Mr Thomas Chua Kee Seng: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade) whether EDB can continue to directly promote more awareness of business opportunities arising from Singapore-based MNCs, to local SME suppliers or through their relevant industry and trade associations.
Oral Answer by Mr Lim Hng Kiang, Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade)
The Economic Development Board (EDB) actively encourages the MNCs it engages to partner local SMEs. Besides engaging MNCs in Singapore, EDB also facilitates regular visits by overseas-based MNC executives to assess possible partnerships with local SMEs in Singapore, including outsourcing opportunities. These will continue to be priorities for EDB.
For example, EDB and SPRING Singapore have been actively working with MNCs to groom promising SMEs and start-ups in the cleantech industry, including both the water and clean energy sectors. One such partnership that EDB and SPRING have facilitated is between Green Koncepts (a local SME offering energy management system solutions) and DNV GL (a MNC that offers testing, inspection and certification services for sectors such as cleantech and marine and offshore). Under this partnership, Green Koncepts is developing building and home energy management solutions at NTU. If successful, these solutions could be exported to regional markets.
Our economic agencies also work with the Trade Associations and Chambers (TACs) to create networking opportunities between MNCs and SMEs through industry collaborative platforms and dedicated supplier conferences. For example, in conjunction with the Singapore Airshow 2016, EDB partnered SPRING Singapore and the Association of Aerospace Industries (Singapore) to organise an Airbus supplier conference. This conference was attended by over 30 Singapore-based companies, many of whom were new to the aerospace industry.