Bridge+ at 79 Robinson Road provides avenue for collaborations

EXCLUSIVE: SPACE WATCH Bridge+ at 79 Robinson Road provides avenue for collaborations

It occupies three floors and a space of 56,000 sq. ft. at the 29-storey Grade A office building.

CapitaLand’s Bridge+ at Singapore’s Central Business District provides “workspace flexibility” and is focused on building a in the Ascent building at Singapore Science Park 1 in October 2017. Bridge+ at 79 Robinson Road, offers “purpose-driven” workspace solutions for enhanced community for the FinTech sector for collaborations and activities.

Occupying three floors and a space of 56,000 square feet at 79 Robinson Road, a 29-storey Grade A office building developed by CapitaLand, Mitsui & Co., Ltd., and Tokyo Tatemono Co., Ltd., the Bridge+ caters to the need of the finance and technology communities.

“We envision 79 Robinson Road to be a destination in the Singapore Central Business District (CBD), where leading members of the international finance and technology communities can gather regularly to confer and collaborate as a community,” Chew Peet Mun, managing director of Workspace and Residential of CapitaLand Singapore said. “Our flexible workspace solutions and amenities by Bridge+ 79 Robinson Road provided the apt infrastructure and services to accommodate such needs.”

“Bridge+ 79 Robinson Road will facilitate collaborations through knowledge sharing events and networking activities to actively support the growth of fintech players and enliven the community,” he added.

This follows the Bridge+ flagship co-working centre “connectivity and productivity” of businesses as well as the employees. It also has event spaces that can host activities for 30 to 200 people, 25 meeting rooms, social areas, and a Peet Mun lounge, Chew said. Chew also noted that it has an infrastructure in the event spaces on Level 2 for organisers holding hybrid events, such as technology solutions and equipment to engage both in-person and remote attendees. The workspace gives “greater attention” to support the “safety and wellbeing” of its occupiers as they return to the office, by placing safety measures, such as coating high contact areas with anti-microbial disinfectant and Rahul Banerjee providing “contactless access and reduce unnecessary touchpoints” through facial recognition and mobile app-activated access to building access points. Moreover, the workspace also offers office tenants a sea view of the Marina South Pier, low-lying conservation shophouses in the CBD, and customising their workplace. There is also a sky terrace on Level 21 as well as a roof garden at the top of the building which aims to provide green spaces to the tenants.

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1Event Space (The Arena) – A versatile open-concept space with lounge seating and an elevated platform

2Social Hub – Work, play and network with other members over coffee at the social hub

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3Social Hub- a space where members of the international finance and technology communities can gather regularly to confer and collaborate

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Private Suites – A flexible workspace solution offered by Bridge+ to those who want to enjoy a fully-furnished space with their own private access

Tricor Group launches Digital Client Portal

New Tricor digital platform sets standard for effortless client experience in Singapore.

Rapid digitisation against the backdrop of the global pandemic has forced businesses in Singapore to reimagine products, business lines, and operations. Yet a recent survey of corporate boards published by Tricor Group and the Financial Times exposes a significant challenge: although the majority of directors believe that boards should be leading digital transformation, only 1 in 3 report that they have the necessary tools and solutions.

While new software solutions are entering the market at an unprecedented rate, digital solutions that address the lowest common denominator can only take companies so far. Generic software that handles everyday tasks fails to cater to the needs of organizations that are growing and expanding, especially in Asia’s diverse business environment.

This was exactly the challenge posed by clients to Tricor’s Group CEO and incoming Group Chief Digital Officer during COVID-19: can Tricor provide digital solutions that cater to a complex market, while retaining access to the subject matter expertise of Tricor’s professional staff? And can this be done across multiple jurisdictions and industries for listed companies, multinational companies (MNCs), small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups?

Tricor’s Group CEO Lennard Yong recognises this challenge. “At Tricor, our mission is to provide the building blocks for and catalyse every stage of our clients’ business growth. To accomplish this in today’s shifting business landscape, we must continuously zero in on changing client expectations and deliver innovative solutions that cater to a wide range of market demands.”

“The needs of a holding company that is expanding into new markets are substantially different from a startup preparing to file their first annual report – and Tricor must support both.” Yong continues.

“To address this market challenge, Tricor has developed a Digital Client Portal to meet the unique requirements of our clients from a regulatory and compliance perspective. The portal also acts as a centrally unified and readily accessible platform for our clients to use as they streamline their operations and expand their businesses across Asia Pacific.”

By working with partners in the technology industry and co-developing its solution with clients, Tricor identified three keys to unlock a new standard in digital corporate services: a focus on user experience, technology-powered compliance features, and world-class security.

An end-to-end digital experience

The portal solves the most pressing challenges firms in Singapore face today in complex, multi-jurisdiction businesses by synthesizing a digital front-end with the institutional knowledge of Tricor’s staff.

“Clients are looking for improved business efficiency, lower regulatory risk, and better insight into their business. With our Digital Client Portal, we are empowering them to achieve those goals, allowing clients to manage their businesses across multiple countries and to interact with Tricor digitally by giving them a secure, encrypted, globally accessible platform that’s available 24/7.” said Tricor’s Group Chief Digital Officer Adam Stuckert.

Enhancing compliance with cuttingedge technology

Tricor’s Digital Client Portal serves as a fast and cost-effective path to compliance, combining software algorithms with our institutional knowledge to verify each transaction against current regulations. Warnings and alerts are issued when necessary and the smart platform updates data automatically, mitigating risks and offering peace of mind.

Seamless global business expansion with security and quality

Efficiency improvements must be matched by a secure platform, so Tricor built their Digital Client Portal on world-class cloud services, providing a proven platform.

“Unlocking business resilience is our top priority,” said Stuckert. “We put our clients first as we designed this portal and are pleased that all of our clients are highly satisfied with the digitized service experience. We also worked with Asiabased software developer BlueMeg to adapt their class-leading cloud and security technologies. Our ongoing investment in this platform shows that we are committed to supporting our clients’ business growth in Singapore and beyond.”

Planned future releases will be enhanced to offer clients electronic signature integration, embedded KYC functionality as well as board governance capabilities.

Tricor’s Digital Client Portal meets the unique operational and regulatory requirements of every client

Adam Stuckert, Tricor’s Group Chief Digital Officer

Germany’s forward-looking initiatives and offerings know no borders

Airport Region Berlin Brandenburg, Audi, and Jedox to bring in solutions and more opportunities to businesses in Singapore.

Dr. Steffen Kammradt, CEO of WFBB and Dr. Stefan Franzke, CEO of Berlin Partner

Ready for take-off! Airport Region Berlin Brandenburg - a world-class region for business and technology

The Airport Region Berlin Brandenburg is one of the most dynamic economic regions in Germany and a world-class location for innovative businesses.

It stretches from Berlin city center to the south of the city and right up to the municipalities around Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER). The Airport Region Team, made up of staff from Berlin Partner for Business and Technology and the Economic Development Agency Brandenburg (WFBB), promotes the region around the world. It targets to attract a mix of industrial companies, startups, and research institutions, drawing a high added value to the region in terms of jobs and investment volumes.

Tasked to be the first point of contact for companies interested in settling in the region, the Airport Region Team offers a wide range of services: providing support with financing and funding options, finding commercial locations and staff. What’s more, the team connects companies to the region’s business ecosystem, allowing them to tap into excellent business and science networks, facilitating the process of bringing innovations to The economic effects of BER market. airport as an international air “Following the transport hub will radiate far beyond the airport environs opening of BER airport in October 2020, and the major investment of Tesla in the direct vicinity, the Airport Region is experiencing a growth spurt that will radiate far beyond the region”, said Dr. Steffen Kammradt, CEO of WFBB. The excellent infrastructure with BER airport as a gateway to international markets gives a glimpse of what the region has to offer. Combining location advantages of two states, the region boasts high-profile business locations, innovative technology centers, a large catchment area with international talent and the highest number of academics in Germany.

“We are already registering settlement projects that can be attributed to the region’s excellent location advantages. Companies such as SAP and Amazon benefit from and contribute to the economic boom of the region, entailing further company settlements”, said Dr. Stefan Franzke, CEO of Berlin Partner.

No matter the size or industry, all companies wishing to establish their business on a strong footing are just in the right place in the Airport Region Berlin Brandenburg.

The road to electric mobility runs from Germany to Singapore

The German car manufacturing leader, Audi, is blazing a trail in Singapore with the introduction of the fully electric vehicle (EV) Audi e-tron SUV to the local market last year.

Spurred by the Singapore government’s recent announcements to support more sustainable transport operations and infrastructure, the city state’s journey toward adopting electric vehicles was given a jump start this 2021. A positive stakeholder response to incentivise the adoption of electric vehicles—including those from energy providers, building landlords, and car brands—is ensuring that consumers can easily transition to EVs.

This development is similar to the European narrative, including Norway, where the e-tron has overtaken sales of combustion engine cars to become a topselling EV.

“Interest in our Audi e-tron fully-electric models have markedly increased this year,” said Markus Schuster, managing director of Audi Singapore. “With the mix of incentives and infrastructure build-up, we may be at a tipping point for EVs sooner rather than later.”

The premium large SUV e-tron boasts sporty and practical features, including two electric motors, an electric all-wheel drive for

agile handling, and a high-voltage battery that offers charging options for the home and on the move.

“In the e-tron, the quattro system is made even more responsive and is able to be even more precise in delivering just the right amount of drive to each wheel. The

result is a stunning driving experience,” Schuster added.

The Audi e-tron portfolio in Singapore today consists of the Audi e-tron, e-tron Sportback, e-tron GT, and RS e-tron GT. This expands the Audi offerings locally— from premium compact models to SUVs, sports cars to limousines—cementing the company’s commitment to respond to the changing needs of its customers and the environment.

Audi aims to play a global role in sustainable mobility to help reduce the environmental impact of its business activity. For one, it is transitioning its manufacturing facilities around the world to be carbon neutral. This is on top of the efforts made on the product front.

“We have been making consistent and incremental steps to improve the overall efficiency of our products across the board. For example, the latest Audi A3 that we launched in May this year is more frugal yet more refined than the model it replaces. We don’t wait till everyone changes to an EV to deliver real-world benefits to our customers and the consumers,” Schuster explained.

Financial evolution vital to achieve business goals

Tougher competition and volatile market conditions in modern business times are increasingly pressuring organisations to adapt. To be able to act quickly, financial changes or impacts must be able to be linked to the underlying operational processes and drivers in order to understand, measure, and control the long-term success of the organisation. Fortunately, finance leaders are no longer relegated to the traditional numbercrunching role and now take the lead in the financial evolution within their organisations. Today’s chief financial officers extend best practices to functional leaders in the planning process, to help the businesses reach overall financial goals.

“In recent times, finance has started moving away from the traditional role of gathering data, maintaining spreadsheets, and building reports to the role of a chief value officer where it is about delivering actionable insights and simplifying complex planning processes,” according to Mark Velthuis, president, Asia Pacific at Jedox. “The CFO is a business partner to the CEO and acts as a role model for everyone in Finance,” Velthuis added.

Jedox is a cloud-based Enterprise Performance Management solution company with a strong focus in planning, forecasting, reporting, and analysis. It enables organisations to embark on financial transformation by better measuring key performance indicators, as well as analysing and planning their own efficiency and effectiveness in each business area, department, and market segment.

Amongst Jedox’s offerings are solutions for integrated financial planning, financial budgeting and forecasting, cost center and HR planning, cost allocation and profitability analysis, predictive forecasting and planning, sales and operational planning, territory planning and sales quotas, sales incentives and compensation, and financial consolidation.

These automated solutions aim to consolidate processes, eliminate errors, reduce labor-intensive work, and expedite planning cycles to create more time for value-added strategic work.

Key to embarking on a financial transformation, Velthuis explained, is evolving the finance process and extending planning and analysis practices beyond the office of the CFO to all functional areas of business.

“Establish a business partnering mindset in the organisation – good business partnering improves the quality of business decisions and ensures that decisions lead to impactful action.” Velthuis said, adding that embracing modern technology is also critical to leveraging the wealth of value hidden in data. “Technology is a catalyst for your business operating model. Systems and applications age, what used to work before may no longer be sufficient today as business grows with time.”

He emphasised that in the fast-changing world of business, organisations must understand how to derive the most knowledge they can from their data. Manually combined, traditional excel spreadsheets, pivot tables, and various operational systems—whilst foundational in holding the data—are no longer enough.

“In reality, it is often associated with timeconsuming and error-prone processes.” On the other hand, having a unified process for financial and operational data across the organisation breaks down data silos and ensures that all important data is always centrally available and up to date.

We don’t wait till everyone changes to an EV to deliver realworld benefits to our customers and the consumers Markus Schuster, Managing Director, Audi Singapore Mark Velthuis, APAC President, Jedox Establish a business partnering mindset in the organisation improves the quality of business decisions and ensures that decisions lead to impactful action