Your Excellencies, 
 
Dr. Pieter Winsemius, 
 
Distinguished Guests,  
 
Ladies and Gentlemen, 
 
1 Good evening. Thank you for inviting me to speak this evening, as we celebrate the strong business ties between Singapore and the Netherlands. 
 
2 The Winsemius Awards recognise the achievements of companies who collaborated to advance both Singaporean and Dutch interests. These achievements build upon the foundation of Singapore’s longstanding relationship with the Netherlands, in which Dr Albert Winsemius has played an instrumental role. I am glad that Dr Winsemius’ son is present as the Guest-of-Honour today. 
 
3 As an economic advisor to Singapore for more than two decades, Dr Winsemius provided valuable counsel to Singapore’s founding leaders as they formulated our nation’s early national economic development strategy. His advice played an important role in how we transformed 
Singapore into a centre of manufacturing and industrialisation, and a hub for foreign investments. These areas continue to be important engines of growth as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, and will present new opportunities for collaboration with Dutch companies.  
 
Celebrating our strong economic relations  
 
4 Singapore and the Netherlands share a long-standing friendship that has laid a good foundation for our strong economic relationship today. With our commitment to uphold open and rules-based trade, it comes as no surprise that the Netherlands is Singapore’s 3rd largest trade partner in the EU. The EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (EUSFTA) has been an important anchor of our economic ties, making it easier for our companies to access opportunities in each other’s markets, and providing greater certainty amidst the changing global economic environment.  
 
5 I am heartened to see growing numbers of Dutch companies setting up shop in Singapore and leveraging Singapore as a launchpad to access opportunities across Southeast Asia. We now host more than 1,800 Dutch companies spanning a wide range of sectors, including companies that have become household names in Singapore and the region, such as Philips, Heineken, and Shell.  Singapore continues to welcome Dutch businesses to partner us and use Singapore as a launch-pad to access opportunities in the region. I would like to express my appreciation to DutchCham and Dutch companies for your confidence in and friendship with Singapore.    
 
6 In addition to our strong trade and investment relationship, we share a keen interest in innovation. I am glad to see strong interest in co-innovation between our enterprises, through platforms such as the EUREKA Globalstars-Singapore and Unknown Group’s Partners in Business (PIB) Scale Singapore programme. 
 
Forward-looking opportunities for Dutch companies 

7 Looking ahead, there are many new growth areas where we can collaborate and leverage each other’s strengths and networks to forge a better and more sustainable future. These include agri-food tech, medtech, the green economy and the digital economy.  
 
8 I am pleased to share that Singapore has been working with the EU to develop a comprehensive and ambitious Digital Partnership. This initiative will strengthen connectivity and interoperability between the digital markets of Singapore and the EU including the Netherlands. It will enable companies from both sides to transact more seamlessly across borders and jointly make the most of emerging technologies and growth opportunities of the future.   
 
Conclusion 
 
9 In conclusion, I would like to congratulate all awardees tonight. I hope your achievements will inspire others, and I look forward to more successful collaborations between our countries. I also applaud DutchCham for fostering partnerships between our business communities. Tonight’s award is testament to your efforts as a strong advocate for greater cooperation between our companies.