Procter & Gamble today announced the iFuture digital capability program to further accelerate digital innovation in Singapore. The program, supported by EDB, was unveiled by Minister for Communications and Information, Mr S Iswaran, at the opening of 'Ignite 2020' – P&G's flagship digital technology and innovation event.
Through iFuture, P&G will work to advance smart capabilities and tools to position Singapore and P&G for resilience and future success. Over the next three years, P&G plans to invest up to SGD $50 million in total business expenditure linked to new digital capabilities, training over 50 employees to take on new digital roles. iFUTURE comes as part of P&G's E-Center digital innovation program with EDB and builds on P&G's earlier investments of over SGD $150 million announced in the last 3 years. P&G also operates Singapore’s largest private research & development facility, the state-of-the-art Singapore Innovation Center, with cumulative investments in excess of SGD $400 million.
The iFUTURE program will accelerate P&G’s digital focus areas of:
- Marketing of the Future including data-driven performance marketing
- Sales of the Future through a Smart Selling program and e-commerce innovation
- Digital of the Future, a backbone of technical resources to support P&G’s ongoing digital transformation across all areas of the organization.
The iFUTURE partnership reaffirms P&G’s commitment to strengthen Singapore’s position as a leading digital hub for the region. It also draws on P&G’s culture of innovation and experimentation, as the company accelerates its digital fluency and capabilities.
Mr. Magesvaran Suranjan, P&G President, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, said, “We aspire to be a Company of the Future, helping lead the continued transformation of our industry and the upskilling of our leaders so we can succeed today and in the years to come. We are delighted to continue partnering with the Singapore Economic Development Board and will continue to invest in Singapore, our people and our digital innovation systems to enable the growth of our business and region. I am confident that iFUTURE will help better equip Singapore and P&G to develop the capabilities needed to succeed in our digitally native world.”
Ms Cindy Koh, Senior Vice President and Head, Singapore Economic Development Board, said, “The launch of the iFuture program is testament to P&G’s confidence in Singapore as a digital innovation hub for the region, even amidst the uncertain environment. We are heartened that P&G is expanding its investment in digital skills and solutions for the second time since the launch of its E-Center in 2017, reinforcing its commitment to our long-standing partnership. P&G’s continued investment in digital capabilities will create good job opportunities for Singaporeans and equip them with desirable digital skills needed in today’s environment.”
The announcement was made in line with the opening of P&G’s flagship digital technology and innovation event “Ignite”, which was graced by Mr Rafik Mansour, Chargé d’Affaires from the U.S. Embassy in Singapore. Ignite aims to enhance digital fluency among P&G employees in the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (AMA) region and foster collaboration with industry partners including local start-ups and SMEs, education and research institutions including universities.
Held virtually for the first time, Ignite 2020 is themed “Change the Game”, reflecting P&G’s aspiration to inspire employees and partners with cutting-edge work leveraging technology. Specialised training sessions were held for Small to Medium Enterprises, as part of P&G’s commitment to develop digital capabilities within Singapore.
The 2020 edition of P&G Ignite brings together industry thought leaders from some of the world’s leading tech companies to showcase the latest innovation including advanced data analytics, algorithms and Internet of Things (IoT) across various business capabilities including consumer marketing, sales, supply chain, data and employees.
As a further testament to the company's digital fluency and capabilities, P&G has today been named as “2020 Digital Transformer” at the prestigious IDC Digital Transformation Awards Singapore.
