On 29 August, Economic Development Board (EDB) and Enterprise Singapore signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) to bolster support for startups and businesses based in Japan and Singapore, on the sidelines of the ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting 2018. The signing was witnessed by Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Industry Mr Chan Chun Sing and Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) Mr Hiroshige Seko.
Under the MOU, EDB, Enterprise Singapore and JETRO will facilitate access and opportunities through creating initiatives, events and information exchanges for startups and businesses, strengthening linkages between the Singapore and Japan innovation ecosystem.
The MOU also represents the expansion of Singapore’s Global Innovation Alliance (GIA) initiative to include Japan in the network. A key recommendation in the Committee on the Future Economy 2016 report, the GIA was launched in 2017 to strengthen Singapore’s connection to leading innovation hubs and key markets around the world. In July 2018, a MOU was signed to include France into the expanding GIA network, to strengthen business and innovation collaboration.
