Industry News

Blue Planet Environmental Solutions, a Singapore-based company specialising in waste management and clean energy systems, has signed three Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Government of Uttar Pradesh. The agreements were formalised during the Investment Roadshow in Singapore, attended by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

The MoUs aim to establish a collaborative framework for advancing scientific waste management and circular resource recovery in Uttar Pradesh. This partnership is expected to leverage Blue Planet’s expertise in integrated waste management systems to address the region’s environmental challenges.

The collaboration will focus on developing sustainable solutions for waste processing and resource recovery, contributing to the state’s environmental goals. Blue Planet’s initiatives are anticipated to enhance the efficiency of waste management processes and promote the use of clean energy solutions.

The strategic partnership underscores the commitment of both parties to tackle environmental issues through innovative and sustainable practices. By integrating advanced waste management technologies, the initiative aims to reduce environmental impact and improve resource utilisation in Uttar Pradesh.

CapitaLand Development has launched Gourmet Xchange, a pioneering waterfront food hub in Kallang, Singapore. This innovative facility, the largest of its kind in the country, combines modern food production with community and dining spaces, aligning with the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s plans to revitalise the Kallang River precinct. Gourmet Xchange aims to support food businesses by offering production-ready spaces that enhance operational efficiency and sustainability.

Located along the Kallang River, Gourmet Xchange is designed to bring food production closer to urban life, reflecting Singapore’s shift towards centrally located industrial spaces. Ronald Tay, CEO of CapitaLand Development (Singapore), highlighted the project’s unique approach: “Gourmet Xchange will set a new benchmark for how industrial developments can evolve. By introducing public and riverfront spaces with dining, events, and lifestyle experiences alongside production facilities, we are creating new opportunities for brands to engage customers.”

The development features 264 units across a nine-storey block and eight terraced units in a three-storey heritage block, offering versatility for various food business models. It also boasts high-capacity infrastructure, including large contiguous spaces and efficient logistics access, making it ideal for regional operations.

Gourmet Xchange is the first strata-titled food development in Singapore to achieve the Building and Construction Authority’s Green Mark Platinum Super Low Energy certification. Sales bookings for the facility will commence on 13 March 2026, with the sales gallery opening on 27 February 2026.

DBS Bank has been ranked 19th among the world’s 500 most valuable banking brands in the Brand Finance Banking 2026 ranking, marking its position as the only ASEAN banking brand in the global top 20. This achievement highlights DBS’s strong brand equity and its sustained global competitiveness. The bank’s performance is attributed to its robust digital banking capabilities, exceptional customer experience, and continuous innovation, solidifying its status as a leading financial services brand in Asia.

The recognition of DBS also underscores Singapore’s reputation as a major financial hub. The bank has been expanding its regional and international presence whilst enhancing its digital ecosystem. This strategic growth has been pivotal in maintaining its competitive edge in the global banking sector.

Brand Finance’s latest findings reflect the continued prominence of Singaporean banking brands on the world stage, with DBS leading the charge. The bank’s success in the rankings is a testament to its commitment to excellence and its ability to adapt to the evolving financial landscape. As DBS continues to innovate and expand, it reinforces Singapore’s standing in the global financial community.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has released new guidelines to help banks, insurers, and asset managers address environmental risks linked to climate change. These guidelines, announced on 5 March 2026, aim to enhance the resilience of financial institutions (FIs) by improving their risk assessment and management capabilities. The guidelines will become effective in September 2027, following an 18-month transition period.

The guidelines require FIs to assess and manage both physical and transition risks associated with climate change. This involves adapting business models, governance, and risk management practices in a forward-looking manner. Additionally, FIs are encouraged to engage with customers and investee companies to understand and manage climate-related risks, thereby avoiding indiscriminate withdrawal of financial services and supporting financial stability.

MAS Deputy Managing Director, Ho Hern Shin, emphasised the importance of these guidelines, stating, “These guidelines support FIs in building their risk management capabilities in response to both physical and transition risks. The financial sector plays an important role in supporting customers as they navigate the risks from climate change.”

The guidelines are tailored to the specific business models of banks, insurers, and asset managers, incorporating feedback from a prior public consultation. This initiative underscores MAS’s commitment to fostering a robust financial sector capable of withstanding climate-related challenges.

ShopeePay has announced its first cross-border payment partnership with Alipay+, enabling Singaporeans to use their digital wallets for seamless transactions across more than 100 markets. This integration allows users to scan over 150 million merchant QR codes globally, eliminating the need for physical cash or currency exchange.

The new feature is currently available in 28 countries and regions, with plans to expand further. Through this collaboration, ShopeePay users gain access to Alipay+’s global ecosystem, including national payment systems like DuitNow in Malaysia and ZeroPay in South Korea, as well as other local partners. This development aims to enhance payment flexibility for Singaporeans travelling overseas, offering transparent exchange rates and cashback rewards.

Benjamin Tan, Head of ShopeePay in Singapore, highlighted the importance of this initiative, stating, “QR payments have become a trusted and integral part of everyday life in Singapore, but that experience has not always travelled well across borders.” He emphasised that the partnership addresses the fragmentation of overseas QR acceptance, providing users with the simplicity and transparency they value at home.

Pan Yan, Head of Strategic Partnership Office for Alipay+, expressed pride in extending cross-border payment capabilities to ShopeePay, offering Singaporeans more choices when travelling. The collaboration is part of a broader effort to build a connected digital economy, benefiting both users and merchants.

As digital wallet usage for offline payments continues to grow in Singapore, this partnership underscores the shift towards fast, convenient, and secure cashless experiences, both domestically and internationally.

Singapore Management University (SMU) graduates continue to thrive in a challenging job market, with 91.4% securing employment within six months of graduation, according to the 2025 Joint Autonomous University Graduate Employment Survey (JAUGES). The survey, conducted by SMU and other Autonomous Universities, highlights the sustained demand for graduates with industry experience and applied skills, despite global economic uncertainties and increasing automation.

The survey, which saw a 73.4% response rate from SMU’s 2,331 graduates, introduced a new secured employment rate indicator. This measure includes graduates who have accepted job offers but have yet to start work, as well as those launching their own ventures. SMU’s overall employment rate stands at 87.1%, with a full-time permanent employment rate of 79.8%.

A significant factor in these positive outcomes is SMU’s mandatory internship programme. Nearly half of the graduates in full-time permanent roles received job offers through their internships. Specifically, 30.9% of these graduates are employed by the same companies where they interned, whilst 16.4% were offered positions but chose not to accept them.

These findings suggest that SMU’s focus on industry-linked education and internships plays a crucial role in preparing graduates for the workforce, even amidst a cautious hiring climate. Looking ahead, SMU graduates are well-positioned to navigate the evolving job market, leveraging their skills and experiences to secure meaningful employment.

ADDX, a prominent digital investment platform, has announced its collaboration with Tokai Tokyo Securities Co. Ltd (TTSC) to expand its institutional technology solutions through a white-label platform. This initiative allows financial institutions to deploy their own tokenised digital investment platforms more swiftly and cost-effectively by leveraging ADDX’s cloud-native technology.

The white-label solution provides a comprehensive digital infrastructure that supports tokenisation, custody, issuance workflows, investment lifecycle management, and platform operations. This enables institutions to customise their product offerings in line with specific strategies and regulatory requirements, whilst significantly reducing the complexity and cost of building digital asset capabilities from scratch.

TTSC highlighted the benefits of the partnership, stating, “Building digital asset capabilities from the ground up can be resource-intensive. ADDX’s white-label infrastructure enables us to accelerate time-to-market whilst optimising capital allocation, allowing us to focus on delivering enhanced value to our clients.”

Inmoo Hwang, Group Managing Director at ADDX, noted, “Tokenisation is not just about putting an instrument on-chain; it’s about designing a market structure that can stand up to real-world regulatory and operational requirements.”

This collaboration underscores ADDX’s strategic focus on providing scalable, capital-efficient technology solutions to support the evolution of digital investment platforms globally. ADDX, headquartered in Singapore, has been approved by the Monetary Authority of Singapore as a recognised market operator and serves accredited investors across more than 50 countries.

LHN Group has commenced FY2026 with robust occupancy rates and expanding business operations, according to a recent announcement. The group’s Coliwoo co-living portfolio in Singapore has grown to over 3,000 rooms, achieving an impressive occupancy rate of 96.5% as of 31 December 2025. Additionally, occupancy rates for their industrial and commercial properties remain strong, ranging from 86% to 90%.

The company has also introduced new service offerings in its Facilities Management and Energy sectors, further diversifying its business operations. The car park portfolio has expanded to 105 sites, comprising nearly 28,500 lots across Singapore.

Kelvin Lim, Executive Chairman of LHN Limited, stated, “We have started FY2026 on a firm footing with strong occupancy rates across most of our space optimisation properties and continued contract momentum in our Facilities Management Business.” He highlighted the joint venture for redeveloping the 680 Upper Thomson Road property as a significant step in their Property Development strategy, allowing participation in larger-scale projects whilst managing risk prudently.

Looking ahead, LHN Group is focused on executing its Coliwoo growth roadmap, which includes the upcoming launches of Coliwoo Midtown and 159 Jalan Loyang Besar. The company is also committed to disciplined capital recycling to optimise returns for shareholders.

This strategic expansion and high occupancy rates underscore LHN Group’s strong market position and its commitment to growth and innovation in the property sector.

Tealium has announced its launch on the AWS Singapore Region, providing Asia-Pacific (APAC) enterprises with a robust infrastructure to manage customer data locally and in real-time. This move supports compliance with Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) and emerging ASEAN data protection frameworks, crucial as AI adoption accelerates across the region.

The AWS Singapore Region enables Tealium to offer low latency and real-time performance for AI-driven customer engagement and analytics. Jeff Lunsford, CEO of Tealium, emphasised the importance of trust in the AI era, stating, “Launching on the AWS Singapore Region enables customers to better govern, control and activate their data locally — helping them meet regulatory obligations whilst still moving quickly with AI and digital innovation.”

Tealium’s platform allows businesses in sectors such as financial services, retail, healthcare, and education to securely collect, transform, and activate customer data without it leaving the region. This ensures compliance without sacrificing speed or flexibility. Peter Murray, APJ head of GTM, noted, “With Tealium now live on the AWS Singapore Region, customers in the region have more choice in how they innovate with data and adopt agentic solutions, whilst meeting stringent data residency requirements.”

As a member of the AWS Partner Network, Tealium holds multiple AWS certifications, including the GenAI Competency. The launch is part of Tealium’s strategy to expand its footprint in the APAC region, supporting enterprises in navigating digital transformation and complex regulatory landscapes. The Tealium instance on the AWS Singapore Region is available immediately, offering a full suite of customer data capabilities.

Cushman & Wakefield has announced the sale of The Living Collection, a portfolio of seven freehold living-sector assets located in Singapore’s River Valley, Balestier, and Rangoon Road areas. The properties, which include serviced apartments, a hotel, and student hostels, are being offered through an Expression of Interest exercise closing on 13 April 2026.

The portfolio is strategically divided into three clusters, each situated in well-established city-fringe precincts. The River Valley cluster is particularly attractive to expatriates and long-stay professionals due to its proximity to Orchard Road and the Central Business District. Whilst, the Balestier cluster benefits from its location near HealthCity Novena, attracting healthcare professionals and corporate tenants. The Rangoon cluster is positioned to capture demand from students, being close to educational institutions like Singapore Management University.

Sophia Lim, Director at Cushman & Wakefield, highlighted the portfolio’s appeal, stating, “The Living Collection is arguably the largest portfolio of freehold hospitality and living assets currently available for sale.” The properties are fully operational, generating immediate cash flow, with options for sale-and-leaseback arrangements at a 3.5% gross yield.

Shaun Poh, Executive Director of Capital Markets at Cushman & Wakefield, noted the portfolio’s potential for investors seeking exposure to Singapore’s expanding living sector. The guide price for the entire portfolio is set at S$218.5m, with individual properties also available for purchase. Interested parties are encouraged to submit their bids by the deadline.