Regional News

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the Police Coast Guard have launched a search operation after a man reportedly fell into the waters off Changi from a moored barge at approximately 12:20 am today. The incident has prompted immediate action from the authorities to locate the missing individual.

In response to the situation, both MPA and the Police Coast Guard have deployed assets to conduct a thorough search of the area. Additionally, MPA has issued a navigation broadcast advising vessels passing through the vicinity to maintain a lookout, ensuring the safety of all maritime traffic in the area.

The search operation highlights the swift response of Singapore’s maritime authorities in handling emergencies at sea. The incident underscores the importance of safety measures and vigilance in maritime operations, particularly in busy shipping lanes such as those near Changi.

As the search continues, authorities are urging all vessels in the area to cooperate with the ongoing efforts and adhere to the navigation advisories issued. The outcome of the search operation remains to be seen, with updates expected as the situation develops.
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A recent study by United Women Singapore (UWS) has highlighted significant barriers deterring young women from pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The survey, which involved over 1,000 Singaporeans aged 18 to 34, found that whilst 63% of respondents believe equal gender representation in STEM is crucial, only 30% of women feel they have equal opportunities compared to their male counterparts.

The research comes at a pivotal time as Singapore’s tech sector has expanded by 25% over the past five years. Despite progress, with the proportion of women in STEM roles increasing from 29% in 2014 to 35% in 2024, the study underscores the need for ongoing efforts to enhance gender diversity. Tan Ching Ne, President of UWS, stated, “These findings highlight a significant disconnect that risks Singapore’s ability to build the workforce needed for our future economy.”

The study also revealed that societal expectations and stereotypes are perceived by 61% of women and 51% of men as contributing factors to gender imbalances in STEM. Furthermore, only 23% of women feel they receive adequate support to succeed in these fields, compared to 52% of men. The research emphasises the importance of male allies in advancing women in STEM, though many men underestimate their potential impact.

Dr Kenneth Lee, Regional Medical Director for Abbott, which supported the research, noted the importance of partnerships with advocacy groups like UWS to drive cultural changes. “Abbott’s goal is to create opportunities in STEM through programmes and internships,” he said, highlighting the company’s commitment to inspiring the next generation of STEM professionals.

The study suggests several solutions to bridge the gender gap, including challenging outdated stereotypes, expanding mentorship programmes, and increasing the visibility of female STEM leaders. As Singapore continues to grow its tech sector, fostering an inclusive environment remains essential for harnessing the full potential of its talent pool.
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Savills Singapore has announced the sale of a full office floor at Suntec City Tower 1, offering a prime investment opportunity. The office, located on a high floor, comprises three strata titles ranging from 3,498 to 4,908 square feet, totalling 12,045 square feet. The property promises immediate and stable rental income, appealing to investors seeking a strategic asset in Singapore’s bustling business district.

Suntec City, a landmark development with five Grade A office towers, a large retail mall, and a convention centre, underwent significant enhancements in 2022. These upgrades included improvements to entrance lobbies, reception areas, and other facilities, enhancing its appeal. The development boasts excellent connectivity with direct access to major MRT lines and expressways, ensuring seamless accessibility.

Sophia Lim, Director of Investment Sales & Capital Markets at Savills Singapore, highlighted the property’s appeal, stating, “Suntec City remains a top choice amongst family offices, investors, and end-users, valued for its prime attributes including panoramic views, an impressive arrival lobby, ample carparking, efficient floor layouts, and seamless integration of amenities.”

Recent transactions at Suntec City have shown stable demand, with strata office units selling at prices ranging from $3,684 to $3,817 per square foot. The guide price for the full floor is set at $40.95 million, equating to approximately $3,400 per square foot, with an expected yield of 3.8% on a fully let basis. The sale is open to both foreigners and companies, with no Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty or Seller’s Stamp Duty applicable. The transaction will be conducted through a Private Treaty exercise.
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Neste Corporation and DB Schenker have partnered to expand the use of Neste MY Renewable Diesel in the Asia-Pacific region, marking a significant step towards lower-emission logistics. The collaboration involved a trial from December 2024 to February 2025, where the renewable diesel was used in Singapore for the first time to power DB Schenker’s land transport operations. This initiative highlights the companies’ commitment to reducing carbon emissions without requiring modifications to existing diesel engines or infrastructure.

The land transport sector contributes approximately 15% of carbon emissions in Singapore. By using Neste MY Renewable Diesel, greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced by up to 90% over the product’s lifecycle compared to fossil diesel. This demonstrates the feasibility of adopting renewable diesel as a viable solution for decarbonising logistics operations.

Ee Pin Lee, Head of Commercial APAC, Renewable Products at Neste, stated, “This collaboration with DB Schenker marks the first time Neste MY Renewable Diesel has been used for road transport in Singapore and it demonstrates the crucial role that this renewable solution can play in DB Schenker’s sustainability journey.”

Christoph Matthes, Senior Vice President, Head of Land Transport in APAC at DB Schenker, added, “We hope to transform our whole industry together with our partners and customers with the use of renewable diesel as a viable solution for decarbonising our land transport operations in the region.”

The partnership builds on previous successful collaborations between Neste and DB Schenker in Finland, where the renewable diesel has been used in light distribution vehicles. This expansion into the Asia-Pacific region signifies a growing commitment to sustainable logistics solutions.
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Sharon Tan has been appointed as the Country Officer of DWS Singapore and CEO of DWS Investments Singapore Limited, the company announced on 2 April 2025. Tan will maintain her roles as APAC Client Coverage Chief Operating Officer and APAC Head of Business Development, furthering Singapore’s role as a regional hub for alternative investments and wealth sales distribution.

With over 25 years in the asset management industry, Tan has been with DWS for 11 years, joining in 2014 as APAC Head of Private Banks & Intermediaries. Her career at DWS has seen her take on roles such as APAC Head of Client Servicing & Implementation and APAC Client Coverage COO. In 2023, she was named APAC Head of Business Development, where she led strategic growth and marketing initiatives.

Before her tenure at DWS, Tan spent a decade at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, focusing on institutional client servicing and private bank sales in Asia, excluding Japan. Her career began at Ernst & Young in Transaction Advisory.

Vanessa Wang, Head of APAC and Head of Coverage APAC at DWS, commented on Tan’s appointment, stating, “Sharon’s deep industry knowledge, leadership, and unwavering commitment to our clients will be key to expanding our presence across APAC.”

DWS Group, with EUR 1,012bn in assets under management as of 31 December 2024, aims to be a leading global asset manager. The appointment of Tan underscores the strategic importance of Singapore in DWS’s regional and global operations.
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FS-ISAC, a global organisation dedicated to enhancing cybersecurity for financial institutions, has launched a new Cyber Fraud Prevention Framework to bolster collaboration between fraud and cybersecurity teams. This initiative comes as Singapore faces a staggering S$1.1b loss due to a record 51,501 scams in 2024, highlighting the urgent need for robust fraud prevention strategies.

The framework, titled “Levelling Up: A Cyber Fraud Prevention Framework for Financial Services,” aims to facilitate real-time intelligence sharing and proactive fraud prevention among financial firms. It outlines a structured approach to detect vulnerabilities earlier in the attack cycle, enhance threat visibility, and strengthen fraud controls. Linda Betz, Executive Vice President of Global Community Engagement at FS-ISAC, emphasised the importance of breaking down silos within organisations to combat the growing interconnectedness of fraud and cyber threats.

The framework divides the lifecycle of a cyber-fraud attack into five phases: reconnaissance, initial access, positioning, execution, and monetisation. This segmentation provides a common language for teams to share information and coordinate their efforts effectively. Dave Daniel, Vice President of Cybersecurity Operations at Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, noted that the framework marks significant progress in the cyber fraud domain by enhancing teams’ abilities to prevent, detect, and respond to fraud.

By unifying teams and leveraging intelligence at every stage of an attack, organisations can better anticipate and thwart fraudulent activities. The framework also offers best practices for secure intelligence sharing among financial institutions, aiming to fortify defences across the entire sector. As cyber fraud continues to rise, FS-ISAC’s framework provides a critical tool for financial firms to safeguard their assets and reputation.
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Nokia, in collaboration with StarHub and Dell Technologies, has successfully completed Southeast Asia’s first 5G Cloud Radio Access Network (RAN) trial. This significant milestone supports StarHub’s Cloud Infinity programme, which aims to leverage cloud infrastructure to enhance digital experiences for enterprise customers. The trial demonstrated the flexibility of Nokia’s anyRAN approach, seamlessly integrating with leading cloud and server infrastructures.

The adoption of Cloud RAN is pivotal for the future evolution of mobile networks, setting the foundation for AI-RAN infrastructure. This technology supports AI workload management, allowing mobile network operators like StarHub to scale network resources more efficiently. With Cloud RAN, StarHub can support use cases such as time-of-day services and ultra-low-latency applications, opening new revenue streams and enhancing network performance.

Nokia’s commercial 5G Cloud RAN solution was used to place a carrier-grade call during the trial, showcasing feature consistency with existing purpose-built RAN. The solution integrates seamlessly with all leading cloud infrastructures, utilising Nokia’s virtualised Distributed Units and Centralised Units on Dell PowerEdge servers. StarHub also employed Red Hat OpenShift to support cloud-native RAN functions.

Ayush Sharma, Chief Technology Officer at StarHub, stated, “This partnership will enhance our network’s performance, efficiency, and resilience, whilst future-proofing it for emerging technologies.” Andrew Vaz, Vice President at Dell Technologies, added, “By combining our strengths, we can deliver a comprehensive Cloud RAN solution that improves efficiency, performance and scalability.”

This successful trial marks a crucial step in StarHub’s journey towards advanced 5G and 6G, preparing its network for future AI-RAN capabilities.
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Knight Frank Singapore’s latest report reveals a cautious start to 2025, with total investment sales reaching S$5.5b in the first quarter. This marks a 41.1% decline from the S$9.3b recorded in Q4 2024, yet a 16.6% increase from Q1 2024’s S$4.7b. Despite the slow start, CEO Galven Tan notes that investor interest remains robust, particularly from private wealth.

Public sales dominated the quarter, accounting for S$2.8b, or 50.8% of total sales, driven by six Government Land Sale (GLS) sites. Private sales contributed S$2.7b, with residential transactions leading the charge. The residential sector saw a 45.7% quarterly increase, totalling S$3.6b, largely due to GLS sites at locations like Dairy Farm Walk and Bayshore Road.

Commercial property sales rose 14.5% from the previous quarter to S$1.4b, though they fell 8.0% year-on-year. Notable transactions included Frasers Centrepoint Trust’s acquisition of Northpoint City South Wing for S$1.1 billion. Conversely, industrial property sales plummeted 93.1% quarter-on-quarter to S$230.3m, with the largest deal being a S$70.1m factory sale at 23 Lok Yang Way.

Outbound investment from Singapore surged to S$6.3b, a 52.0% increase from the previous quarter, spurred by interest rate cuts in late 2024. Looking ahead, Knight Frank anticipates total investment sales for 2025 to range between S$27b and S$30b, mirroring 2024’s S$29.3b. Despite global economic uncertainties, Singapore remains a favoured investment hub for stable returns.
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Endowus, Asia’s leading fee-only digital wealth platform, has announced a strategic partnership with Man Group, a global alternative investment manager, to provide institutional-grade credit solutions to investors in Hong Kong and Singapore. This collaboration marks Man Group’s first strategic alliance with a digital wealth platform in these markets, granting Endowus clients access to Man Group’s extensive $35 billion credit platform.

The partnership aims to enhance Endowus’ suite of alternative investments, offering deep value-oriented credit strategies to help investors diversify their portfolios amidst changing market conditions. Man Group’s credit platform, managed by over 130 investment professionals, includes a range of discretionary long-only and alternative credit strategies.

Mark Bedford, Global Head of Wealth at Man Group, highlighted the significance of the partnership, stating, “Asia’s private wealth market is expanding rapidly, and Singapore and Hong Kong are at the forefront of this growth. As investors increasingly seek credit strategies of an institutional quality, to diversify their portfolios, we see an immense opportunity to bring our expertise to this area.”

Samuel Rhee, Chairman and Group Chief Investment Officer of Endowus, expressed pride in the collaboration, noting that it strengthens Endowus’ position as a leading wealth platform in the region. “Man Group has an established history and legacy globally, and Endowus is proud to be their first strategic partnership with a digital wealth platform in Hong Kong and Singapore,” he said.

This partnership is expected to broaden investment opportunities for Endowus clients, further solidifying the platform’s commitment to providing comprehensive and resilient investment solutions.
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The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has announced the appointment of Tamara Singh as Managing Director, Singapore and Senior Adviser, Regional Programmes, effective 1 April 2025. Singh will spearhead TNC’s initiatives to enhance climate action and conservation impact from Singapore, leveraging its strategic position as a hub for innovation and partnerships.

Singh brings over 20 years of experience in energy, finance, and sustainability, having worked with major firms such as Centrica, BP, Deutsche Bank, and Macquarie Bank. Since returning to Singapore in 2012, she has led digital transformation and sustainable finance initiatives. Her role will involve accelerating Nature-based Solutions (NbS) across Asia-Pacific and globally, aligning with Singapore’s 2030 Green Plan.

Will McGoldrick, Regional Managing Director, Asia-Pacific at TNC, stated, “Tamara’s appointment strengthens TNC’s ability to drive tangible climate action and conservation impact across Asia-Pacific. Her expertise in sustainable finance and ability to bridge the private and public sectors will be invaluable.”

Singh expressed her commitment, saying, “Joining one of the world’s most respected conservation organisations at a time when the need for bold, science-driven climate action has never been more urgent is both an honour and a responsibility.”

TNC’s programme in Singapore, established in late 2022, focuses on catalysing NbS and carbon markets, fostering research collaborations, and supporting regional corporate partnerships. In 2023, TNC joined the Southeast Asia Climate and Nature-based Solutions Coalition to accelerate high-quality, triple-benefit NbS projects across the region. Singh’s leadership is expected to further these efforts, reinforcing Singapore’s role as a global conservation and climate finance hub.
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