Industry News

DBS has released a report forecasting a promising outlook for the Singapore market as the year draws to a close. The report, dated 2 October 2025, suggests that small and mid-cap stocks are set for an eventful fourth quarter, with a focus on value plays ahead of the anticipated Value Unlock package.

The report indicates a strategic shift towards value stocks, suggesting investors revisit technology and industrial sectors. This comes as the market positions itself for a potential rally by the end of the year. DBS’s analysis highlights the importance of these sectors in the current economic climate, suggesting they may offer significant opportunities for growth.

The report also serves as a reminder of the bank’s interests, noting that DBS Vickers Securities and DBS Bank Ltd, part of the DBS Group, may have dealings in the securities mentioned. The bank advises that the information provided is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.

As the market anticipates the Value Unlock package, investors are encouraged to consider the potential of small and mid-cap stocks, which could play a pivotal role in the market’s performance in the coming months. The focus on value plays and key sectors like technology and industrials underscores the strategic opportunities available in the Singapore market as 2025 comes to a close.

DoorDash has officially completed its acquisition of Deliveroo, marking its entry into the Singapore market. Despite the change in ownership, the Deliveroo app will continue to operate under its existing brand, offering ready-to-eat meals, groceries, and its Shopping arm. This transition is part of DoorDash’s strategy to leverage its global scale and technology to enhance service delivery.

Tony Xu, DoorDash’s co-founder and CEO, emphasised that this acquisition represents “the beginning of a new chapter, not the end of an old one.” He assured Deliveroo’s seven million active customers that the user experience would become “even faster, smarter, and more delightful.” Additionally, Xu highlighted plans to introduce new tools for the 178,000 merchants on the platform to help them thrive both online and offline.

For Deliveroo’s 130,000 riders, Xu promised to maintain flexibility whilst enhancing safety and support features. Miki Kuusi, co-founder of Wolt, will assume the role of CEO of Deliveroo, alongside his duties as Head of International at DoorDash. Kuusi expressed admiration for Deliveroo’s achievements, stating, “I couldn’t be more excited to learn from each other as we take our shared mission to the next level.”

This acquisition is expected to bolster DoorDash’s presence in Singapore and enhance the delivery experience for consumers, merchants, and riders alike. As DoorDash integrates its technology and logistics capabilities, the company aims to drive economic vitality and innovation in the region.

Singapore has intensified its support for aviation training and development in Africa and the Caribbean by signing three new Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with the civil aviation authorities of Cameroon, the Comoros, and Guyana. The agreements, facilitated by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), were formalised during the 42nd International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Assembly in Montreal, Canada.

The MOUs with Cameroon and the Comoros, signed on 25 September 2025, involve collaboration in exchanging information and best practices in civil aviation administration, safety oversight, and air traffic management. These initiatives aim to bolster capacity building through training programmes that may be conducted in Singapore, the respective states, or virtually.

From 2025 to 2028, CAAS plans to support African states with 195 fellowships, eight scholarships, and 12 in-region training programmes through the Singapore Aviation Academy. This builds on existing cooperation in the region.

The MOU with Guyana, signed on 29 September 2025, focuses on delivering training programmes and exchanging expertise in human resources management and air transport regulation. This partnership extends the ongoing training cooperation between Singapore and Caribbean states.

Han Kok Juan, Director-General of CAAS, expressed Singapore’s commitment to sharing expertise globally, stating, “We are honoured to partner Cameroon, the Comoros, and Guyana and hope that the partnership can help build mindshare for Singapore and bring our countries and people closer together.”

Singapore General Hospital (SGH) has unveiled a Centre of Excellence for robotic-assisted surgery, in collaboration with Johnson & Johnson MedTech, to equip orthopaedic surgeons with cutting-edge skills as the region’s population ages. This initiative, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding, focuses initially on total knee replacement training and research.

The Centre will serve as a primary training hub for surgeons across Southeast Asia, offering comprehensive programmes and regional preceptorship sessions. Professor Tan Mann Hong, Chairman of the Division of Musculoskeletal Sciences at SGH, highlighted the collaboration’s role in establishing Singapore as a leader in advanced surgical training, enhancing regional surgical standards.

Recent research by SGH’s Associate Professor Lincoln Liow demonstrated the benefits of robotic-assisted surgery, showing shorter surgical durations and improved patient outcomes compared to conventional methods. The study was presented at the SICOT 2025 conference in Madrid.

With SGH performing over 2,500 knee replacements annually, demand is expected to rise significantly. Associate Professor Darren Tay emphasised the importance of patient-centred care, stating that surgeons must understand both conventional and cutting-edge options to deliver necessary care. The MoU was signed on 30 September 2025.

Gong cha, a leading global tea brand, has temporarily closed its Singapore outlets as it prepares for a brand relaunch in 2026. The decision follows the non-renewal of its agreement with the current Master franchisee, paving the way for new local franchise partnerships. The relaunch will feature the ‘Gong cha 2.0’ store design, which has already seen success in South Korea and Japan by reducing customer wait times and enhancing satisfaction.

Founded in Taiwan in 2006, Gong cha has expanded to over 2,100 locations across 28 markets. The brand’s innovative ‘Gong cha 2.0’ concept aims to modernise the traditional bubble tea model with scalable and adaptable store designs, underpinned by technology to improve customer experience.

Paul Reynish, Global CEO of Gong cha, expressed enthusiasm for the Singapore relaunch, stating, “Singapore is a really important market for us, and we’re really excited about relaunching in 2026.” He highlighted the success of the new store design in other markets, noting increased customer satisfaction and repeat visits.

The relaunch is part of Gong cha’s broader strategy to establish a market-leading position in Singapore, leveraging its award-winning store design. Reynish thanked the Singapore team for their dedication and assured customers that the brand will return with a more innovative offering.

Singapore office Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) have demonstrated robust performance in the third quarter of 2025, according to Morningstar’s latest report. Despite a challenging macroeconomic environment influenced by US trade policies, these REITs have benefited from resilient occupancy rates and strong rental reversions in the first half of the year. This performance has eased some concerns over soft leasing demand.

The report highlights that Singapore REITs are currently trading at a 17% discount to book value, with office REITs experiencing the steepest discounts. Xavier Lee, an equity analyst, noted that whilst the risk of significant asset devaluation remains low, investors should consider the current trading discounts as an opportunity.

In addition to office REITs, trends in the retail and industrial sectors were also examined, with top picks identified for potential investors. The ongoing trade negotiations between the US and its partners continue to contribute to market uncertainty, but the resilience shown by Singapore’s office REITs offers a positive outlook.

GrabMaps, a hyperlocal mapping service from Southeast Asia, has announced its first countrywide mapping partnership outside the region with Mongolia’s Tino Super App. This collaboration aims to develop a comprehensive digital map of Mongolia, supporting the country’s digital ecosystem and enabling services such as ride-hailing, delivery, tourism, and e-commerce.

The partnership will initially focus on mapping Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s capital, before expanding to other cities. Vehicles equipped with GrabMaps’ proprietary hardware, KartaCam 2 and KartaDashCam, will gather detailed mapping data, including road networks, street names, and traffic signals. This data will be processed to create a frequently updated and data-rich map of Mongolia.

GrabMaps will provide Tino with mapping software and on-demand map services APIs, enhancing geolocation capabilities and navigation accuracy. These tools will support Tino’s taxi and delivery services, set to launch later this year.

Sriram Iyer, Head of Product, Geo and Fulfilment at Grab, highlighted the importance of advanced maps for superapps, stating, “GrabMaps technology has been instrumental for Grab’s own ability to adjust its marketplace to fast-changing conditions.” Erdenebayar Sainjargal, CEO of Teso Investment, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, noting that GrabMaps’ technology will improve the reliability of Tino’s services.

This initiative marks a significant step for both companies, with GrabMaps extending its reach beyond Southeast Asia and Tino poised to become Mongolia’s first superapp, contributing to the country’s expanding digital economy.

Cisco has announced the general availability of the Splunk Observability Cloud on Amazon Web Services (AWS) in Singapore, a move designed to provide organisations with real-time, unified visibility across IT environments. This launch comes as Singapore prepares to implement its Digital Infrastructure Act, addressing the increasing operational demands faced by businesses in the Asia Pacific region.

The Splunk Observability Cloud offers enterprises the ability to reduce operational strain by transforming complex data into actionable insights through unified metrics, traces, and logs. This service aims to safeguard resilience by enabling faster issue resolution and maintaining high availability and compliance of critical systems. Additionally, it supports innovation by leveraging AWS’s local infrastructure to manage costs and optimise data use.

Robert Pizzari, Group Vice President of Asia at Splunk, highlighted the importance of the service, stating, “In fast-moving markets like Asia, the ability to proactively monitor systems and resolve issues quickly is key to sustaining both innovation and customer trust.”

The launch is timely, aligning with Singapore’s Smart Nation initiatives and the upcoming Digital Infrastructure Act, which emphasises the need for robust digital infrastructure. By hosting the service in the AWS Singapore Region, organisations can meet regulatory priorities and ensure data retention within the country, crucial for industries such as banking, transportation, and telecommunications.

As Singaporean teams continue to lead in digital innovation, the Splunk Observability Cloud is set to play a pivotal role in managing operational pressures, reducing burnout, and driving strategic business initiatives.

DKSH Business Unit Consumer Goods has announced a partnership with Oriental Kopi to bring the brand’s renowned Nanyang coffee and spreads to Singapore. This collaboration aims to leverage DKSH’s market expansion capabilities to enhance Oriental Kopi’s presence in Singapore’s competitive fast-moving consumer goods sector.

Originating from Malaysia, Oriental Kopi is celebrated for its blend of traditional brewing techniques and modern innovation, offering the distinctive taste of Nanyang coffee. The partnership will see Oriental Kopi’s popular coffee sachets and kaya spreads become more accessible to Singaporean consumers, thanks to DKSH’s robust distribution network and marketing expertise.

Calvin Chan Jian Chern, founder and owner of Oriental Kopi, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, “Our partnership with DKSH Singapore marks an exciting chapter for Oriental Kopi as we continue our journey to share authentic Nanyang coffee and spreads with more people. With DKSH’s strong expertise and network, we are confident this collaboration will allow us to reach more households and preserve the rich kopi heritage.”

Adrian Kang, Vice President of Fast Moving Consumer Goods at DKSH Singapore, added, “We are proud to partner with Oriental Kopi to bring their unique and much-loved flavours to Singapore. At DKSH, our mission is to support brands in unlocking growth opportunities whilst connecting consumers with quality products that celebrate tradition and culture.”

The Orchard Road Business Association (ORBA) has announced a new initiative to provide free counselling services to the 60,000 workers in the Orchard Road precinct. This one-year pilot programme, Counselling @ Work Great, is a response to the increasing demand for mental health support, particularly concerning issues like vaping. The counselling sessions will be conducted by in-training psychotherapists and can be accessed online or at designated locations such as *SCAPE at Orchard Link and Soundproof Meetings Pods at Mandarin Gallery.

Mark Shaw, Chairman of ORBA, emphasised the importance of addressing mental health openly: “At ORBA we see the importance of encouraging conversations about mental health. No one should feel ashamed if they are struggling, and it is important to know when and how to reach out for help.”

The initiative is part of ORBA’s SG60 effort to give back to the community, aiming to combat the stigma surrounding mental health services. It is available to individuals of all ages, addressing issues from burnout to family challenges. This programme is an extension of ORBA’s Work Great on A Great Street campaign, launched in collaboration with the Health Promotion Board in 2017.

Ethen Ong, Deputy Executive Director at *SCAPE, highlighted the initiative’s role in empowering youth: “With initiatives like Counselling @ Work Great, we hope to break down barriers around mental health and encourage more young people to reach out for support when they need it.”

The programme reflects ORBA’s commitment to fostering a supportive community, ensuring that mental health resources are accessible to those who need them.