Industry News

Oceanus Group Limited, a Singapore Exchange (SGX)-listed food security platform, and HashKey Group, a leading digital asset financial services provider, have announced a strategic partnership to revolutionise global trade finance through stablecoin settlements. The collaboration, formalised on 9 April 2026, seeks to address the $2.5t global trade finance gap, which significantly impacts small-to-medium enterprises.

The partnership will be executed through Oceanus’s technology subsidiary, Oceanus Digital Intelligence Network (ODIN), and HashKey Technology Services. By integrating ODIN’s artificial intelligence-driven trade finance platform with HashKey’s regulated settlement infrastructure, the two companies aim to create a pioneering “operating system” for Asian trade corridors.

Adrian Teo, CEO of ODIN, highlighted the strategic alignment, stating, “Oceanus has always been about securing the future of food. By partnering with HashKey, we are securing the future of how that food is traded.” Jason Tay, Managing Director of HashKey Technology Services, added, “We are providing the regulated infrastructure necessary for stablecoin capital to flow into real-world trade.”

Oceanus, originally an abalone farming business, has transformed into a global food security leader. The company is now leveraging Web3 technologies to facilitate trade, allowing even traditional trading companies to settle transactions faster and more securely using stablecoins. This partnership marks a significant step in enhancing financial inclusion and security across Asian trade corridors.

International Workplace Group (IWG), the world’s largest hybrid workplace platform, has announced a significant expansion in 2025, adding 1,132 new locations globally. This expansion reflects the growing demand for flexible workspaces, with Asia Pacific contributing over 20% of the new centre signings, totalling 254 locations.

The surge in flexible workspace demand is driven by businesses seeking cost-effective solutions amidst geopolitical uncertainties. IWG’s strategy focuses on managed partnership agreements, allowing the company to convert various buildings into successful operations without heavy capital investment. This approach aligns with the increasing preference for hybrid working models, as traditional long-term office leases face declining interest.

In Singapore, flexible work arrangements are becoming essential, with 76% of employees now having access to such options. This shift is supported by recent policy discussions emphasising inclusive workplaces and flexible work support. IWG is capitalising on this trend by expanding its presence in Singapore’s heartlands, including areas like Tampines, Balestier, Paya Lebar, and Novena.

Mark Dixon, IWG’s Founder and CEO, highlighted the record year for revenue and network expansion, stating, “2025 was a record year for both revenue and network expansion, reaching record revenue and experiencing our strongest network expansion to date.” With over 5,000 locations in more than 120 countries, IWG continues to lead the hybrid working sector, which is projected to grow by 600% by 2030.

The Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA) Academy has unveiled a hands-on artificial intelligence (AI) training programme across ASEAN, aimed at addressing the region’s skills gap in finance and accounting. This initiative, launched on 9 April 2026, equips professionals with practical AI capabilities, such as automating Excel workflows and deploying AI agents, to enhance productivity.

Developed in collaboration with Singapore-based AI training specialist Skybots, the programme focuses on real-world applications using tools like Microsoft Copilot. It aims to deliver immediate productivity gains, with participants able to replicate outputs directly in their roles. The programme will initially target 2,500 finance professionals across key ASEAN markets, including Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines.

Cyndi Pei, Chairperson of ISCA Academy, emphasised the programme’s strategic importance, stating, “The window for treating AI as a theoretical topic is closing. Finance professionals across ASEAN are now expected to apply AI in their daily work—safely, effectively, and immediately.”

Unlike traditional AI courses, ISCA Academy’s programme is task-based, allowing participants to work on scenarios like financial analysis and workflow automation. Early pilot sessions have shown significant time savings, with tasks completed in minutes rather than hours. The programme also stresses responsible AI use, embedding ethics and compliance considerations into every module.

Skybots’ Founder, Daryl Aw, highlighted the programme’s accessibility, noting that it requires no coding knowledge or significant investment. The initiative reflects a broader shift in ASEAN, where AI adoption is expanding into core business functions, enabling professionals to generate real value from AI from day one.

CapitaLand Investment (CLI) has released a new research report titled ‘Tracking AI’s Impact on Offices and Business Parks in APAC’, highlighting how artificial intelligence (AI) is altering occupier demand for office and business park spaces in Singapore, India, and China. The report reveals a shift towards high-specification, infrastructure-ready assets, driven by AI’s influence on workspace requirements.

The report identifies a significant “flight to quality” trend, where occupiers are increasingly selective, prioritising spaces that meet AI-driven needs. This shift is prompting investors to focus on assets with enduring demand visibility, whilst also exploring value-add opportunities through asset repositioning. CLI’s findings suggest that AI is not reducing overall demand but redistributing it, creating a divergence between high-quality and commoditised spaces.

According to the report, AI is transforming workspaces into platforms for decision-making and innovation, rather than just sites for routine tasks. This evolution is particularly evident in markets with substantial supply pipelines, where commoditised spaces face structural challenges. CLI notes that tenant requirements now emphasise infrastructure readiness and the ability to support data-intensive workflows.

In Singapore, the demand for premium, strategically located offices is rising, driven by both AI-native firms and traditional sectors integrating AI into their operations. The city-state’s strong AI infrastructure and skilled workforce make it an attractive hub for global AI leaders and start-ups. As AI adoption continues to grow, Singapore is well-positioned to accommodate these demand shifts, reinforcing its status as a high-quality office hub in the Asia-Pacific region.

Digital Realty, the world’s largest cloud- and carrier-neutral data centre platform, has announced a nearly S$7b investment target in Singapore. This move aims to solidify Singapore’s position as a key hub for artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure in the Asia Pacific region. The investment includes more than S$4.3b earmarked for new data centre developments and ongoing projects.

The company plans to expand its local workforce to 400 by 2030, reflecting the growing demand for secure, connected infrastructure as enterprises transition from AI experimentation to production. Serene Nah, Managing Director and Head of Asia Pacific at Digital Realty, stated, “This S$7b investment target demonstrates our confidence in Singapore’s role as the region’s AI infrastructure anchor.”

Digital Realty has nearly doubled its Singapore workforce over the past three years, with 90% being Singapore nationals. The company relocated its Asia Pacific regional office to IOI Central Boulevard in July 2025, with further expansion anticipated in 2026.

In addition to workforce growth, Digital Realty is enhancing Singapore’s digital ecosystem through operational and innovation capabilities. The company operates a Global Command Centre in Singapore and plans to launch the Digital Realty Innovation Lab (DRIL) in the second half of 2026. This facility will support the development and testing of AI and hybrid cloud solutions.

Digital Realty’s investment underscores Singapore’s strategic importance for AI deployment, particularly for inference workloads that require low-latency infrastructure. The company’s PlatformDIGITAL® offers secure data centre environments and robust connectivity, supporting organisations as they scale AI deployments.

With this significant investment, Digital Realty is poised to support Singapore’s evolution as a leading AI infrastructure hub, enabling the next wave of enterprise AI deployment across the region.

FedEx has announced the winners of its 2026 Small Business Grant Contest for the Asia Pacific region, recognising innovative startups with global potential. Singapore-based Venti Technologies emerged as the overall winner, securing a US$30,000 grant for its development of Physical AI-powered autonomous vehicle solutions tailored for logistics environments such as ports and warehouses.

In addition to Venti Technologies, three other companies received Special Mentions, each awarded US$13,000. These include Aether Fuels from Singapore, which converts waste carbon into sustainable aviation and marine fuels; Linkerbot from China, known for its dexterous robotic hands for industrial and humanoid applications; and Sicona Battery Technologies from Australia, which commercialises silicon carbon anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.

The contest, now in its fifth year in Asia Pacific, is held in collaboration with Forbes Asia and draws from the Forbes Asia 100 to Watch list. Winners are selected based on their innovation, scalability, and international competitiveness. Salil Chari, president of Asia Pacific at FedEx, highlighted the significance of the contest, stating, “The entrepreneurs recognised this year reflect the extraordinary pace of innovation across Asia Pacific.”

Launched in the US in 2012, the FedEx Small Business Grant Contest now spans 31 international markets, including Asia Pacific, Europe, and Latin America. The initiative underscores FedEx’s commitment to supporting emerging businesses through funding and enabling efficient supply chains and logistics solutions.

Velox Networks, a leading cloud telephony provider based in Singapore, has announced its expansion into the Philippines, marking its third Southeast Asian market after Singapore and Malaysia. This strategic move follows the enactment of the Konektadong Pinoy Act, a landmark telecommunications law aimed at modernising the country’s voice and data infrastructure. The legislation creates favourable conditions for cloud-native communications providers, allowing them to offer enterprise-grade voice infrastructure without significant physical network investments.

Martin Nygate, Founder and CEO of Velox Networks, stated, “The Philippines is at an inflection point. New legislation is finally creating the regulatory framework for modern telecommunications infrastructure.”

Velox Networks is not entering the market remotely; it has established a 12-person team across Manila, Cebu, and other key cities. This local presence underscores the company’s commitment to providing the same level of service and support as in Singapore and Malaysia. The Philippines’ telecommunications challenges, such as the notorious “spaghetti wires,” are being addressed through recent government actions, including the Metro Manila Council’s resolution for cable management and Cebu City’s underground cabling ordinances.

Velox’s platform offers cloud-based business phone numbers, automatic call recording, CRM integrations, and enterprise-grade security, catering to over one million micro, small, and medium enterprises in the Philippines. As regulatory scrutiny around data privacy increases, Velox aims to bridge the gap between consumer-grade tools and enterprise requirements, enhancing productivity and operational resilience.

The Singapore Institute of Directors (SID) Board Academy, in collaboration with Ensign InfoSecurity, has introduced a pioneering Cyber Incident Management Simulation for Boards. This initiative, dubbed “Simulation-in-a-box,” is designed to immerse company boards in a 90-minute cyber wargaming exercise, simulating a ransomware attack. The programme covers critical aspects such as containment, disclosure, recovery, and stakeholder management.

The launch comes as Singapore’s Ministry of Digital Development and Information plans to mandate cybersecurity training for board members of Critical Information Infrastructure organisations from Q1 2026. This regulatory push underscores the growing need for boards to actively engage in cyber resilience and crisis leadership.

Lim Minhan, Executive Vice President of Consulting at Ensign InfoSecurity, emphasised the importance of the programme, stating, “Cyber incidents are increasingly placing boards at the centre of decision-making, requiring them to weigh security, operational continuity, financial impact, and legal exposure in real time.”

The SID and Ensign aim to train 3,500 directors across the Asia-Pacific region by 2030. The programme is already gaining traction, with 100 board members from Singapore and Thailand signing up during the pre-launch phase. The training will be extended to sectors such as energy, banking and finance, and healthcare, with the flexibility to tailor sessions to specific regulatory and business environments.

Emily Poon, CEO-Designate of SID, remarked, “With this ‘Simulation-in-a-box’ offered by the SID Board Academy, we count on Ensign’s support to prepare up to 3,500 directors by 2030 to confidently lead their organisations through cyber incidents.”

Singapore has been ranked third globally in the Global Atlas of Risk and Readiness 2026, released by Global Citizen Solutions. The city-state is the only Asian economy in the top tier, boasting the lowest risk score of any country in the dataset. The report evaluates 85 jurisdictions on structural risk and forward-looking readiness, highlighting readiness as the key driver of long-term competitiveness.

The report underscores Singapore’s strategic positioning, noting its exceptional digital infrastructure, AI capability, and human capital. Patricia Casaburi, CEO of Global Citizen Solutions, stated, “The performance of economies like Singapore proves that in a fragmented world, agility and governance depth matter far more than scale.”

Europe dominates the upper tier, with Switzerland and Germany taking the top two spots. However, Singapore’s low risk score sets it apart, even outperforming these European leaders. The Asia-Pacific region, described as a “dual-speed” area, shows significant internal divergence, with Singapore leading and Cambodia at the lower end.

The report categorises the Asia-Pacific into three tiers: a high-readiness core including Singapore, Australia, and Japan; a middle tier with countries like China and India; and a lower tier featuring Vietnam and the Philippines. The findings suggest that whilst growth is important, institutional coherence and strategic positioning are crucial for attracting and retaining capital.

The full Global Atlas of Risk and Readiness 2026 report is available on Global Citizen Solutions’ website.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has opened tenders for two residential sites located at Peck Hay Road and River Valley Green (Parcel C) in Singapore’s Core Central Region (CCR). These sites are expected to collectively provide approximately 785 new private homes. Wong Siew Ying, Head of Research and Content at PropNex, anticipates strong interest from developers due to the robust demand for new homes in the CCR.

Recent launches in the CCR have seen significant success, with projects like Newport Residences and River Modern achieving high sales rates. Newport Residences sold over 74% of its 246 units since January, whilst River Modern sold 90% of its 455 units during its launch weekend in March. This trend suggests that the new sites, with their proximity to MRT stations and amenities, will be attractive to potential buyers.

The River Valley Green (Parcel C) site, near River Valley Primary School and Great World MRT station, could yield 470 units. PropNex projects that this site may attract five to seven bids, with top bids ranging from $1,550 to $1,650 per square foot per plot ratio (psf ppr).

Meanwhile, the Peck Hay Road site, offering an estimated 315 homes, is strategically located near the Newton MRT interchange. It is part of a new “mixed-use urban village” envisioned under the URA Master Plan 2025. This site is expected to garner six to eight bids, with top bids potentially between $1,650 and $1,750 psf ppr.

These developments reflect the ongoing demand for prime residential properties in Singapore, with developers keen to capitalise on the limited supply and strategic locations of these new sites.