly not trivial amounts, and alternative financing models, with attractive rates of interest are already available to organisations and projects with sustainable credentials; a point which may help to convince that traditionallyminded Finance Director.

A sustainable approach can clearly yield significant opportunities to business of all sizes, in all areas and in all sectors.

But how can organisations adapt, evolve

and make the best of these opportunities? Upskilling and reskilling, training and education. This is an area that, in turn, also has to innovate and change, and many students and their employers are looking beyond the traditional MBA to something more focussed.

A Master’s in Management (MiM) are being increasingly offered by business schools around the world and indeed, the data suggests that MiM degrees are growing at a faster rate than the traditional MBA. MiM tuition fees are undoubtedly more attractive but it is also the flexibility of focus and content that an MiM affords: a focus on the ‘soft’ skills such as leadership, working in teams and emotional intelligence that have been identified by employers as important qualities.

Whilst demand for MBAs may be reducing in some areas, it is likely that

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr Richard Thain founded and was CEO of an online education business, and now leads sustainable management programmes at Plymouth Marjon University in the UK. He is a passionate advocate for sustainability as a strategy for business success. He has developed a range of online distance learning courses to provide the broadest range of educational opportunities to support businesses and individuals alike.

MBAs and MiMs will co-exist quite happily for a long time to come. What is readily apparent is that COVID-19 has shifted focus to both MBAs and MiMs delivered by online and distance learning. A combination of careful course design and the use of technology now makes such programmes viable alternatives to attending a university in person, essential given the travel restrictions which are likely to be with us all for some time.

Sustainability is becoming a watchword for business success, innovators and early adopters are likely to become sector leaders. Choosing the right educational course and qualification in business is critical, and the Master’s in Management qualification can provide much-needed flexibility. Now is the time to embrace that sustainable future.

ABOUT THE COMPANY At the forefront of education for 180 years, Plymouth Marjon University is a highly respected small university, currently ranked the No 1 university in England for teaching quality. Marjon’s four values of humanity, ambition, curiosity and independence mean that we believe in others, and we care about the success of all our students. As well welcoming International students to our green and spacious campus in Plymouth, UK; Marjon offers a range of online distance learning Masters degrees, including the new MSc in Management for a Sustainable Future.Find out more at www.marjon.ac.uk

FEATURE:

THE FUTURE IS HERE: BUSINESS EDUCATION FOR TOMORROW

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INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY: THE VIRTUAL CONFERENCE

International Women's Day: The Virtual Conference

In the three themed breakout rooms, attendees – despite managing different topics – found a common challenge:

By The Women in Business Committee

In our breakout room on the Importance of Education, children’s schooling and its role in gender dynamics took centre-stage. With workfrom-home and lockdowns enforced, it was near impossible to work in a productive manner with children at home and something had to give; predominantly a reduction in hours for one parent, unpaid leave, or simply an unsustainable lifestyle of ‘childcare all day and work all evening’. Most of this burden fell on women.

Every year, the Women in Business committee hosts events with the purpose of addressing gender-specific challenges in today’s professional environment – all the while celebrating the best of Women in Business. The biggest of these is International Women’s Day (IWD).

While COVID-19 had other plans for us in 2020, an (ambitious) opportunity presented itself: embracing the new virtual normal and hosting our most accessible and interactive IWD Event yet. Using live virtual presentations & breakout rooms, interactive chats and voting systems, attendees and hosts engaged in interactive discussions across Singapore over the course of three days. Lively debates were had, new ideas were analysed, and incredible experiences were shared by panel and audience members alike.

This crisis has not only highlighted the importance of school to keep the economy running but also that without appropriate childcare considerations by

How much progress have we made in recent years? How are we measuring progress? Are COVID-19 lockdowns and work-from-home policies disadvantaging women at work?

Mercer’s When Women Thrive research 2020 conducted in collaboration with the World Economic Forum shows that hiring, promotion and retention rates for women are comparable to those of men across all career levels. However, Women representing 50% of the global workforce is still decades away.

It’s time to start looking at diversity through a different lens. We currently look at it as representation – this needs

to change. It requires new emphasis on how we measure success (e.g. to stop looking at representation as a means to qualify a ‘successful’ Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) programme but assess equality of opportunity, experience and pay). This equality is what sets the foundation for longer-term results and is a very different strategy than simply focusing on the numbers or levels of representation. Key focus areas explored on how this could be achieved were: • Organisations hardwiring programs, policies and processes to ensure they support equality of opportunity, experience and pay.

• Managers are critical in delivering on D&I objectives because they are ultimately responsible for day-to-day interaction, people management, hiring and promotion decisions, the discussion around compensation, etc. with employees. Only 53% of

The Male perspective room, while discussing a similar disparity on home/childcare responsibilities, noted the impact this experience has had on male leaders; improving awareness of the challenges faced by their female colleagues at home, and reevaluating their perception of gender equality. We observed a need to tackle the stigma of men leveraging care/flexible policies. Rather than policies, it was down to leadership highlighting and encouraging their use by men as well as their partners – a heightened focus on company culture.

Our Generational Female Perspective room tackled a different discussion on culture altogether. Attendees discussed how culture affects the ability to progress a D&I agenda, and if it is something society can overcome. Are we also good enough at calling ourselves out when we fall short? One attendee shared how her heritage impacted her perceptions and assumptions. Another shared challenges of bringing change locally in an Asian company that, in its HQ, still ascribed to the concept that employees beyond a certain age are officially considered to now being disadvantaged. Critically also was the discussion of ‘grassroots’ change – to take ownership in middle management, in a local team or office – to drive change at all levels of the business.

Day 2: Inspiration from Dany Cotton, The First Female London Fire Commissioner

Day 1: The Day to Day Realities of Navigating Gender Parity

We were pleased to have Liana Attard of Mercer share somewhat of a ‘state of affairs’ of gender diversity, using valuable data gathered by the organisation on many aspects of this topic.

both the government and employer, achieving parity of access to opportunity is impossible. However, while policy was important, ‘company culture’ was agreed to be key in affecting real change.

companies report that their middle managers are involved in D&I activities and only 46% of frontline managers (front line managers are more influential, but less involved than middle managers).

• Senior executives and board members are engaged in D&I efforts, but manager involvement is lacking and critical for creating an inclusive culture. If we want companies to truly create an inclusive culture, this is an area where we need to bring commitment down to the managerial level. This means training all managers so that they can lead the organisation’s D&I agenda.

A catalyst for diversity is the visibility of female role-models in leadership. To this effect, we were very lucky to have Commander Martin Moore, Defence Advisor for the British High Commission Singapore host a discussion with the much acclaimed Commissioner of the London Fire Brigade, Dany Cotton.

culture but working & leading with authenticity with a belief in her skills and experience – even during the hardest times. In doing so, Dany gave enormous value to an organisation where your ‘culture’ and teamdynamics can have the highest of consequences.

Dany rose through the ranks of one of the most male-dominated industries in the UK. In an inspiring and humble presentation, we learned how Dany Cotton became a leader and role-model, not by mirroring the attributes of her male colleague to ‘fit into’ an existing

Dany Cotton demonstrated how fresh perspective can radically change the oldest of institutions and concluded with this simple advice: ‘Lead by example, don’t let anyone undermine you and be the best you can be’.

Lead by example, don’t let anyone undermine you and be the best you can be

Finally, it was clear that organisations are failing to consider whether their HR policies and benefits truly reflect the diverse needs of our modern workplace in areas like women’s health programmes, financial wellbeing, needs of late-career workers & parental leave

FEATURE:

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY: THE VIRTUAL CONFERENCE

FEATURE:

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INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY: THE VIRTUAL CONFERENCE

Day 3: Discussion – ‘Quotas, a Gift or a Curse’?

In our panel, we invited Low Peck Kem (Government Chief Human Resource Officer, Prime Minister’s Office of Singapore), Naveen Menon (President, SEA, Cisco) and Prof. Veronica HopeHailey, (Dean of School of Management, University of Bath) to an open discussion, hosted by Lewis Gerrard (Principal & Business Lead, People Science, Mercer) featuring debates, polls and Q&A. There were eye-opening statistics and ideas around quotas beyond outcomebased frameworks. Lewis shared a study highlighting the value of quotas in candidature. With one female in a list of four finalists, her odds of securing the role were close to zero (compared with 50% chance of a female selection in a 50/50 selection). But how do we achieve this opportunity for fair consideration? Diversity at the junior level will breed diversity through the ranks, as long as the mechanisms exist for them to realise potential – so is there a place for quotas in graduate hiring, or university recruitment in poorly represented categories?

Not all the panelists agreed but one thoughtful conclusion was: “I don’t like quotas but I’m disappointed in our progress without them”. A vote before and after the discussions showed a net 25% of the audience changing perspectives in favor of implementing quotas. That said, given the narrative of the discussion that changed these perspectives, implementing quotas is not an absolute solution to creating fair opportunities for all genders, but a firm means to ‘open gates’ which may have been otherwise shut. It was clear that there are many layers to ensuring the implementation of quotas does not become a passive solution. Evolving cultural and societal influences and perceptions in the workplace are key to making a longer-term change.

Over the course of these sessions, the BritCham International Women’s Day virtual conference has shown us again that we all must continue learning & listening - and through exchanges of experience and perspectives we can continue to drive and witness positive change and progress.

Diversity at the junior level will breed diversity through the ranks, as long as the mechanisms exist for them to realise potential

To provide a forum for members of the Chamber to promote Women in Business in the workplace by focusing on 3 main pillars – (1) Performance: Providing opportunities for personal development and developing skills; Assisting women in expanding their networks; (2) Productivity: Promoting the business case for gender diversity looking at revenue and cost (e.g. retention and engagement); Sharing reports, research and best practises on gender diversity and women at the workplace; Promoting positive attitudes and behaviour towards females within organisations in Singapore; Increase male participation in the dialogue driving gender diversity; Promoting senior leaders who are leading the way in balancing gender diversity in the workplace; Sharing experiences and acting as a learning platform for individuals involved in the Network; (3) Policy: Identifying opportunities to help bring awareness to best practice policy. For more information, please visit britcham.org.sg/committees/women-in-business

Dulwich College (Singapore) Comes of Age

Please also refer to the Chamber's dedicated page on our latest Diversity & Inclusion activities: britcham.org.sg/diversity-and-inclusion

FEATURE:

DULWICH COLLEGE (SINGAPORE) COMES OF AGE

FEATURE:

DULWICH COLLEGE (SINGAPORE) COMES OF AGE

Dulwich College (Singapore) has really come a long way since the Headmaster, Nick Magnus, moved to Singapore from Suzhou in 2012 to oversee the opening of the Dulwich College International group’s latest school.

“In the early days we were operating out of an office block in Novena and selling prospective parents something they couldn’t at that time physically experience – yet 884 students were signed up by brave families who had the faith to sign on the dotted line”.

Now the children of those founding families have moved through DUCKS (early years kindergarten), Junior School and into the Senior School and I couldn’t be prouder,” he said.

Dulwich College (Singapore) opened in 2014 with a state-of-the-art green campus and has since gone from strength to strength. This year, the first cohort of Year 13 students graduated with a 100% IB Diploma pass rate and an average score of 37 points, with 1 in 3 students securing an average of 40 points. More importantly, all students secured their first-choice university for September 2020 in the UK, Europe,

Australia, New Zealand and North America.

In the early days we were operating out of an office block in Novena and selling prospective parents something they couldn’t at that time physically experience – yet 884 students were signed up by brave families who had the faith to sign on the dotted line.

Underpinning Dulwich’s rigorous academic curriculum as a selective school, is an emphasis on a rich, wellrounded education including sport, music, the performing arts and a wide range of other co-curricular activities

Dulwich College in London was founded in 1619 by Edward Alleyn, an actor and leading light of the theatre and contemporary of William Shakespeare.

He formed the school with the purpose of educating children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The link between the founding school in London and the Dulwich College International network of schools is very strong, with Dulwich College (Singapore) drawing upon the proud 400-year heritage and British independent school ethos, excellence and innovation. There is also a variety of exchange opportunities between the schools for both students and staff, including the Dulwich Olympiad, Dulwich Games and the MADD Festival for Music, Art, Drama and Dance.

Students at Dulwich also benefit from a variety of partnerships and collaborations with world-class institutions and cutting edge organisations such as the Royal Shakespeare Company, Rolls Royce, Vienna Boys Choir, F1 in schools, Berklee College of Music, Pomeroy Academy (sustainable architecture), and many more.

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Although Dulwich retains many traditions, its focus is firmly rooted in the 21st century. Work will soon commence on building a brand new SE21 hub and IB centre. SE21 is not only the postcode for Dulwich College in London, but is also the name of the Dulwich innovation programme to foster excellence in STEAM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Mathematics), entrepreneurship and environmental sustainability. Students are engaged in entrepreneurship and real-world problem solving, pulling in elements of engineering, filmmaking and project-based learning, including robotics, coding, CAD/CAM (computeraided design and manufacturing) and

virtual reality. The College recognises that many of the jobs our children might be doing in 10 years’ time don’t even exist now. Nurturing students equipped with skills for the future workplace informs the College’s approach to STEAM.

At two years of age, a child believes anything is possible. We believe they should never stop thinking that way.

Nick Magnus is visibly proud of what has been achieved in only six years.

“We are shaping the global citizens of the future and want them to be outwardlooking with a keen sense of adding value to the community within which they live and a responsibility to nurture the planet for future generations,” he said.

“At two years of age, a child believes anything is possible. We believe they should never stop thinking that way.”

ABOUT THE COMPANY Dulwich College (Singapore) is an international school with a British independent school ethos welcoming over 50 nationalities. It was the 7th College to join the Dulwich family of schools and is built on 400 years of innovation. The close collaboration among the colleges encourages an international outlook and the result is a community where academic ability is nourished, creativity is valued, diversity is celebrated and inspiration is paramount. Find out more at singapore.dulwich.org

FEATURE:

DULWICH COLLEGE (SINGAPORE) COMES OF AGE

FEATURE:

UNDERSTANDING AND COMBATING CYBERCRIME

Understanding and Combating Cybercrime

By Magda Chelly, Chair, Information Communications & Technology Committee Cybercrime may target a computer or use a computer to commit the crime. In the latest in a series of insights from our ICT committee, this article provides insights into the latest cybercrime trends.

The Verizon report reveals that the financial industry is still most frequently targeted by cybercriminals.

However, we also see other industries targeted, including healthcare and public sectors.

Let’s start with some important fundamentals. A cyber-criminal might not be a hacker but just a criminal using technology. Nowadays, we see a growth in cybercrime as a service, enabling non-technical criminals to target and attack organisations and individuals.

On the other side, hackers can be good or bad. It is a person’s choice as to how they use their skills and whether they use these skills for good or bad. Good hackers are critical stakeholders for our ecosystem, helping companies to find out their weaknesses and address them, especially during current times.

The pandemic has forced organisations and individuals to adopt technologies to allow them to continue operating remotely. The unexpected wave of digital transformation has led to a wider attack surface, and gaps that are an immediate target for cybercriminals to perform online crime. Interpol reported

an increase in cybercrimes during this period, including COVID-19 themed phishing email and malware attacks.

... 100% cyber security does not exist. How an organisation prepares and responds to cyberattacks is the key differentiating factor For example, there are a considerable number of registered domains on the internet containing terms: "coronavirus", "corona-virus", "covid19" or "covid-19". While some might be legitimate websites, cybercriminals are crafting new websites to carry out spam, phishing or to spread malware.

Thus, it is important to understand that

100% cyber security does not exist. How an organisation prepares and responds to cyberattacks is the key differentiating factor. Realistically, there will always be a risk where someone in an organisation might click on a malicious link. Hence, there is a need to address cyber threats by reducing the likelihood of the risk and responding with an action plan when the threat happens. However, organisations often lack the understanding that it is not effective to just put in place an anti-virus or a firewall. Controls need to be implemented across people, process and technology, and a defence-in-depth approach needs to be adopted.

Defence-in-depth is an approach that provides multiple and redundant defensive measures when a security control fails, or when a vulnerability is exploited. And it will fail, and it will be exploited. Without the right awareness, culture and approach towards cyber security, organisations are having a false sense of security, thinking that an expensive software or hardware will address all their cyber risks. Cyber is a business risk, not an IT problem, and it needs to be addressed as such.

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Organisations must understand that cyber is not an IT problem but a business risk.

In the Asia Pacific region, on average, a cyber-criminal stays within an organisation’s internal network for more than 400 days (more than a year) before being detected.

Organisations must understand that cyber is not an IT problem but a business risk. That would help them implement the suggested measures, and adopt the right strategy, approach

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Magda co-founded a cybersecurity startup Responsible Cyber in Singapore, currently valued at SGD 7 million. She is also currently leading Cyber Advisory for Marsh Asia. She is also the founder of WoSEC (Women of Security) Singapore Chapter. She has a PhD in Telecommunication Engineering, is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and a Certified Information Security Officer (SCISO). She held several Chief Information Security Officer roles for medium and large organisations across Asia and internationally.

and controls. A cyber security breach or a cyber-incident may happen all the time and ensuring the right response is critical. It is critical to have a data breach notification process when customers’ data privacy has been compromised, learn from the lesson, and ensure corrective actions are implemented, not just a piece of report kept in the drawer.

ABOUT THE COMPANY Responsible Cyber Pte. Ltd. provides proven cyber-security training programs and integrates them into an industry-specific environment. We address a portfolio of training programs that cover all the functional and legal aspects of the cyber-security spectrum. We support our training by two additional services: awareness and communication. The awareness service organises cyber-security events, promotions, media campaigns to increase employees’ cyber-security awareness. The communication service supports the marketing plan after a cyber-attack and assists with the recovery plan. Find out more at www.responsible-cyber. com

This is a paper written in the context of Marsh Asia, where Magda Chelly is leading the Cyber Advisory for the region.

This paper represents the opinions of the author.

FEATURE:

UNDERSTANDING AND COMBATING CYBERCRIME

EXPERT OPINION FROM OUR COMMITTEES

Let's Discuss...

Developing a Hydrogen Economy Contributed by Tim Rockell and Thomas Briault of the Energy & Utilities Committee Discussing the future of hydrogen in the context of UK expertise and Singapore's Green Economy.

The Energy & Utilities and Sustainability & Responsibility Business Committees with supporting partner the UK’s Energy Institute in Singapore ran a webinar championed by H.E Kara Owen, British High Commissioner to the Republic of Singapore on September 1 2020. The event showcased many testbed projects aimed at kickstarting a hydrogen economy. The event was another in the series of the Chamber’s Road to Net Zero campaign.

Intro Hydrogen has once again been growing in profile, with a global pipeline of $90bn of projects. The science has not changed, but the world is now beginning to value carbon reduction to a point where it could be economically viable to produce and store hydrogen as a means of time shifting/storing renewable energy and/or of removing carbon from fossil fuels.

The United Kingdom has a Hydrogen project pipeline greater than rest of the world combined when you measure by CO2 saved, according to Bloomberg, and is at the cutting edge of the hydrogen economy.

The panel, moderated by Thomas

Briault, Associate Principal, Arup Singapore discussed how to create a green economy and the part hydrogen has to play.

Panellists: • H.E. Kara Owen, British High Commissioner to The Republic of Singapore, British High Commission • Jon Saltmarsh, Deputy Director, Engineering and Research of UK Department, Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy • Prof. Chan Siew Hwa, President’s Chair in Energy, Nanyang Technological University • Andreas Prosinecki, Senior Strategy Advisor, BP Australia • Nigel Holmes, CEO, Scottish Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association Ready to lead the way There is tremendous capability of the UK with several projects spanning the hydrogen value chain including transportation which are driving the creation of a hydrogen economy. Prof.

Chan outlined Singapore’s ambitions and the progress on plans for hydrogen in a net zero carbon world.

Hydrogen is not an unknown quality when it comes to usage and technology.

To kickstart hydrogen and its role in the energy system it is likely than blue hydrogen (hydrogen created from gas) will be more economical over the next decade that green hydrogen (hydrogen created from renewable sources of energy). With new renewables demand by consumers outpacing capacity carbon capture technologies will need to be integrated into the mix to keep on a net zero course.

The United Kingdom has a hydrogen project pipeline greater than rest of the world combined

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Hydrogen has uses as an energy storage mechanism and its uses extend into refining, petrochemicals, and downstream into transportation, removing direct pollution from heavy vehicles and buses in congested cities.

Hydrogen has uses as an energy storage mechanism and its uses extend into refining, petrochemicals, and downstream into transportation, removing direct pollution from heavy vehicles and buses in congested cities.

With presentations and discussion on developing a hydrogen economy covering the testbeds rolled out in the UK featuring industrial and transportation sectors, and applications in a Singapore context the webcast features many insights for those seeking to decarbonise operations and supply chains.

Replay and future events Watch the replay clicking on the video above. Scan the QR code if you are reading this on print.

Check out the Energy & Utilities Business Committee page for details of our last events for 2020 – Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage in December and our event on COP26 at the Singapore International Energy Week.

This article was contributed by Tim Rockell and Thomas Briault of BritCham’s Energy & Utilities Committee.

BritCham’s Energy & Utilities Business Committee consists of members based in Singapore working across the region and dedicated to building out the region’s infrastructure. Our programme of activity in 2020 has a strong focus on climate change and decarbonisation in the run up to the COP26 conference to be held in the UK, postponed to 2021. The design, operations, and the financial, legal and technical expertise needed for the power, water and waste treatment buildout in the region are the cornerstone of the committee and forms the expertise that we showcase and connect to our members. For more information, please visit britcham. org.sg/committees/energy-and-utilities

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