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SG Trust Mark

Innovation for Business Growth

Discover Singapore’s vibrant R&D and startup ecosystems

Innovation masthead Innovation masthead

2nd

in Asia (5th globally) for innovation performance, according to the Global Innovation Index 20251.

S$28B

in sustained government investments in research, innovation, and enterprise between 2021 and 20252.

220+

incubators and accelerators to boost growth and encourage innovation3.

Why Singapore leads in innovation

Singapore’s position as a global innovation hub is built on more than 30 years of strategic investments and long-term policy planning.

Singapore has consistently channelled substantial resources annually into research and development, with cumulative investments to date amounting to S$60 billion. This provides stability for companies pursuing multi-year innovation agendas. The S$28 billion Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2025 (RIE2025) plan further strengthens national research capabilities and encourages industry-relevant innovation. In the 2025 Global Innovation Index by the World Intellectual Property Organization, Singapore ranked second in Asia for innovation capability.

Singapore’s startup ecosystem is valued at S$184 billion, reflecting strong investor confidence and market maturity. Co-innovation platforms connect research institutes, universities, startups, and corporates to accelerate commercial outcomes. Companies can also tap on four innovation partnership models to scale and de-risk new solutions. Whether in AI, mobility, or medical technology, Singapore serves as a reliable base for innovation and access to high-growth Asian markets.

Singapore’s advantages in innovation

Conducive business environment

Global companies seek safe and trusted environments rich in capabilities and talent to grow. Singapore is globally recognised as the World’s Most Competitive Economy4 and the Most Innovative Economy in Asia5, and also has the world’s second-best Intellectual Property Rights protection6, enabling companies to commercialise their investments in R&D and innovation with peace of mind. 

World-class research and innovation capabilities

Singapore has focused on growing industry-relevant R&D capabilities, and continues to provide strong support to accelerate enterprise innovation.

We have built a dense network of world-class research capabilities across multiple scientific domains, supported by a pool of top tier interdisciplinary research talent skilled in translating research into commercial outcomes.

We are a welcoming home for talent, standing first in the region (second globally) in the Global Talent Competitiveness Index, first in Asia (third globally) for liveability, and third globally on the Economic Intelligence Unit’s Safe Cities Index 2023.

Gateway to Asean map image

Gateway to ASEAN and the Asia-Pacific

Singapore is in the heart of Southeast Asia, a US$3.2 trillion economy and fifth largest in the world. As an innovation hub, we offer exceptional regional and digital reach.

Within a four-hour flight radius lies Southeast Asia’s 670 million-strong consumer base, while advanced infrastructure—including 22 subsea cables and 50 per cent of the region’s data centre capacity—enables seamless, secure operations.

Proximity to Southeast Asia enables our high-skilled, multilingual talent to have a deep understanding of local needs - supporting more agile market entry and targeted product localisation.

View of Singapore’s central business district with dense clusters of high-rise buildings beside the river, featuring a traditional bumboat cruising in the foreground.

Dense innovation ecosystem

The startup ecosystem Singapore fosters is anchored by more than 4,500 early-stage companies, over 220 incubators and accelerators, and a dynamic mix of corporates, researchers, and investors. This concentration of activity enables companies to connect, collaborate, and innovate at speed.

Innovation partnership models

Companies here can leverage four proven collaboration models to reduce risk and accelerate commercialisation.

These models, refined through decades of public and private cooperation, enable firms to co-develop, test, and scale innovations efficiently.

Explore the approaches below to identify the model best suited to your innovation goals.

Companies can access a strong base of scientific and research capabilities across our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) and public Research Institutes (RIs).

Such corporate-IHL/RI partnerships allow companies to leverage the latest cutting-edge R&D capabilities, technological advancements, and innovations.

Corporates mentor and partner startups to fill a specific need and access innovative solutions. One way is through open innovation calls or challenges to source for ideas and new tech solutions.

 

Collaborating with other corporates allows companies to leverage diverse expertise, share resources, and speed up the development of new solutions. In Singapore, the concentration of innovation-ready corporates enables companies to explore co-innovation partnerships. 

 

Global companies choose to base their R&D or innovation mandate in Singapore due to our design and manufacturing capabilities, thriving innovation ecosystem, and business-friendly environment. 

 

Get assistance with a range of programmes

Connect with R&D partners

Access a wide network of research organisations, institutes, and innovation partners in Singapore. Collaborate to strengthen your R&D capabilities, co-develop new solutions, and accelerate your expansion across Asia.

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Open Innovation Platform

IMDA Open Innovation Platform helps corporates crowdsource innovation solutions from a global network of over 13,000 tech solution providers.

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IPI Singapore

IPI Singapore facilitates and supports the innovation process of Singapore-based companies through advisory, technology matching, innovation challenges and events.

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Open Innovation Network

The Open Innovation Network is a gateway for corporates, startups and innovators to seek out innovation challenges to testbed and co-create solutions.

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Startup SG

Startup SG is Singapore’s national initiative that supports startups via funding, mentorship, incubation & ecosystem partnerships.

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Discover programmes to transform your business

Explore additional programmes designed to enhance the capabilities or broaden the scope of operations for businesses in Singapore.

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Explore useful resources to get you started

<h5><b>Insights into Innovation in Singapore</b></h5>
Insights into Innovation in Singapore
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