Commentary

When tradition meets technology: Cashless ang bao and digital gold

When Chinese New Year arrives each year, millions of red packets exchange hands as part of a centuries-old tradition that has gradually evolved to suit the times. From heavy gold coins threaded with red to lightweight paper notes stuffed in envelopes, the conventional ang bao has now been digitised into a virtual gift that can be sent to anyone anywhere over the internet.

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When tradition meets technology: Cashless ang bao and digital gold

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How collaborations open new frontiers for startups

Fueled partly by positive regulatory environments and a highly educated population, Singapore has established itself as a startup hub. Across sectors, record new businesses are launching – but too many of these startups aren’t also getting to the finish line.

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Creating a launchpad for international SMEs yet

The protectionist sentiment that is spreading throughout the global economy has put governments around the world on tenterhooks. Even as Singapore continues to perform well, it narrowly avoided a technical recession in the third quarter of 2019 and will need to remain vigilant.

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Three tips for Singapore businesses to manage international cash flow amidst economic uncertainty

The global economy has slowed significantly over the last 12 months. According to the International Monetary Fund, global growth likely fell from 3.6% in 2018 to an estimated 2.9% in 2019 (IMF, 20 January 2020).

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Why online travel agencies need to master their networks

In Singapore, revenue in the Travel & Tourism market is expected to reach US$3,402m by 2023. Furthermore, it’s thought that a whopping 79% of this revenue will be generated through online sales, also by 2023. This tells us that Singapore’s online travel market is booming.

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Reigniting Employees' Excitement About Business Travel and its Opportunities

Business travel was once a source of pride and excitement for employees, giving them the opportunity to build business contacts, develop their careers, and collect experiences to be shared with family and friends. But the allure of business travel has since faded, especially so in Singapore where employees now dread the prospect of travelling and post-trip admin. According to SAP Concur’s Business Traveller report, one in five Singapore business travellers would rather have a cavity filled at a dentist than complete an expense report.

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How Self-Driving Labs in Singapore Can Solve Materials Challenges

Ask anyone on the street what advanced technologies they desire today, and they’ll often identify materials-related challenges: clean energy, unbreakable cell phone screens, long-life batteries, biodegradable plastics, rapid transit, and more.

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External factors for a successful career in fintech

Asia-Pacific’s fintech scene is buzzing, with Singapore leading as one of ASEAN’s powerhouse.

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Human Connections Will Matter Amidst AI and the Future of Work

As businesses step into 2020 with new aspirations and a positive outlook, they are also keeping a close watch on the macroeconomic influences and changing market conditions.

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New year, new regulations: where Singapore stands with privacy regulations

As the global privacy compliance landscape evolves, are we ready to adapt to the needs of the digital economy?

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Singapore investors take note – If it works in India, it will work in Southeast Asia

During the Singapore FinTech Festival which recently concluded, there were calls by Indian venture capitalist Mohandas Pai for Singapore to create a billion-dollar funding arrangement for investments in ‘at least 1,000 start-ups in India’. Whilst Pai was largely referring to the evolving Indian IT industry, Singapore should look seriously at this idea and consider expanding its scope to include start-ups from other sectors as well.

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The sweet trap of entrepreneurship

“Entrepreneurship is a trap.”

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Organisations Need to Remain Vigilant in Today's Cyber Landscape

Over the years, we have seen the cloud shift from hype to mainstream. The recent Nutanix Enterprise Cloud Index reveals hybrid cloud to be widespread in Singapore, with respondents reportedly intending to cut traditional infrastructure adoption from 42% to 17% over the next one to two years alone. Similarly, hybrid cloud adoption is expected to increase significantly from 18% to 46% during the same period.

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Oil & Gas 4.0: Digital opportunity knocks for Singapore

Of all the mega trends that are impacting the oil and gas industry, the wave of digital innovation sweeping across the landscape is amongst the most intriguing – and offers significant potential for Singapore to play the role of innovator and disruptor at the forefront of what’s been dubbed “Oil & Gas 4.0”.

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Transforming Singapore's next generation of leaders: Best practices and strategies for development of future leaders

The identification, assessment, selection, and development of nextgen leaders including those in Singapore are the cornerstones of the talent strategies of many leading and successful organizations. If an organization can identify early from their people those with high potential for leadership, it can concentrate resources on developing these people to help them realize their potential. Through this process, it can efficiently build up a leadership bench strength and a pipeline of talent who can eventually be the leaders of the organization.

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PropTech: Beyond the Classified Section

There’s a great deal more to property tech than online real estate listings sites, explains CEO of PropertyQuants, Nelson Lau, and Talox cofounder, Yves Luethi.

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Authentication processes set to become a competitive lever in banking

Over the last two years nowhere in the world has seen a greater increase in adoption of fintech than Singapore. Back in 2017 less than a quarter of Singaporean residents had used a fintech service, today more than two thirds have. Banks of course have played a central role in facilitating this change, and with a wave of new digital banks coming over the horizon, now is the time for Singapore’s banking incumbents to ensure they keep surprising customers on the upside by adopting new technologies.

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