Why Singapore?

A message to Israeli companies

Industrial R&D partnering can be a highly effective way of expanding the technological scope of a firm. Furthermore, collaboration in R&D often entails joint effort in commercialization whereby each partner benefits from the presence of its partner in other markets. For Israeli companies, there are many reasons why looking for such partnerships in Singapore makes a good deal of sense.

Strategically located at the crossroads of Asia, Singapore aims to serve as a compelling business hub for interested investors from all over the world. The strategic geographical position is further complimented by a world-class infrastructure system that has been implemented to meet global business and industry needs. Singapore has top rated infrastructure in air, sea, telecommunications and industrial land creating a conducive environment for business to thrive.

Singapore is a good launch pad for Israel companies seeking to globalise their businesses. Singapore is host to nearly 6000 MNCs from all over the world, among which 3000 use Singapore as their regional headquarters. Israeli companies can collaborate with this large pool of MNCs to expand their businesses globally. Singapore is also a good place for them to raise funds, both equity and loans, including venture capital.

The multi-cultural Singaporean workforce is highly educated, highly motivated and highly productive. It is also proficient in English the language of international business. In addition to a sizeable pool of skilled technicians, Singapore has a large base of engineering talent, with the number of engineers in universities and polytechnics expanding steadily each year.

An open immigration policy has served to enhance Singapore’s talent pool. This gives companies the opportunity to source for the best personnel from anywhere in the world.

In addition, a vast array of training and scholarship programmes are frequently developed by the government in tandem with industry partners and educational establishments. Such initiatives ensure that the workforce is future-ready. All this has helped produce a labour force that is ranked No.1 in the world over the last 30 years.(Business Environment Risk Intelligence's 2008 Labour Force Evaluation Measure report).

In the last decade, Singapore has successfully grown its R&D base, drawn top scientific and creative talent and nurtured R&D collaborations between the public sector and private enterprise. Today, Singapore holds global leadership positions in areas of manufacturing such as electronics and petrochemicals. The city-state remains an attractive base for complex manufacturing activities, in tandem with its move towards a more knowledge-centric and research-based economy. This emphasis on innovation and capital-intensive activities and a globalised workforce has shaped Singapore into a city-state where Chinese and Indian companies can internationalise, where American and European companies make their entry into Asia, and where views on the future of this dynamic and fast-evolving region can be forged.

The Singapore-Israel Industrial R&D Foundation (SIIRD) is especially well networked with the industrial sectors of Singapore to identify for your firm an appropriate technological partner. SIIRD can also offer co-funding support for collaborative industrial R&D projects, which have technical and commercial merit.

If your company is interested in seeking a technology partner in Singapore, you are welcome to complete an R&D Partner Search Form, describing your company's profile and capabilities, as well as the profile of your desired partner. The profile will then be matched with our database so that we can provide you with a list of Singapore firms for your consideration. SIIRD will be pleased to assist you in making the initial contact with your shortlisted firms.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.