What’s In It for You in the Multi-polar World?

9:41 AM

Increasingly, we hear people talking about our world being multi-polar – and just recently, the theme for SCS Tech3 Forum 2022 was set around that. So it appears, everyone knows something about multi-polarity, even though “multi-polar” is not an actual word as far as our dictionaries Oxford and Longman are concerned.

It is a fact. Our world is rife with geopolitical differences. It has been for a while now – but supply chain disruptions during the pandemic aggravated the tension. Then the Russia-Ukraine war broke out and made it worse.

As a small nation, our best bet is to stay neutral – and alert. After all, the volatile situation can change anytime. But that’s hardly enough. We learnt from Distinguished Fellow of Asia Research Institute, Prof Kishore Mahbubani and Ms Jacqueline Poh, Managing Director of Singapore Economic Development Board, that navigating within the parameters of safety and proactively strengthening our fundamentals as a nation, an economy and a tech community during these times are important ingredients to a winning strategy.

Particularly, for tech companies and professionals who are not just looking to survive but also grow and thrive, embracing challenges and turning them into learning and business opportunities are essential. However, while we are at it, we would do well to remember the advice from Mr Kevin O’Leary, J.P. Morgan’s Managing Director, and APAC Regional Chief Information Security Officer to safeguard our data well – because it is the new gold.

In which case, with some luck and strong leadership from the likes of GovTech’s Chief Executive, Mr Kok Ping Soon, we would all be able to harness new opportunities and lock in digital transformation gains from COVID-19. Indeed, we can’t wait to hear from him and his team next year on what comes after the Digital Government Blueprint.

Like it or not, just like a newborn, the multi-polar world comes without a manual – so challenges are a given and continuously building up our arsenal of transferable skills is a must. But before all else, let us give you some first-hand insights in this issue.

Happy reading!

Editor Fellow, SCS tan.teng.cheong@scs.org.sg

Tan Teng Cheong