Industry News

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.

Aspire has announced a strategic partnership with J.P. Morgan Payments to enhance foreign exchange (FX) capabilities for businesses operating internationally. This collaboration allows Aspire customers to access institutional-grade FX pricing and infrastructure across major currencies, including USD, EUR, GBP, SGD, and HKD.

The partnership aims to address the challenges faced by startups and businesses in currency conversion, which often leads to delayed payments and unpredictable costs. J.P. Morgan Payments will serve as a key FX provider to Aspire, enhancing pricing, corridor access, and infrastructure resilience.

Aspire’s CEO and Co-Founder, Andrea Baronchelli, stated, “As Aspire scales, our focus remains clear: delivering powerful banking infrastructure and simplified finances for globally ambitious companies. This collaboration with J.P. Morgan Payments further strengthens our FX strategy.”

Christine Tan, APAC Head of FIG Sales at J.P. Morgan Payments, added, “Collaborating with Aspire reflects a shared commitment to delivering reliable, secure, and scalable financial infrastructure for businesses operating across borders.”

The initial phase of the agreement focuses on FX-to-wallet conversion across multiple currencies, enabling Aspire customers to convert and manage funds within their Aspire wallets. This development comes as Aspire expands its global infrastructure, having secured eight licences and registrations across Australia, Europe, and the United States over the past year.

Aspire, headquartered in Singapore, serves over 50,000 businesses across more than 30 markets. The company is backed by investors such as Peak XV, Lightspeed, Y Combinator, and PayPal.

Cushman & Wakefield has successfully brokered the sale of Swing By @ Thomson Plaza, a prime suburban retail asset, for $250m. This significant transaction highlights the continued demand for strategic retail properties in suburban areas.

Located in Singapore, Swing By @ Thomson Plaza is a well-established retail destination known for its diverse range of shops and services. The sale underscores the asset’s value and potential for future growth in a competitive market. The transaction was facilitated by Cushman & Wakefield, a leading global real estate services firm, known for its expertise in brokering high-value property deals.

The sale of Swing By @ Thomson Plaza is a testament to the robust interest in suburban retail assets, which continue to attract investors seeking stable returns. The property’s strategic location and established tenant mix make it a valuable addition to any investment portfolio.

Cushman & Wakefield’s involvement in this transaction further cements its reputation as a key player in the real estate market, capable of navigating complex deals and delivering results for its clients. The firm’s role in brokering this sale highlights its ability to connect buyers and sellers in the competitive retail property sector.

As the market for suburban retail assets remains strong, this transaction may signal further opportunities for investors looking to capitalise on the demand for well-located retail properties.

Nestlé and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have announced a multi-year research partnership to investigate how nutrition can support healthy ageing and women’s health. This collaboration combines Nestlé’s global research capabilities with NTU’s scientific expertise to explore the impact of diet and lifestyle on biological ageing processes.

The partnership will focus on identifying nutritional solutions to address health concerns such as metabolic health, mobility, sleep, and menopause. A joint research lab will be established in Singapore to facilitate data analysis and clinical studies. The research will leverage data from the Health for Life in Singapore (HELIOS) Study, a national population cohort led by NTU’s Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine in collaboration with NHG Health and Imperial College London.

Ryan Carvalho, Head of Nestlé Research, highlighted the importance of nutrition in maintaining long-term health, stating, “Through this partnership with NTU, we will be able to strengthen the growing body of scientific evidence on how nutrition can contribute to healthy longevity, particularly through midlife and beyond, including the menopausal transition.”

The initiative is supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board, emphasising its significance for the region’s ageing population. Melissa Guan, Vice President and Head of Consumer at EDB, remarked, “This partnership reflects Singapore’s research and innovation capabilities whilst providing good opportunities for Singaporeans to be involved in shaping healthy ageing initiatives.”

With the global population ageing rapidly, particularly in Asia, this research aims to close the health span gap, ensuring that people not only live longer but also maintain a high quality of life.