ScandAsia Singapore - October 2017

OCT 2017

Theme: How to pick a kindergarten, preschool or pre-prep school BUSINESS Digitalizing Maritime Business

ENVIRONMENT

LIFESTYLE

COMMUNITY

Denmark-Singapore Climate Change Dialogue

Magnus Olovson at The Sanchaya

SwedCham hosted Meet & Greet

October 2017

ScandAsia Stories

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4 Danish Seamen’s Church welcomed Danes 6 SwedCham hosted Meet & Greet 7 Ikea Singapore’s Young Designer Award

Mr Magnus Olovson GM at The Sanchaya, Bintan Island

Kindergarten, Preschool, Pre-prep School Theme

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ScandAsia Business

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22

21 Danish fintech start-up Ernit Selected for Singapore’s Hackcelerator

H.E. Dorte Bech Vizard

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Danish Ambassador in Climate Change Dialogue

24 Digitalizing Maritime Business Finland 100 seminar held in Singapore

27 Singapore Grand Prix

Formula 1 to continue in Singapore

7 26

Minister Anne Berner Finland’s Transport & Communication minister at Singapore launch

17 OCT 20

Your FREE ScandAsia Magazine in Singapore ScandAsia is the only magazine that covers all the Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish residents in Singapore.

: Theme ergarten, kind ol pick a p scho UNITY How to ol or pre-preLE COMM o presch VIRONMENT LIFESTY

ESS BUSIN ng Digitalizi Maritime Business

EN

re k-Singapo Denmar Change Climate Dialogue

Olovson Magnus haya at The Sanc

am SwedChMeet hosted & Greet

Front cover photo: Visit Finland

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Community

The Danish Seamen’s Church welcomes Danes to Singapore

By Eva Eriksen

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bout 200 Danes gathered for the annual September party at the Danish Seamen’s Church in Singapore on Saturday 9 September 2017.

The red and white colors of Dannebrog gently waved amongst all the green on the top of Mount Faber, welcoming both new and wellestablished Danes in Singapore to an eventful evening at the church.

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A huge tent had been erected for the occasion and at 4.00 pm people slowly star ted showing up. Several Danish associations in Singapore had stands, presenting their foundations and ideas to the many guests: The Danish Business Association (DABS), The Royal Danish Embassy, Scandinavian Women Association (SWA), the Danish Seamen’s Church, Danish Supplement School (DSS), Singapore Vikings, and the German European School in Singapore (GESS).

“It is a tradition almost as old as the church,” said Kirsten Eistrup, pastor at the Danish Seamen’s Church said about the event. “After the summer is over, we greet newcomers and welcome back people to Singapore.”

Certainly, it was a nice welcome for all ages.

There were people creating balloon animals for the younger crowd - both pretty flowers and cute dogs. However, the machine guns turned out to be the most popular among the many children on such a sunny and peaceful afternoon.

Later a magician did his part to entertain the children, and based on reactions afterwards, it was

“formidably good,” leaving the floor in the church covered in confetti.

At 6:30 pm dinner was served, which meant 200 people exchanging their food tickets for plates, making it hard for the buffet to keep up with the many hungry guests. Nevertheless, there was plenty of food and plenty of Danish beer, and so the atmosphere was very pleasant and positive.

Towards the night the tables up front were removed, making room for a dancefloor. The band that had played dinner music all through the evening turned up the volume, making people get up from their seats and out on the floor to show off their dance moves to all-time pop songs.

“I think people like to come here, because it strengthens our identity as Danish. It is nice to meet each other and be reminded of that indefinable glue that ties us together. And also, people just relax here, they do not have to worry about anything,” Kirsten Eistrup said, regarding the great turnout.

Danish Pop phenomenon Aqua to Singapore!

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heir most popular song has up to date nearly 410 milion views on YouTube. What Danish pop act could be behind such an achievement than the dance pop act AQUA! And we are of course referring to ‘Barbie Girl’, released in May 1997 as their third single overall, and the first United Kingdom release.

Fans of the Barbie Girls legends in Singapore and its surroundings now have a chance to re-unit with the band as they have included the Southeast Asian metropolitan on their tour for a once-in-ajifetime 20th Anniversary Concert!

Among their huge party hits are also: ‘Doctor Jones’, ‘Roses Are Red’, ‘My Oh My’, ‘Lollipop (Candyman)’, ‘Around The World’ and ‘Cartoon Heroes’.

On 25 November, Aqua makes a rare appearance on Singapore shores.

“The Aqua par ty experience promises to be a feel-good show like no other! Be ready for heart-stomping, back-to-back greatest hits concert that will be backed by a full live band direct from Denmark!”

Aqua is the Best Selling Dance Group from Europe ever! They have sold in excess of 33 million albums and singles, notching up 3 #1 Hits on the UK Chart and over a dozen chart-toppers in Europe. They also famously conquered Asia as well as the US Billboard Char ts with their signature brand of playful pop and wacky lyrics.

The Danes’ 1997 album ‘Aquarium’ is considered an iconic pop-dance album till this day.

The enduring #1 hit ‘Barbie Girl’ was a worldwide phenomenon that inspired a generation of Cosplay dress-ups and is a staple in retro music nights worldwide.

“Since splitting up in 2001 the band has only toured for special occasions - and this 20th Anniversary of “Barbie Girl” is a highly anticipated unique event! Main members: lead female vocalist

Community

Lene Nystrøm, male vocalist-rapper René Dif and keyboard-guitarist Søren Rasted will be presenting this energy-fuelled concert with their ‘live’ band entourage.“ The concert takes place at The Star Theatre, The Star Performing Arts Centre. Tickets from $98 to $168 are available on SISTIC. Limited VIP Experience tickets include exclusive post-show Meet & Greet with AQUA (comprising a group photo opportunity and front row reserved seats).

October 2017 • ScandAsia.Singapore 5

Community

Lastly, “the one who runs the show,” general manager Oskarsson talked more about the chamber’s concrete changes and future goals: “We are building on the foundation of what the SBAS was and we are going to make it even better and even stronger with the new chamber.” Besides a new name, logo, and a new website, the chamber is now located in the same building as Business Sweden and the Swedish Embassy.

The chamber should be a platform to thrive networking oppor tunities and the general manager urged the members to engage further to advance the events and programs in collaboration with the board and herself: “We want to work for you, but also with you.” Oskarsson ended her speech announcing that anyone who signed up as a member at the event would get the rest of the year free of charge.

General Manager Cecilia Oskarsson, President Jan Stjernström in the background, and Swedish Ambassador Häkon Jevrell, who is also on the board as a nonvoting member. Photo: Magnus Oskarsson.

SwedCham hosts Meet and Greet mingle

By Eva Eriksen

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he newly launched SwedCham held a Meet and Greet mingle on Thursday 7 September 2017 to officially introduce its members and everyone with an interest to the chamber.

The small gallery at Art Blue Studio quickly filled up as the clock turn 6 pm. In the door General Manager Cecilia Oskarsson and President Jan Stjernström welcomed people as they arrived and the noise level gradually rose as people showed up.

At the event both Jan Stjernström, Cecilia Oskarsson, and Swedish Ambassador to Singapore Häkan Jevrell spoke, but before the speeches started, everyone was asked to help themselves to a glass of wine, an announcement received with great amusement by the attendance.

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Building a stronger chamber

President Stjernström started of the introduction to SwedCham by explaining how the chamber now will become a member of the International Chamber of Commerce, ICC, which means greater involvement in international trade agreements. This generates a lot of change, but also a lot of growth, the President said, and the plan is to make it more relevant to all kinds of members, from small to big companies.

The Ambassador Häkon Jevrell expressed his excitement about the new chamber and proclaiming the intention of making it a strong one: “We do not always talk about how great we are, but the truth is Swedish companies are doing really well here in Singapore,” the ambassador said, urging a higher level of “Swedishness” in Singapore.

Great networking opportunities

As the official words wrapped up, the noise level in the gallery rapidly increased. Handshakes among the many people emerged, and business cards switched hands, pockets and purses throughout the crowd.

The general opinion of the presentation of the new chamber was positive, where several mentioned it being informative, to the point, and a great networking opportunity.

One of the event’s participants Max Wisten, a senior electronics engineer at the Singaporean star tup company Transcelestial Technologies, thought it was a good opportunity to meet other Swedish people and companies in Singapore.

In addition, he considered it a great place to represent a company, looking into the possibility of future collaborative networking.

Both the president and the general manager were happy about the turnout and the evening’s outcome, calling it a successful event. A good handful signed up as members of SwedCham at the event, Cecilia Oskarsson confirmed.

Ikea Singapore’s Young Designer Award

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tudents from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) won the ‘Climate Action Challenge’ as well as the People’s Choice Award at the Grand Finale on 22 September 2017.

Back in its four th year running, the Ikea Singapore’s Young Designer Award 2017 grand finals exhibition featured the top five designs based on the theme ‘The Climate Action Challenge’.

The exhibition showcased innovative ideas and concepts from local and international students, all of which aim to help people living in Asia better cope with challenges resulting from climate change.

These included housing, water and energy solutions to help guard communities’ well-being without impacting the environment negatively through design.

The STRÖM SYSTEM was the winning NTU

News Brief team (Orion Dai Yuhui, Foo Heng Tong, and Casey Kwokdinata), winning a $1,500 cash prize and a trip to Ikea of Sweden.

FreeWind (by students Amber Lim Wan Ying, Cassandra Seah and Nik Halim) was the winner of the People’s Choice Award, receiving the most votes and a $300 IKEA® Gift Card!

Ikea Singapore invited all students currently studying in tertiary institutions across Singapore to sign up for a spot in the Ideathon to come out with game-changing ideas that address climate change. Climate change is one of the biggest threats to how people are able to comfortably live their lives now and in the future.

The challenge focused on 5 key areas: Food, Water, Housing, Health and Energy within Asia, calling for ideas to help people cope or adapt to climate change in these areas.

T h e t h r e e s t u d e n t s f r o m N a nya n g Technological University won with a revolutionary idea for a storm drain that conver ts gushing flood waters into renewable energy. This group of young people really impressed judges at the fourth. Now Ikea is helping all finalists to get their ideas out to an international competition, and the winners will head off to Sweden to meet our range developers for a little more inspiration!

Source: Ikea Southeast Asia

NTU students on IKEA tour

“W

here would you go to learn more about the Swedish identity? IKEA of course!”

In late September Ikea Singapore opened the doors of one of their stores in Singapore to twenty-eight students from Nanyang Technological University. These students were given an exclusive tour around the facility where they learned about the history & success stories of IKEA, and how we operate. All in all, it was a fulfilling day for the students who immersed themselves in the Swedishness of the IKEA’s culture and values and they even managed to indulge in some crayfish to end their visit with a bang, reported Ikea Southeast Asia

Scandinavian Women’s Association welcoming to Singapore

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candinavian Women’s Association (SWA) loves welcoming newcomers to Singapore! SWA attended welcoming events in early September both at the Norwegian Seamen’s Church and later at the Danish Seamen’s Church.

Individuals who want to sign up to our database can do so by contacting SWA to make sure to be kept up to date on their upcoming events and news about their charity work.

At SWA, they empower women to impact society. SWA was founded in 1975 with the intention of giving back to the local, Singaporean society.

SWA work by three promises: Giving back to the local, Singaporean Society by helping those less fortunate in the city; raising funds through events, corporate sponsors and membership donations; and facilitating networking among women in Singapore.

October 2017 • ScandAsia.Singapore 7

Community

A world away

at The Sanchaya It is only a 50-minute ferry ride away from Singapore where The Sanchaya sits beachfront – and yet it nearly feels like worlds apart. It is, in many aspects, in a position on its own.

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Text and photos: Joakim Persson

Photographer: Maneewan Jantarasaka 8 ScandAsia.Singapore • October 2017

his out-of-the-ordinar y estate is the vacation home of an affluent Russian lady who, when residing in her Singapore home, felt that she had nowhere to go with her friends to spend a weekend out of town. And she wanted to design it to be “a gathering point for wanderlust travellers and wide-eyed explorers in search of a new kind of luxury.” And with residential spaces that evoke the charms and graces of a time gone by the estate she has created is sometimes hard to even describe in words. Its architecture resembles only a handful of other hotels also based precisely in the Straits or other formerly colonised countries of Southeast Asia (those with a nod to it or the ones that – often renovated or brought back to former glor y – actually constitutes the region’s hospitality heritage). The Sanchaya presents as a unique interpretation of the cultures and histories of this region, where salon and outlet is a marvel in design.

And – good news for all – being a Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) property, you can too be a guest at this stunning, villas-andsuites only, estate! Also, at the helm to welcome you, there is no other than the Swede Mr Magnus Olovson, and his team of artisans!

“The Sanchaya reflects 100-year-old colonial architecture and plantation estates with very large common areas, vast gardens and this typical Singaporean black-and-white design,” is how he puts it into words.

Even if only going for a few nights to the extraordinary The Sanchaya on Bintan Island, it is worth the small extra effort – and worth its premium price tag. The 500 USD per night for a stay is justified. As for the rest, yes can you also have a 750 USD Cuban cigar, savour the world’s most expensive wines served by the sommelier or opt for something more affordable.

Few places can blow one’s mind away as The Sanchaya when it comes to exclusivity, setting and individual character. Once arriving, one will immediately feel entitled – especially also thanks to the superb hospitality - to reward oneself with a stay there, and preferably switching off the outside world entirely and focusing on just being in the eminent moment. And think: “Why haven’t I done this before?!”

As Magnus suggests, it is also the perfect combo with a Singapore visit: “If you live in Hong Kong or Thailand or so, ever yone travels at least once to explore Singapore. Then you stay

there for the weekend, and utilize the best hotel prices. And on Monday you continue out to The Sanchaya and get some exclusive rest and the best prices also here in the process, as we are cheaper during weekdays. So, a perfect for a long weekend!”

Maldives-style, and quite apar t from any ordinary five-star hotel, the experience begins as soon as one steps off the ferry, or private boat, whisked into the resort’s V.I.P lounge – an extension of the estate in terms of décor and service – and then chauffeured a short ride to The Sanchaya.

In Magnus words it’s “an exclusive beachfront estate, 29 villas and suites and a stunning private residence, with spectacular views of the ocean and unrivalled luxury, tropical glamour and worldclass service.”

“At best when we are full we have 60 guests, and we are never busy; we always have time, and with ten hectares there’s plenty of space for all our guests!”

Actually headhunted to make this estate setting blossom (on Bintan Island, which is so far no enclave at all for luxury resorts) Magnus was himself blown away when he initially came down with his Thai wife from his Siam Reap upscale hotel.

“We came here as mystery guests, and it did not take long before we said: ‘We’ll definitely negotiate to close a deal for this!’ Like so many others, I fell for The Sanchaya at first sight - its people, its beauty and its immense potential. And much more than a resort it’s a unique estate!

I’ve never seen anything like it. This is simply a splendid place to be, to host and to develop. Not the least, the owner, Ms Natalya Pavchinskaya, is very generous in her trust and support which is marvellous for a hotel manager,” he says.

Magnus, who has a long career within F&B, for the first part of his career in restaurants/ nightclubs, entered into the hotel industry quite “late”; eventually taking his degree at Glion Institute of Higher Education in Switzerland. Since then he has worked at various hotels worldwide.

“I worked in nightlife until I was 32, in Stockholm, Paris and New York, saved money for Hotel School in Switzerland and became Food & Beverage Director for Leading Hotel of the World Le Negresco in Nice, and, 20 years on, I am leading The Sanchaya!”

He came to Asia by coincidence and since that day he has surely staked on the region, mainly by investing in a luxury boutique resort in Siam Reap, Cambodia – Heritage Suites Hotel.

“That’s how I came to Asia; through an

The Sanchaya reflects 100-year-old colonial architecture and plantation estates with very large common areas, vast gardens and this typical Singaporean black-and-white design

October 2017 • ScandAsia.Singapore 9

Community

investment oppor tunity where I entered as minority partner in a small luxury hotel in Siem Reap that I later also ran for five years. I had not yearned to come to Asia, that was more a coincidence.Then, undeniably the climate is much nicer than in Paris and Stockholm, and it’s a much more dynamic hospitality world here; you cannot compare! You never become a hotel manager until you are seventy in Europe, as everyone is sitting tight on their armchairs keeping the same job position for 30 years!” says the goodhumoured Swede.

Magnus profile matched and the owner wanted someone who could take ownership.

“Since I was already an owner in a hotel and a partner they thought it would fit. They came and picked me up, basically, which was of course a pleasure.”

Management by example and “management by walking around” is his recipe for turning this into a renowned resort in the SLH collection.

“That’s simply what I believe works. Your rankand-file colleagues are your most impor tant assets and you should take care of them as well as you take care of your guests. Better even, as they are the ones taking care of the guests! As for success, someone please define the word!!

Finding, nurturing and sharing joy should be on everybody’s agenda, should it not? Then I try to balance a job that I absolutely love with a fun, healthy dedication to my family.”

“Most impor tantly is to build a strong and dedicated team. Then, the aim must be to maximise the guest enjoyment and experience 10 ScandAsia.Singapore • October 2017

while keeping it palpable and authentic. We all value a truly personalised and unobtrusive approach to ser vice and hosting, so step by step we coach our colleagues to take the right initiatives. The end result being, hopefully, that these happy guests bring more happy guests!”

This is his working philosophy to build The Sanchaya standard.

“We want to make our guest residents feel that they are spending time in a rich old friend’s house. So they can access their friend’s library, have a stroll in their friend’s wine cellar and be treated by the artisans – we call our staff artisans because it is an art to serve.”

“And our glassed-in wine cellar, perfect for a private dinner, comes with an ocean view. I find that peculiar!” he adds. “We have, in our new profile, a very vintage aspect and a very modern aspect.”

The modernity is reflected for instance also in the activities: “There are loads to do for teenagers and adults. Most of our residents want peace and quiet and for those who want some activities, on our Maldivian white powder sand beach, we have new toys; blow carts (three-wheel vehicles with sail) and electric one-wheelers; like a snowboard.

And we have paddleboats to take out your family at sea.”

There is also a croquet lawn and pétanque arena. As for the library it includes the most fascinating travel books from yester year and today. Like The Sanchaya itself those books can take you to another time and place.

News Brief

Grunfos-sponsored ‘Flood controls in Southeast Asia’ report

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he sustainability-focused social enterprise Eco-Business Research has released a report called; Flood controls in Southeast Asia. The study, which is sponsored by Grundfos (Denmark), surveyed 417 sustainability industry leaders across Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

Climate change was cited by the paper as

being the main cause of predicted increased incidences of flooding in the region. Higher average temperatures are predicted to bring increased sea levels, which is problematic to the low lying coastal areas of Southeast Asia.

The higher temperatures are also predicted to increase the intensity of rainstorms.

Respondents throughout the region agreed

that there had been significant changes to the climate and weather in recent years with the majority indicating that average temperatures had become higher with monsoons or seasons being less predictable. Over 69 per cent of respondents also agreed that it was only going to get worse in the next decade.

The study calls for a regional approach to flood management, urging governments to communicate their best practice initiatives and establish frameworks for prevention and protection. Respondents across the region also point to insufficient action taken at consumer levels, urging greater investment in education and outreach programmes to transform the environmental habits of citizens and businesses.

“The urgency of the situation calls for greater collaboration between all stakeholders, including government, corporates, communities and citizens,” said Okay Barutçu, Group Senior Vice President & Regional Managing Director, Grundfos Asia Pacific Region and continued: “Green urban designs, storm water management integrated into a clear ‘rivers policy’ and recycle/ reuse of initiatives together with intelligent pumping and treatment solutions utilizing smart sensing, analysis and control technologies is clearly the way forward.”

October 2017 • ScandAsia.Singapore 11

select the best kindergarten, preschool or pre-prep school?

They may be young, but for the “below 5’s” there’s still a great deal of educational considerations to do.

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inding a good kindergarten, preschool or pre-prep school begins with knowing what you would like your child to gain from this experience. No two institutions will offer the exact same things, so it is important to check out 2-3 places before deciding on one. This gives you the chance to see many different settings, curriculums, and classrooms.

If you have moved to Asia recently, it’s a good idea in the first instance to contact your local embassy and ask if they can help you contact you local national association or similar social institution. They should be able to provide you with lists of all the services in your area, that other expats of your nationality is using.

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We all know, that children will benefit greatly from a good pre-school education.

Through creative and physical play, they’ll gradually learn new skills and experience, plus learn how to interact socially with their peers.

Do basic research

When you’re assessing your options, you’re likely to have a lot of questions and queries about how each nursery, kindergarten or preschool or preprep school operates and how children learn. That’s good and it’s certainly a positive thing to have questions. Gaining answers to your queries should help you reach a decision about where it is best for your child, or what place you would prefer to avoid.

Before you call and request a tour of the kindergarten or preschool or pre-prep school, you should do some basic research based on what is important and what would work for your family.

• Where is the school located? Close to work or close home?

• Is it part-time or full-time program?

• Are they licensed or in other ways meet safety requirements and provides adequate staffing?

• What are the fees? Is there a registration fee?

Some of the questions you might like to ask include: • What time do sessions start and finish?

• Do the children have a scheduled rest during the day?

• How many children do they have attending?

• What sort of activities do the children do?

• How long have they been operating?

• Do they have outdoor and indoor areas for children to play and learn?

• What resources and equipment do they have to support children’s learning?

• Do they provide any additional help and support to under 5s with special education needs?

You may not find answers to all these questions from your internet research so keep them for your personal visit. A good early learning centre will be happy for you to visit them. You should be able to have a good look around the premises, so you can see how clean they are and what the learning environment is like, and you should be able to gain insight into how the teachers or staff interact with the children. It’s also useful to see how safe and happy the children seem and whether they’re playing happily together, or all off doing their own thing.

October 2017 • ScandAsia.Singapore 13

Visit the Boss

Now, it is time to meet the director. Here’s a quick checklist of things you’ll want to talk to the director about when you visit.

• What’s the school’s discipline policy? How do they punish bad behavior?

• What are the safety procedures for dropping off and picking up children?

• What are the payment options and procedures?

• How will the kindergarten or preschool communicate with you? (Newsletters, emails, apps, conferences?)

Remember, choosing a preschool does not have to be an overwhelming or stressful task. Finding the perfect fit is easier when you go into the process prepared and ready to ask questions.

What the preschool may want to ask you

During the visit, things to look for

You have by now narrowed down the possible kindergarten, preschool or pre-prep school and now you are ready to tour the places! You go to the school, but what do you look for? Here are some ideas.

Is the facility safe and clean? Where is the first-aid kit and do they know how to use it?

• Are there age-appropriate books and toys?

• Is there a safe outdoor play area with adequate shade?

• Does the classroom provide a variety of activities or “centers”?

• Is the atmosphere fun and inviting?

• Is student art work displayed?

• Do the children seem happy?

• Am I comfortable here? Trust your gut!

Meeting the teacher is one of the most important aspects of choosing a preschool. If he or she answers your questions warmly and attentively, and you are happy with the feeling the teacher gives you, then it’s safe to say you found a good fit.

Teachers love knowing that you are ready to partner with them in your child’s education, so ask as many questions as you can. Most importantly, make sure the school and teacher make you and your child feel warm and welcome. When you find the right preschool, get ready to embrace your child’s greatest adventure!

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What most parents forget is, that the preschool may also have questions to you.

One of the usual requirements by all types of pre-schools, is that children should be successfully toilet trained by the time they attend pre-school, so this is one area which you may need to work on to get your child ready. All children grow and develop at different rates, so whilst some children may fly through toilet training with ease, others may take a while longer.

If your child is still having toilet training problems when the time for preschool is getting nearer, then have a chat to the teachers who’ll be running the pre-school. It may be nothing to worry about and some children take to it soon after going to pre-school, especially when they see the example set by other children.

Can your child be left with others without their parents staying?

Separation anxiety is normal, but the preschool may want to know this in advance. You can work on this in advance and make sure your child is relatively comfortable about this. It is a big challenge for some children.

How well does your child communicate verbally? This is especially important if they’re not feeling well or are having any problems, so they can communicate the issue to the responsible teacher. If the child is able to communicate well with the other children it can also help them develop friendships.

Although some reading and writing will be worked on at pre-school, it certainly helps if your child has a basic understanding of reading and writing.

Again, this is a skill that you can work on at home with your child and help them be prepared and ready to face life at pre-school.

Finally, discipline is an important issue. Children do need to have a degree of discipline to be able to respond well to instructions from a pre-school teacher. Is your child prone to throwing tantrums about the smallest of issues?

How do you at home scold your child if he or she behaves badly? The school may want to discuss this with you, too.

Kindergarten, Preschool, Pre-prep School Theme

Come And Play With US!

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oung children learn best through playing, and at KIS they have plenty of opportunities to do so. The Early Years Centre at KIS, with both indoor and outdoor play areas, provides a spacious, safe and fun environment for children to play and learn. During the school day there are times for free play and for set activities which together help children develop their knowledge and skills.

The playgrounds and fields at KIS give children space to run around, climb, swing, ride tricycles and play games with their friends. Staying active is an important part of a healthy and balanced lifestyle, something we hope children will learn from a young age.

But in addition to providing physical benefits, children also learn knowledge and skills through play. By playing with different materials (water, stones) for example, children will learn to understand the differences between solids and liquids. Sorting different shapes or making patterns provide early logic and math understanding.

Children love to dress up or imagine scenarios, and nur turing their imagination suppor ts creativity, not just in the arts, but also in problem solving. Playing also helps develop skills, such as communication skills, social skills, investigation skills and motor skills, all of which are important foundations for learning and for life!

KIS is a full IB World School and children in our Early Years learn through the IB Primary Years Programme. The approach to teaching and learning is play based and hands on. Playing is a wonderful and powerful way of learning that allows children to explore, discover, hypothesise, predict, problem solve, construct and document their deepening understandings of the world in which they live. Most of all though, your child will have fun learning at KIS! For more infor mation contact us at admissions@kis.ac.th or visit www.kis.ac.th Linda Belonje KIS International School October 2017 • ScandAsia.Singapore 15

Kindergarten, Preschool, Pre-prep School Theme

Canadian International School’s outstanding reputation strengthened with new nursery programme

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n August 2017, leading international school CIS was delighted to open its doors and welcome 16 boys and girls to its new nursery programme for two year olds. With a plethora of nursery schools to choose from in Singapore, deciding which one is right for your child can be challenging. Andrea Strachan, CIS Vice Principal Kindergarten, Lakeside Campus, shares why CIS has been a popular choice for so many families.

Inquiry, play-based teaching

CIS places a strong emphasis on nur turing children’s natural sense of curiosity through teacher guided and child initiated, exploratory and imaginative play. For instance, water play in our magical Outdoor Discovery Centres is used to explore volume and capacity, while coloured toys and blocks are used for learning about sorting and classifying.

Bilingual learning environment

Our young students enjoy a unique bilingual (Chinese and English) learning environment with one native English speaking teacher and two native Chinese speaking teachers per class. Both languages are integrated into classroom activities, preparing children for our pre-Kindergar ten (3 years of age) dual language immersion programme and our junior kindergar ten through to grade 6, pioneering Chinese-English programme.

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Aligned to the International Baccalaureate

Our programme is closely connected to our Kindergar ten, Primary and Secondary School International Baccalaureate programmes, offering children a one-stop formal schooling option with minimal interruption from two years right the way through to the end of High School (18 years).

Two convenient locations

Our programme is available at both our Lakeside campus in the west and our Tanjong Katong campus in the east, making it easily accessible for families living on both sides of the island.

A diverse community

With students from over 70 nations, our young students benefit from learning with others of various backgrounds and languages, developing impor tant 21st centur y competencies such as inter-cultural understanding and enhanced communication skills.

Parents are included

Our programme emphasises the importance of involving both teachers and parents as partners in a child’s education.This is achieved through ongoing communication, parent volunteer opportunities plus parent information and education sessions.

Hours

Children can enrol in our programme for either

five full days (8:30am to 3:30pm) or five half days (8:30am to 12:10pm).

First-class facilities

Learning takes place in vibrant and spacious classrooms tailored to encourage curiosity and suppor t our inquiry, play-based teaching approach. Across the two campuses, children also enjoy our magical Outdoor Discovery Centres designed to teach them about nature and the outdoors in a fun and safe environment, as well as our junior libraries, kindergarten kitchen, black box theatre and Kindergarten aquatics complex.

Child to teacher ratio

1:6. Each classroom teacher is supported by two native Chinese speaking teachers.

In addition to the above mentioned reasons, parents are also drawn to the programme because of our strong focus on making sure their children are well prepared not only to take on the challenges of Kindergarten, but also those outside school. Amongst other things, they are taught how to get along with others, share with their classmates, follow a routine and respect and understand rules. These are skills which can last a lifetime and be extended to all areas of their life.

To find out more about CIS’ nurser y programme please contact the Admissions Team on +65 6734 8088 or attend one of our Open Day sessions www.cis.edu.sg/admissions/openhouse

October 2017 • ScandAsia.Singapore 17

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

AMERICAN AND IB CURRICULUM & 3 GRADUATING PATHWAYS STAMFORD AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

At Stamford American International School, their aim is for students to achieve more than they believe they can, both academically and as citizens of our increasingly globalized world. That is why they are the only international school to offer American and International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculums from 18 months to 18 years old. To prepare students for life beyond school and entry to leading universities worldwide, students can enjoy the opportunity of obtaining Advanced Placement (AP) credits from Grade 10.

Students have the option to graduate with the US High School Diploma with a choice of 3 different pathways – the full IB Diploma, or AP International Diploma or a blended program.

Specialist curriculums from 18 months

Embedded into the curriculum, Stamford American offers a wide range of specialist programs; SMART Steps & Perceptual Motor physical education Program, world-renowned Suzuki Violin and Cello Program from age 3, and an academic field studies program from Grade 3 to 12 taking learning beyond the classroom.

The World Language Program offers the choice of daily Mandarin, Spanish or English, plus their bi-lingual program in Mandarin/English from age 3 to 10 years.

Providing children with World Class Facilities for enriched learning

Centrally located to major expatriate areas and 10 minutes from Orchard Road, Stamford American has two stunning bespoke campuses with over 65 nationalities represented in their student community.

combines advanced cutting-edge technology and immersive hands-on experience to encourage problem solvers of tomorrow. EdTech coaches integrate design thinking into the curriculum and across the campus. Additionally, there are 3 swimming pools, 2 air conditioned indoor sports arenas, roof top tennis courts, dance studio, rock climbing walls, full-size sports field, Golf Academy and 500-seat Professional Theater with a 60sqm LED screen, to support a thriving arts and sporting culture.

Early Learning Village Officially opened to students on August 15th, the new inspirational Early Learning Village is just 2.6km from Woodleigh and is a first-of-its kind for young learners age 18 months to 6 years. Catering to all nationalities including Singaporeans, the Village features 6 large outdoor playgrounds with plenty of space for children to play, explore and learn. A 20-meter swimming pool with in water resting benches and varying depths helps new swimmers, plus light, and airy classrooms with adjoined age-level discovery spaces extend student learning. Plus there's an air conditioned multi-purpose gymnasium for PE, sports, performances and enrichment.

Mother Tongue Language Support

Testament to Stamford's diverse cultural community, is their thriving Mother Tongue Outreach. The Swedish and Finnish Supplementary schools offer weekly lessons on the Woodleigh campus, as well as 9 other languages presently and growing.

Woodleigh Campus Located off Upper Serangoon Road, the main campus has expansive teaching and learning environments for students aged 6 to 18 years. A dedicated 2 storey Innovation Center

21/2/2016 – 20/2/2020

GIVE YOUR CHILD UNPARALLELED

OPPORTUNITY: You want your child to be equipped with the tools they need to choose their learning pathway after school, and excel in their selected career after that. So do we.

Providing leading education at Stamford American, we believe there’s no better way to achieve this than to offer your child unparalleled choice and academic rigour combining American Education Reaches Out (AERO) standards with the International Baccalaureate (IB) Curriculum and the College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) courses.

We’re the only international school in Singapore to offer the best of both worlds as a pathway for children 18 months to 18 years.

International Baccalaureate

US AERO Standards

AP Courses College Board

ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS NOW Stamford American offers an outstanding education for students from 18 months to 18 years. International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme enhanced by rigorous American standards with a holistic heart – to equip your child with academic and social skills to take into the real world.

sais.edu.sg/curriculum +65 6653 7907 admissions@sais.edu.sg

21/2/2016 – 20/2/2020

Stamford American International School CPE Registration Number: 200823594D Period of Registration: August 10, 2014 to August 9, 2018

How to

finance your child’s education

Y

oung families have lots of expenses.

Adding an expensive pre-school or kindergarten to that burden is not easy. The first step in financing a preschool or kindergarten is to select one, that you can afford!

Some parents start saving for private school before their children are even born – and that’s obviously a good idea but the majority of parents don’t think about school fees until their child is at least two-years-old. If you have sufficient funds, it is a good idea to pay the enrolment fee well in advance and make sure your child can start at the school. This reduces the amount you need to find in future school years and often you will get a reduction in fees for paying a lump sum at the outset.

If you own real estate property, arranging for an equity drawdown scheme is an option. With your asset as a collateral, this can allow you to borrow a preset amount and then draw from it as needed. For example, you could set up a maximum loan 100,000 kroner against the value

20 ScandAsia.Singapore • October 2017

of your house and then draw 20,000 kroner per year for the next five years to help pay the school bills when they arrive.

The loan can be taken over 10 or 15 years and eases the burden by allowing the cost of secondary education to be paid over a longer term. But remember that you will still be paying back the loan long after your child has left the school.

Parents who need to borrow money for school fees – or who plan to pay the fees from future income – should ensure that they have life insurance and some type of health plan which will cover the payments if one parent dies or is unable to work. It can cause real strain on a family if parents realize halfway through their child’s school years that they simply can’t afford to pay the fees any longer. It’s a good idea to work out a detailed budget forecast and this should always include a margin of error of at least 25%. That way, if other costs rise more than expected, you won’t find yourself struggling.

Make sure you take into account any

additional costs which you’ll have to meet. These include bus fares if you don’t take the child to school yourself. Many schools have their own buses and costs can be quite high if only a few children live on your route.

You will often be expected to buy more books and equipment than you thought. If your child needs to stay a few hours after classes, afterschool clubs can also be expensive. Educational trips and overseas school trips will also add to your annual costs.

Sometimes, grandparents help fund a child’s education since they do no longer have a lot of the expenses that young families have. If that is the case, make sure that provision has been made in case anything happens to the grandparents that may prevent them from helping out in the future.

If possible, ask the grandparents to put the money into a trust fund of some type at the beginning of your child’s education. Alternatively, tactfully try to suggest that school fees could be provided for in your parents or parents-in-law’s will.

Business

Danish start-up finalist in Singapore’s Global FinTech competition

T

he Monetar y Authority of Singapore (MAS) on 15 September announced a Danish start-up, ERNIT, among the finalists for the 2017 Global FinTech Hackcelerator and FinTech Awards. These are among the highlights of this year’s Singapore FinTech Festival, which will take place in Singapore from 13 to 17 November 2017.

In May 2017, MAS published a catalogue of 100 problem statements gathered from the financial industry and invited the global FinTech community to develop new and innovative solutions to any of the problems for the Global FinTech Hackcelerator. The problem statements fall under 4 categories: Customer-Facing, Financial Inclusion, RegTech, and General.

MAS received 580 submissions from over 40 countries. From the submissions, 20 teams were shortlisted by a panel of industry judges.

The entries were evaluated on (i) Relevance, (ii) Competitive Advantage, (iii) Revenue, (iv) Scalability, (v) Business Stage, and (vi) Team Experience.

The Global FinTech Hackcelerator provides a platform for the finalists to work with corporate champions and industry mentors to convert their proposals into market-ready solutions by the time of the FinTech Festival.

The teams will under go a 12-week programme, led by KPMG Digital Village, during which they will work and meet with corporates, investors, partners and regulators. The teams will present a working prototype of their solutions at Demo Day, which will be held on 16 November

2017 (Day 4 of the FinTech Festival). This will be followed by a Q&A session with the judges.

The Demo Day judging panel, which represents a cross-section of the financial industr y, will evaluate teams on their relevance to address the problem statement, company’s business potential, innovativeness of idea, and team profile and ability to execute.

Finalists in the Customer-Facing category: ERNIT (Denmark), Moxtra (India), PayKey (Israel), Smartfolios (Singapore), SnapCheck, Inc. (USA) Ernit empower children with essential lifelong skills by using technology to spark a global conversation creating financial tools so that kids can connect with each other and reach their goals.

ERNIT was earlier in 2017 also selected as a National Finalist for the Nordic Star tup Awards 2017 in the Best IoT startup category.

The Nordic Startup Awards is part of the Global Startup Awards, who recognizes and celebrates start-up ecosystems all around the world. They bring together amazing ideas and the best talents from the winners of the four regions to praise entrepreneurial spirit.

The Singapore FinTech Festival is a platform for key stakeholders of the global and regional FinTech community to connect, learn from one another and co-create new solutions to real problems. The inaugural Festival in 2016 attracted more than 13,000 participants from across 60 countries. The Festival is organised by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), in partnership with the Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS), and in collaboration with SingEx.

Saxo Bank held presentation on future in Asia

C

Finnish Upgraded Health Singapore seminar

O

n 20 September Finland hosted the Upgraded Health seminar in Singapore.

Finding solutions to create a better and healthy future for all by building bridges between Helsinki and Singapore was the purpose of this seminar, highlighted Ambassador Paula Parviainen, while welcoming a set of world class experts and influencers in the Health industry, writes Embassy of Finland in Singapore.

The City of Helsinki is in the process of building an ecosystem for health solutions, and health tech is one of the key strategic focus areas for the city, mayor Jan Vapaavuori highlighted. The commercialization of research ideas, business oppor tunities, promotion of job creation and exports are at the forefront of Helsinki’s program for healthtech.The availability of data from patients and national registers is a key advantage, and it opens vast opportunities in business and research.

“Helsinki wants to be the most advanced city for everyday life”, so keeping up the quality of life for everyone is a priority.

But not only Helsinki: Finland as large is a land of opportunity for the Health sector, as said Jari Gustafsson, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy. The share of health in our GDP is increasing, and we have internationally renowned research in our country.

For the future, harvesting the opportunities of digitalization is a must, as well as increasing public private collaboration.

Source: Embassy of Finland in Singaporee

hief Executive Officer and Member of Management Board at Saxo Bank A/S, Kim Fournais, was the keynote speaker and spoke of SaxoBank’s visions for future involvement in Asia during a meeting at AsiaHouse in Copenhagen, reported the Embassy Of Denmark Bangkok on 1 August 2017.

Six Danish ambassadors to Asia - including ambassador Uffe Wolffhechel - participated in the meeting to offer perspectives on opportunities for financial services and business in Asia.

Source: Embassy Of Denmark Bangkok October 2017 • ScandAsia.Singapore 21

Business

Photo: Retouched Photography

Denmark and Singapore met

in Climate Change Dialogue

By Eva Eriksen

Mr. Khoo Teng Chye is very interested in further collaboration between Denmark and Singapore to obtain a deeper understanding of environmental sustainability and livability.

22 ScandAsia.Singapore • October 2017

T

h e R oya l D a n i s h E m b a s s y i n Singapore hosted a Climate Change Dialogue on Monday 11 September 2017, putting the environment on the agenda. Representatives of both public and private sector agencies from Denmark and Singapore gathered in Singapore Sustainability Academy to share and discuss ideas and experiences on what concrete actions to take, concerning the environment.

Two speakers from Singapore and two speaker s from Denmar k each gave their presentation on what experiences and concrete initiatives they find effective and impor tant to consider when it comes to environmental sustainability.

From Singapore Mr. Khoo Teng Chye, Executive Director at the Centre for Livable Cities, which is part of the Ministry of National Development, talked about key factors in making a city livable whilst sustainable in times where population growth is tremendous. Esther An pointed out the private sector’s responsibility in building eco-friendly estates and the importance of engaging the buyers in the matter as well, something she has promoted for over 20 years, being the Chief Sustainability Officer at City Development Limited (CDL) in Singapore.

From Denmark Mr. Mor ten Kabell, Mayor of Copenhagen’s Technical and Environmental

Affairs, spoke about the city of Copenhagen’s infrastructural planning and urban development into a more environmental sustainable city, making it more attractive for bicycles rather than cars and engaging the citizens in the planning, as well.

Andreas Maaløe Jespersen, associate researcher in behavioural science and consumer policy at iNudgeyou, presented findings and theories on how to get citizens to go green by gently guiding them towards sustainable solutions, using the theory of nudging.

Climate change is the black elephant

Before the four presentations, Ambassador Dorte Bech Vizard, gave an introduction speech based on a construction of three animals to emphasize what climate change really is.

According to her, we are dealing with a black elephant. An animal composed of the black swan that appears as a surprise, brings major effect, but looking in retrospective has a rather rational explanation behind, and the elephant in the room, which no one dares to talk about.

This dialogue is important to participate in, so the black elephant does not turn into the boiling frog that sits and waits, not perceiving the danger and henceforth slowly cooks to death. “The frog needs to be alert of the danger, so we can stir that frog into action and make it jump out,” the ambassador said.

Photo: Retouched Photography After the individual presentations, the dialogue began and the black elephant was indeed the topic of honour. Up front, Andreas Maaløe Jespersen made the first point that “we all need to reduce more carbon emission,” and be willing to reduce it, which is what makes it difficult.

“Everyone wants to be climate conscious as long as they don’t have to change,” he said.

Where the leading behaviour should come from to promote this transformation was a big topic in the overall dialogue.

Morten Kabell recalled on Andreas Maaløe’s presentation on nudging, promoting this to be utilized more sufficiently in many cases. For example, he mentioned how Copenhagen reduced the amount of cigarette butts on the street by 90 per cent, creating an area with pink tape, saying ‘please smoke here’ with clear trashcans within the area. This way, smokers are not told it is not okay to smoke but rather asked to do it in particular places - nudging rather than schooling. This saves the city 40 SG cents for every cigarette butt that goes into the trashcan instead of landing on the street.

Esther An also proclaimed the importance of including the citizens in the process when it comes to regulations in favour of environmental sustainability. “There is no point in just giving them the rules. They need a human touch, someone

Photo: Retouched Photography who will teach them how to and why. Citizens will be more willing to follow the regulations, when they see the bigger picture,” she said.

The easy solution rather than the economic

The mayor argued that it, rather than for economic reasons. often is the most convenient solution that makes it the preferred solution. In Copenhagen, citizens choose to ride their bicycles to work rather than take their cars because the infrastructure has severely improved for bicyclists, making it more convenient and faster to go from A to B on a bicycle than by car.

Maaløe agreed and elaborated that people often choose based on what is the default thing to do. For instance an experiment showed how most people (87 per cent) at a conference would eat vegetarian if the invitation said ‘a vegetarian meal will be served – please state if you’d like the non-vegetarian meal instead’. In the opposite case where the invitation said ‘a non-vegetarian meal will be served – please state if you’d like the vegetarian meal instead,’ only 2 per cent ate vegetarian.

Mr. Khoo acclaimed that nudging was something that Singapore should make more use of when it comes to engaging the citizens in promoting green solutions.

Photo: Retouched Photography

How to nudge policy makers

Nudging citizens raised another question from the audience on what the best way to nudge policy makers into making more sustainable policies is. Being a mayor, Morten Kabell was asked to respond: “Show it, don’t tell!” was his answer.

“Show what the difference is, what the benefit of the green transformation will be.”

For instance changing the street lightning to environmental friendly lamps was a huge investment for the city of Copenhagen. However, it would save the city millions of dollars on the long run; money that can be spent elsewhere.This is something that will make a politician popular among the voters, and so this is a plan to go on board with, the mayor concluded.

However, Andreas Maaløe did not entirely agree with the mayor. “Big policy makers need big changes to go on board with a plan. When it comes to going green, it usually takes many small changes to change the big problem,” Maaløe proclaimed,“And many small solutions are difficult to sell to a politician.”

Khoo Teng Chye specified that it is important to remember that policy makers are human beings too, and so the easiest way to make them choose green sustainable solution is to make them see it with their own eyes – or try it. The executive director mentioned bicycling in Singapore as an example. Five years ago, no one would consider bicycling in Singapore, claiming it is too hot, he said. By taking the ministers bicycling around the city they will experience that it is actually quite nice. “However, we give priority to cars over bicycles and we need to nudge the ministers so that will change,” he said, stating that this is an area where Singapore should look to Denmark to improve the conditions for bicycle riders.

Esther An acclaimed that she already thought the government is doing a lot to promote a green transformation, mentioning higher taxes on non-green products. She also pointed out how the Singaporean government encouraged the private sector to become environmentally sustainable by stating that they would only hold governable events in venues that are ecofriendly. Due to that and now with the Paris Agreement a lot of businesses do not really view going green as an option anymore, the chief executive director said.

October 2017 • ScandAsia.Singapore 23

Business

Digitalizing Maritime

between Singapore and

F

By Eva Eriksen / Photos: Terrix Lim inland 100 and the city of Helsinki jointly put focus on digitalization in the maritime business on Wednesday 20 September, hosting an all-day event for stakeholders in the field. The aim of the event was to create new strategic partnerships between Finland and Singapore to take advantage of the new digital opportunities in the industry.

The event was split into two sessions, where the first consisted of three individual presentations, giving insights into how datadriven maritime business is designed, followed by small group conversations, all focusing on different cases within the theme. The second session focused on how future shipping is cocreated between different actors, following discussions in groups. Overall, the event gave the participants a chance to talk about the issues and future their business is facing on a ver y concrete level.

Designing data-driven maritime business

In the first session, Steve Fletcher, AXSMarine, got into the topic of common datasets and tools, when it comes to driving efficiency and commercial chartering standards. He reasoned the efficiency of having all in one solutions that gives you automatic updates on vessels and cargoes directly via your e-mail.

A question from Maria Hartikainen, senior business advisor, Helsinki Business Hub, was: “When it comes to the maritime business – do you think it is digitalize or die?” Fletcher argued 24 ScandAsia.Singapore • October 2017

yes, saying that after the financial crisis the shipping industry was at a definite low point in 2008 but that it experienced growth the following five years, claiming that it was due to the beginning of making more tasks efficient by using digitalization.

“However, this does not mean getting rid of people, it just means making it all more efficient,” Fletcher said.

In the same session, Markus Laurinen from the company Rolls-Royce talked about the idea of a ‘one sea ecosystem’ and the autonomous commercial traffic in 2025. Capt. Mohit Batra, regional manager, Eniram Singapore Pte Ltd, also presented next-generation performance monitoring; going from reactive to proactive data analytics.

Group discussion on security and communications

Four different cases were being discussed in smaller groups. One of which were about security and communications. The discussion ranged from both physical security to cyber security.

With digitalization, the crews on the vessels get smaller and are therefore arguably more vulnerable for pirate attacks, which increases

Business discussion Finland

need for physical security. On top of the Maersk hacking this summer, the topic of cyber security also got very real. However, many participants found that not a lot of people in the industry are actually aware of the dangers that come with outdated computer systems which are quite open for hackers to access. The need for diode transactions, where data only goes one way is important, the participants agreed.

Another issue that was voiced is the provision of data on board, which secures long distance communications. That was something David Clutterbuck works with in the company KNL Networks, where they deliver data through old radios that operates on high-frequency band, enabling long-distance communication and global coverage. Overall, the group agreed that vessels are behind when it comes to security. In terms of physical security, they thought Singapore might be a bit advanced, whereas Finland is more advanced when it comes to cyber security.

Co-creating future shipping

After the break, Chin Guan from Kalmar Global/ Car totec talked about the use of robots and artificial intelligence in container terminals. The

technology is not new, but used in new ways to increase safety and make the job more efficient, Chin Guan explained. On the deck of a harbour, magnets shuffle the carriers that are equipped with magnet rulers. Radars, spreader sensors, encoder for angle and rotation, and an obstacle detector in front are also features on the carriers, making transporting and positioning of containers exact. Everything transmits through wireless communications to a simple remote control desk far away from the actual work.

Marko Rapeli from the Digitalist group finished of the presentations, talking about cocreation within maritime. “Technology is ‘just’ a vehicle,” he said, “Creating technological solutions for the sake of technology is meaningless.” It should only be incorporated into a business if it makes sense, if it will increase growth, efficiency, and there is a need for it.

“We need to involve people. Co-creation is actually eco-system thinking.” Rapeli pointed out that when it comes to digitalizing an area of a business, you need to start with the community in the centrr – what is it that we all want, why do we want it, what should the outcome bring of improvement – that should be answered before

starting the process of digitalizing.

Group discussion on digitalizing business

In the last session of cases, the topic of ‘digitalizing business’ was one of which, in terms of digitalizing in maritime, the par ticipants agreed that ship loading is fur ther ahead in Singapore, than in Finland and Europe, where the majority of tasks are still done manually. Nevertheless, digitalization is not always just the solution for everything. An example was made, where a Finnish company, Fonecta, created an app that was like a digital phone book, so people did not have to call the call centre, which they wanted to avoid. The app was tremendously popular in Finland, but it was not producing enough money, making it bad for the company. With digital innovations, you should have both consumers and the company in mind otherwise it makes no sense. It was also emphasized that it might not be all areas within a company that should be digitalized, so it is important to be sceptical in that sense – “Don’t just to do it, it has to make and improvement of some kind” Tom Hogg, regional director, Digitalist Group, said.

October 2017 • ScandAsia.Singapore 25

Business

Digital Innovation and Regional HQ: Opportunities in Finland

By Eva Eriksen

F

inland is the only Scandinavian country that is part of the Euro-zone. Its capital is logistically well connected to Asia, and it is cost-efficient compared to the other Nordic countries.

The Helsinki Business Hub hosted a digital innovation and regional headquar ters presentation of the opportunities Singaporean businesses have in Finland and Helsinki as their way in to the European market. Six speakers each gave a short presentation and a follow-up Q&A session completed the event held at the Finnish Embassy in Singapore.

The Finnish Ambassador to Singapore, Paula Par viainen gave a shor t welcoming speech, pointing out the importance of this year to Finland, being the 100-year anniversary of independence.

“It is time for Finland to do things a little bit bigger,” the ambassador said; “Bigger as they do it in Singapore. We have a lot in common so we should develop building the bridge between our

two countries.”

The speakers of the evening counted five Finnish and one Singaporean. Minister Anne Berner, Ministry of Transport and Communication talked from the government’s point of view on how to enhance Finland as the connection point into Europe. Marja-Liisa Niinkoski, CEO, Helsinki Business Hub, then presented facts regarding the topic. Jari Gustafsson, Ministry of Economic affairs and Employment emphasized these points in his presentation. Tuomo Haukkovaara, Vice President, IBM Nordic focused on Helsinki from the business perspective. Then Elgi Eg Cheaong Pin, General Manager, Obike Asia pte, explained from a Singaporean point of view the main reasons why they view Helsinki as a great market for expanding their business. Finally, Peter Vesterbacka, entrepreneur, Mighty Eagle/ Co-founder of Angry Birds, talked about work ethic and the importance of collaboration.

Minister Anne Berner

Ambassador Paula Parviainen. Photo: SF100 SG

26 ScandAsia.Singapore • October 2017

Why Finland?

That was the big question of the evening’s presentations. Marja-Liisa Niinkoski pointed out that with Finnair’s 18 direct destinations and 92 weekly departures to Asia; Helsinki has the greatest and fastest logistic connection to the Asian Region compared to the other Nordic capital regions. Helsinki is also cost efficient due to lower labour costs and a lower tax rate. However, you get the same quality as in Copenhagen and Stockholm, Niinkoski said, making the Helsinki region competitively well suited for business expansion. Additionally, Finland is the only Nordic country that is part of the Euro-zone, whereas the other Scandinavian countries kept their individual currency.

Other reasons mentioned during the presentations were the talent that Finland produce, due to their excellent education system, the size of population, which is very similar to Singapore, and the size of Helsinki, being a big city but not too big, so it is easy to access, adapt to and get familiar with.Thriving to be innovative and positive towards the digitalization was also pointed out as why Finland should be the obvious choice. Several exemplified SLUSH, the world’s leading startup event, founded by speaker Peter Vaskerbacka: “Everybody in Finland can walk on ice. Everybody knows that,” the entrepreneur said. Especially coming towards the wintertime, it gets easy. Nevertheless, he also said, “When you want the biggest and you want the best, we have to work together,” which sums up all closing words of the presentations: Welcome to Finland!

Singapore to host Formula 1 for another four years

A

s the four Nordic drivers on the Formual One circuit in 2017 are battling it out in Singapore, namely Kevin Magnussen (Den), Kimi Räikkönen (Fin), Marcus Ericsson (Swe), and Valtteri Bottas (Fin), Singapore announced just at the start race weekend that the city state will continue hosting the race for another four years.

Singapore GP Pte Ltd and Singapore Tourism Board announced the continuation as host for the FIA Formula 1 World Championship for four more years from 2018 to 2021.

The announcement comes against the background of a year-to-date 19% increase in ticket sales, with the weekend sales still to be included, reported the organiser. In its first decade, the race has yielded significant economic benefits, attracting over 450,000 international visitors to Singapore and about S$1.4 billion in tourism receipts (Inclusive of projected international visitor arrivals and tourism receipts for 2017).

With more than 90% of the race organisation sub-contracted annually to Singapore-based companies, the race also contributes to the local economy, over and above the tourism outcomes.

This event has also showcased Singapore as a beautiful, vibrant and attractive destination to over 780 million international broadcast viewers.

Over the years, the Singapore F1 race has distinguished itself as one that is not just about the sport, but one complemented by a strong line-up of concerts, entertainment and lifestyle offerings both within the circuit park and throughout the city.

“The race in Singapore has provided an excellent platform for businesses to test bed

new lifestyle initiatives and products. This has not only created an exciting atmosphere during the race season, but also injected creative concepts and experiences that continue to attract tourists to Singapore all year round,” says Mr Lionel Yeo, Chief Executive, Singapore Tourism Board.

Singapore GP’s Mr Ong Beng Seng says: “Since 2008 we have enjoyed a close working relationship with Formula 1 and all of its key players. We believe this has been a beneficial partnership for all parties, for our city and for the sport, and we look forward to building on that foundation with F1’s new owners.”

“With its global viewership and media coverage, the race has reinforced Singapore’s image as a vibrant and innovative city to a wide international audience. It has also created good oppor tunities for Singaporeans and the local business community. We look forward to the continued support of all Singaporeans as we work with Formula 1, Singapore GP, and all stakeholders,

News Brief

to ensure the F1 Singapore Grand Prix remains an event that we can all be proud of,” says Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) S Iswaran said.

Formula 1 Chairman and CEO Chase Carey says: “The Singapore Grand Prix is a signature Formula 1 race and therefore we are very pleased that it will continue to feature on the calendar for a further four years. The first ever night race in this sport is one of the most thrilling events of the year, taking place against the stunning backdrop of Marina Bay. The Singapore Grand Prix, the Singapore Tourism Board and the Singapore Government have all done an excellent job of making this an event that involves the whole city.

We are looking forward to offering our continued support to make the next four years even more spectacular and exciting.”

Formula 1 racing began in 1950 and is the world’s most prestigious motor racing competition, as well as the world’s most popular annual sporting series.

October 2017 • ScandAsia.Singapore 27

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