SPRING Singapore Leads Delegation of 50 Business Leaders To The German-Singaporean Business Forum 2014

 

New MOU signed at German-Singaporean Business Forum to deepen partnerships and opportunities between Singapore and Germany

 

1.       Over 50 business leaders from 27 Singaporean SMES participated in the bi-annual German-Singaporean Business Forum (GSBF) 2014 in Germany, the largest delegation for GSBF, led by SPRING Singapore (SPRING). The forum focused on fostering partnerships in three key sectors: Precision Engineering, Medical Technology and Clean Technology. There were also three concurrent industry-specific programmes organised for the delegation. The SMEs benefitted from the series of company visits, business matching and networking seminars to enhance collaborations with German companies. The week-long programme culminated in a full-day forum in Munich where the Singapore delegation was joined by close to 70 German participants. 

 

2.       The delegation spent the first part of the week-long programme visiting prominent German companies including Siemens Healthcare, Sennebogen, Solarion and more, across the various cities in Germany. At the full-day GSBF in Munich, the delegates gained insights on the latest market trends and technologies from presentations by industry experts in Germany. There was also a panel discussion on “Forging Meaningful Partnerships to Address Market Opportunities in Asia” where panellists from both German and Singaporean companies share their strategies for mutually beneficial collaborations. In his opening address at the forum, His Excellency, Mr Jai Sohan, Ambassador to Germany from the Republic of Singapore also urged more German companies to collaborate with SMEs from Singapore.

 

3.       GSBF was established to promote business and capabilities partnerships between German and Singaporean SMEs. Mr Philip Yeo, Chairman for SPRING and Co-Chairman for the GSBF said, “We want to help our SMEs develop win-win business opportunities and deepen their partnerships with German companies. The economic bilateral relations between the two robust economies have grown over the years and in 2013, Germany was Singapore’s largest trading partner in the European Union – accounting for 21.7% of our trade with the EU. Within ASEAN, Singapore is also Germany’s top trading partner.”

 

4.       “We’ve consistently had positive outcomes from GSBF. It is encouraging to see our local SMEs developing a tenacious and ambitious attitude; setting their sights outside of Singapore. We hope this year, with our largest delegation to date, and specialised tracks organised for the SMEs, we are able to seed more successful partnerships from the trip,” added Mr Yeo.

 

Cementing Future Business Opportunities between Singapore & Germany

 


5.       Dr Axel Stepken, Chairman of TÜV SÜD AG and Co-Chairman for GSBF, said, “To most, economic deals are sealed based on a strong business imperative, but to those in the know, trust is often a make-or-break quality. Over the years, GSBF has been instrumental in fostering that trust, helping German companies understand Singapore and what Singapore companies have to offer.  While vastly different in size, our common traits of thoroughness, reliability and being results-driven will help to develop many synergies between the German Mittlestands and Singapore SMEs.”

 

6.       To facilitate more collaboration between Singapore and German companies, International Enterprise (IE) Singapore signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Composite Cluster Singapore (CCS) Pte. Ltd[1]. during the GSBF.  With the MOU, IE Singapore will identify projects to help CCS build up its technical capabilities and establish a global track record for the carbon composites sector. The agency will also link CCS with technology partners such as foreign enterprises and research institutes to facilitate project development. The support will focus on countries in Europe, with a particular emphasis on Germany. 

 

7.       Mr Satvinder Singh, Assistant CEO of IE Singapore said, “To help Singapore companies grow overseas, IE Singapore constantly identifies new global trends with relevant business opportunities. We saw the potential of composites sector three years ago, and started preparing our manufacturers by upgrading their technical expertise through partnerships and engaging prospective customers. Our MOU with CCS is another step forward. CCS is forming two partnerships today with German companies, iNDTact and Munich Composites, which attests to the relevance of composites to Singapore manufacturers.”

 

Business Collaborations between Singapore and Germany

 

8.       The close relationship between Germany and Singapore has yielded various positive outcomes. Environmental Dynamics International (EDI) Asia, a local SME specialising in waste water treatment. Mr Nigel Wylie, Managing Director for EDI Asia said, “It is important for EDI Asia to learn from the best. Germany has a very competitive market for water technologies and the companies are often the best at what they do. Similarly, the smaller German SMEs in water treatment industry can look to Singapore SMEs for manufacturing and co-development opportunities. The benefits of having strong IP protection, comprehensive commercial legislation and our status as the gateway to Asia are just some of the unique value propositions an SME in Singapore can offer.” 

 

9.       EDI Asia inked a partnership agreement with German company, Biolak Technology to represent their bio-gas technology in Southeast Asia. Through the partnership, EDI Asia will be able to utilise Biolak’s technology for its projects in the region. This partnership not only strengthens EDI’s product offering but it also enables Biolak to use Singapore as a regional base to expand its technology footprint in Asia, where there is a growing need for innovative water and wastewater treatment solutions. 

 

10.   In the medical technology sector, T.Ware, a local company specialising in wearable technology will start product trials with two German autism centres, to work with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)[2] and also individuals with the Aspergers syndrome. The T.Jacket, T.Ware’s first product is an app-controlled smart jacket that “hugs” the wearer to calm and keep the wearer focused. The responses from the two autism centres have been positive and results from the trials will enable T.Ware to better address the needs of children with ASD.  

 

11.   Later in the year, SPRING will also lead a sizeable delegation of SMEs to MEDICA 2014, to showcase Singapore’s medical technology capabilities. Held in Dusseldorf, Germany, MEDICA is one of the largest medical technology tradeshows in the world.

 

12.   Other SMEs have had continued success working with German companies. Fong Shen Engineering, a production company specialising in plastic moulding and manufacturing, has been working with engineering company, Helmut Schnurr GmbH for the past five years.  In the partnership, Fong Shen provides maintenance support to Helmut Schnurr’s customers in Asia with Helmut Schnurr doing the same for Fong Shen’s customers in Europe. This co-sharing model of after-sales service, modification and maintenance of each other’s products is founded on trust, which results in a shorter response time to their respective customers. Both companies are also able to leverage on each other’s infrastructure to reduce cost and collaborate. 

 

 

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