Regional leaders gathered in Singapore to discuss strategies for advancing ASEAN manufacturing in the face of global challenges.
On 22 July 2025, Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF) President Lennon Tan joined a panel of distinguished experts at the Pre-Conference Forum of the inaugural SG60 IPS-SBF Conference: SG60 and Beyond. The session focused on how Singapore and ASEAN firms can strengthen resilience and competitiveness amid emerging global and regional trends.
The forum’s opening session, Singapore Business and its Response to Key Trends: Research Findings, was moderated by Dr Faizal Yahya and featured Professor Edmund (Eddy) Malesky of Duke University and Associate Professor Soo Yeon Kim of The University of British Columbia. The panel discussed findings from a major seven-country ASEAN research project examining trends in automation, digitalisation, sustainability, and regional integration.
Key research insights revealed that while over 75% of Singapore’s firms are SMEs, the adoption of advanced automation remains modest. 66% of Singaporean firms operate foreign subsidiaries—the highest rate in ASEAN—demonstrating deep global integration, yet only 15% of Singaporean firms utilise Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) due to perceived complexity. Notably, customer expectations, rather than regulations, were found to be the strongest driver of ESG investments.
Mr Tan highlighted practical pathways to advance Singapore’s Manufacturing 2030 vision, including shared-risk funding, co-innovation, and addressing automation and AI adoption gaps through a proposed Tripartite AI & Sustainability Academy. He also underscored the importance of building green supply chains, enhancing FTA utilisation through reforms and SME support tools, and strengthening supply chain resilience in the face of geopolitical uncertainty.
Calling for lean, innovation-driven growth and closer cross-border collaboration, Mr Tan emphasised that such efforts are vital to keep Singapore’s manufacturing sector globally competitive.
Source: Singapore Manufacturing Federation
