Now we are strengthening cooperation between Sweden and Singapore

Jan Larsson, vd Business Sweden, Darja Isaksson, gd Vinnova, Emily Liew, Assistant Managing Director Innovation, Enterprise Singapore

I Singapore says there are companies that know how to invest in India and Southeast Asia, and you can see that Sweden has a lot to offer, for example in reduced energy use and electrification.

There is much that unites Sweden and Singapore. Both countries have a strong commitment to science and research and are consistently ranked among the five most innovative countries in the world. Singapore has established itself as a leading financial center in a relatively short time and over 300 Swedish companies are currently established there. Many of them use Singapore as a base for their activities in Southeast Asia.

Great opportunities for collaboration

We asked some questions to Vinnova's director general Darja Isaksson, who was on the state visit in November.

How do you see the future of collaboration between Sweden and Singapore in innovation?

– It is clear that Singapore has high ambitions and great needs in the climate area, and that they are asking for closer cooperation with Sweden. Investors as well as multinational companies express potential to scale up solutions from Sweden. I Singapore, there are companies that know how to invest in India and Southeast Asia, and you see that Sweden has a lot to offer, for example in reduced energy use and electrification. Business leaders emphasize the importance of acceleration, and therefore we need to work with startups and increase collaboration between research institutions.

What initiatives already exist?

– There is great Swedish interest in several areas, such as health and foodtech, as shown by the broad turnout on the delegation trip in November, where a total of 110 companies participated. Right now, the startup work that Enterprise Singapore is doing and research collaborations are most relevant for us at Vinnova. In quantum, there are also good opportunities for Swedish actors to initiate collaboration with partners in Singapore. In the spring of 2025, we have a planned trip for funded project in quantum and synthetic biology.

Singapore – a country at the forefront

Darja Isaksson (center) participated in a panel discussion about the importance of AI for education, business and the public sector in the future. On the right is Dr Ayesha Khanna, Co-Founder and CEO, Addo.aim. With his back to Dr Ong Chen Hui, Assistant Chief Executive, Business and Technology Group, Infocomm and Media Development Authority (IMDA).

Singapore has an impressive leading position in most emerging technology areas. The country invests heavily in and is very prominent in areas such as computer science and AI, robotics and automation, and has strong research in energy areas such as solar and fuel cells and batteries. In industry, the country is a leader in electronics and a major exporter of chemicals and biotechnology, including pharmaceuticals.

Singapore also has a very systematic approach to talent attraction and development. We in Sweden have something to learn from that.
What lessons can the Swedish innovation system learn from this?

– I Singapore has a clear focus on the innovation ecosystem from the beginning, answers Darja Isaksson, director general at Vinnova. You know what you want to invest in and why. One thing that Singapore has done is that they have created “Critical mass excellence centers”. These are real flagship investments where they invest around SEK 100 million per year for 10 years on excellence in important areas, which also clearly drive innovation, industrial investments and collaborations. The experiences from these centers of excellence are highly relevant for Sweden. Similar proposals are also included in the recommendations that we submitted to the upcoming research and innovation bill, and in the AI Commission’s report.

– Singapore has also been working very systematically with talent attraction and talent development for several years in strategic areas such as AI, blockchain and quantum. We in Sweden have something to learn there, Darja Isaksson continues:

– Singapore is interested in cooperation with Sweden, including in quantum and energy technology. These are areas that are also highlighted in Vinnova's national recommendations on strategic technologies from a Swedish perspective.

Stockholm new innovation hub

Vinnova's partner Enterprise Singapore (ESG) is particularly committed to Stockholm as an innovation node. They will support tech startups from Singapore to accelerate their market entry in Sweden and the Nordic region. Stockholm will be the first innovation node in the Nordic region for ESG. The node will focus on facilitating innovation partnerships with large companies in Sweden, so that startups can co-develop, test and commercialize solutions in areas such as agrifood tech and green supply chains. We asked Joanna Boquist, Innovation Counsellor at the Swedish Embassy in Singapore, for a comment:

– It is very clear how Singapore's interest in Sweden is growing. We have really managed to put Sweden on the map over here, we are a "top of mind partner" for innovation collaborations. Equally fun to see is that Swedish interest in Singapore has increased significantly recently. Not only because Singapore is a regional hub for trade in the region but as a prioritized partner country in innovation, technology, green transition and excellent research. I think we are facing an exciting journey ahead where Swedish actors will hopefully participate in and be inspired by Singapore's transition to becoming Asia's leading startup nation.

Facts: Two leading innovation countries with different conditions

There are both differences and disparities between the countries:

• Both Singapore and Sweden are leaders in innovation and have a shared understanding of what it takes to drive innovation that transforms society. Both countries also make significant investments in research and development and have robust systems to support research and technological development.
• Sweden has a long history of innovation linked to technological and societal development, while Singapore has moved very quickly on the innovation index.
• Geographically, Singapore has an extremely strategic location for trade and global markets in Asia, but not as many natural resources, which we in Sweden are rich in. The limited land area has meant that Singapore has had to be creative with the use of space and has had a natural focus on innovation when it comes to important systems such as urban planning, food supply and energy, and more.
• Singapore has a more centralized and fast-paced regulatory environment, which can facilitate faster implementation of new technologies. I Sverige, on the other hand, we have a more decentralized decision-making process, which can mean longer implementation times but also broader community engagement.

Delegation trip on quantum

Vinnova is planning a delegation trip on quantum to Singapore during week 11, 2025. Companies, organizations or researchers who are interested in the quantum ecosystem in Singapore or are looking for concrete collaborations are welcome to participate. Please contact joanna.boquist@gov.se or jeannette.dypbukt@vinnova.se for more information.