Alicia Wong Today Online 11 Nov 09;
SINGAPORE - As Singapore works with developing nations, can it seize the "obvious opportunity" to be a leader in the "green space" as well?
Many guests from overseas come here asking for green solutions by local firms, noted Singapore Business Federation chief executive Theng Teng Dar, who was at the Economic Strategies Committee industry forum.
One example he cited was a small and medium enterprise that uses a unique technology to reduce carbon emissions from traditional power plants in China.
Mr Theng warned against missing this "obvious opportunity" because the "Singapore brand fits very well into this green space".
"(With the) infrastructure and various know-how in Singapore, there's a lot of opportunity for enabling environment-friendly growth in the region," said Mr Santosh Madugula, the founder of the Institute of Corporate Professionals.
The Singapore brand is "very much wanted", according to another participant who said his experience with the Indian Government revealed a "demand for Singapore quality and expertise". "How do we gear up, with Government help, to leverage on tier two and three cities?" he asked, referring to cities in countries like China and India that are smaller than metropolises such as Beijing and Mumbai.
Labour movement chief Lim Swee Say, who was a panelist, noted that even as China urbanises, Chinese companies see Singapore as a "solution partner, and not a competitor".
"If we're good enough, we can think of (other countries') urbanisation as an opportunity for the Singapore economy," he pointed out. For instance, Singapore could be a "platform for innovation (and) come up with future solutions today" for roll-out to other cities.
