East Coast Plan unveiled

[jw5]

Heng Swee Keat​

27 April at 16:07 ·

Shimano encourages their employees to cycle to work – their bike room is always full!

(MCI Photo by Ngau Kai Yan)

 

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Heng Swee Keat​

27 April at 16:07 ·

Presented the National Day Award (Public Service Star, 2022) to Shimano-san, who has served as Singapore’s Honorary Consul-General in Osaka since 2011.

Thank you for your contributions!

(MCI Photo by Ngau Kai Yan)
— with Shimano-Road.

 

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Heng Swee Keat​

27 April at 16:07 ·

Met with Professor Yoshiaki Tsukamoto, Executive Director of Japan Bioindustry Association (JBA). We had a good discussion and exchange of views on the bioeconomy sectors of our countries.

(MCI Photo by Ngau Kai Yan)

 

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Heng Swee Keat​

27 April at 16:07 ·

Had a good catch up with members of Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) today.

(MCI Photo by Ngau Kai Yan)

 

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HSK wishes Team Singapore all the best.

Heng Swee Keat​

1 d ·
The 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia is officially open! Our Team Singapore athletes have been training hard and preparing for their events.
Our athletes come from all over Singapore, including 32 athletes from East Coast, of which half of them are debutants!
All the best to everyone in Team Singapore, we are proud of you and cheering you on!

Cambodia 2023
#OneTeamOneDream
#OneTeamSG
(Photo by SNOC/Andy Chua)

 

[jw5]

HSK arrived in San Francisco.

Heng Swee Keat is in San Francisco, CA, United States.​

11 h ·
Arrived in San Francisco late last night for a week-long working visit. Decided to start the day with a morning stroll to beat the jetlag!

I will be speaking at the Bridge Forum on 9 May, which I last attended in 2019. Organised by GIC, the Bridge Forum brings founders, corporate leaders and funders together to foster new partnerships in emerging technology. Hope to encounter some interesting personalities and ideas there!
Will also be meeting with senior business leaders, visiting leading research institutions, and meeting overseas Singaporeans in the San Francisco Bay Area. Looking forward to a busy and fruitful week ahead!
(Photo by me)

 

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HSK enjoys char kway teow and laksa in the heart of Silicon Valley.

Heng Swee Keat is in San Francisco, CA, United States.​

23 h ·
Char kway teow and laksa in the heart of Silicon Valley? Yes please!
Had a great time connecting with some 80 overseas Singaporeans and friends of Singapore over local hawker fare at Killiney Kopitiam. They work in different sectors — biomed, tech, venture capital — and some are founders and entrepreneurs. What they share is a spirit of adventure and a strong sense of community, nurtured by the Singapore Global Network, which organises meetups and activities for those living in the Bay Area.
Our overseas Singaporeans are wonderful ambassadors for our little red dot, sharing Singapore’s diverse and unique culture with foreign friends, while also looking out for one another. Thank you for sharing your stories and journeys with me! All of them told me that they found their overseas exposure valuable, and I hope this will inspire more Singaporeans to similarly venture out while keeping links with Singapore and fellow Singaporeans. I look forward to you returning home to share your knowledge and networks, and help build a more innovative economy which will benefit Singapore and the region. Wishing you and your families all the very best!

 

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HSK attends a forum.

Heng Swee Keat​

11 h ·
Good to be back at the GIC Bridge Forum in San Francisco, which brings together tech leaders from across the world. The energy in the room was just as I remembered it, back when I attended the inaugural edition in 2019, just months before COVID-19.
This year’s Forum is aptly themed, "World in Transition". Structural forces are transforming the world. Deep and rapid advances in science and technology are disrupting whole industries. Geopolitical uncertainty is also a key concern, with US-China contestation on a worrying trajectory.
Against this complex landscape, how do we ensure that we harness the potential of innovation, to address common challenges and continue to make progress? In my opening address, I spoke on how we can build three sets of bridges – between the now and the future, between innovation and governance, and between different geographies.
I am glad that the Forum provides a good opportunity to bring together the talent and ideas from across the whole world. With our common challenges like climate change and ageing demographics, such partnerships are more critical than ever.
You can read my full speech here: go.gov.sg/gicbridgeforum
(MCI Photo by Liu Ying)

 

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HSK visited a few research institutions in Japan.

Heng Swee Keat​

28 April at 16:00 ·
Visited a few research institutions over the past few days to learn about Japan’s science and technology ecosystem, and explore opportunities to deepen our collaboration on science, technology and innovation.
In Kobe, the Foundation for Biomedical Research & Innovation (FBRI) supports the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster (KBIC), which is a lively ecosystem comprising researchers, hospitals, and companies.
Also visited RIKEN and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Tokyo. RIKEN is Japan’s largest research organisation for upstream and applied research and runs around 20 research centres and labs across a diverse range of scientific disciplines. AIST conducts R&D in areas like biotech, material sciences and nanotechnology, with a view to translate their cutting-edge research and tech development into tangible benefits for the economy and society.
My thanks to FBRI, RIKEN, AIST, as well as the Chairman of Japan’s Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry Urata Shujiro and the President of Japan Science and Technology Agency Hashimoto Kazuhito for generously sharing your insights. Science is universal, and we must continue to deepen our partnerships across countries and institutions, to facilitate research cooperation and develop solutions for shared challenges.

 

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HSK wrapped up his Japan visit with a reception.

Heng Swee Keat​

29 April at 09:23 ·
Wrapped up my Japan visit with a reception for some 150 overseas Singaporeans!
Happy to see our people, especially our students and entrepreneurs, venturing out to seek out new opportunities and experiences, and doing well! Also wonderful to meet families who have settled down in Japan, yet still have lots of affection and pride for Singapore. Thank you to everyone for coming by, especially those who came from outside the Tokyo area!
Also paid a visit to JustCo at Gran Tokyo South Tower. They are a Singaporean enterprise that provides co-working facilities. This latest location opened in March and is the company’s fourth space in Japan. Always proud to see homegrown enterprises making their mark in international markets!
Singapore Embassy in Tokyo

 

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HSK visited some leading research institutions in the USA.

Heng Swee Keat is in San Francisco, CA, United States.​

1 d ·
Visited some leading research institutions with my team from National Research Foundation Singapore over the past few days to learn more about what they are doing, how they are doing it, and how we can collaborate to advance our research agenda.
At Stanford University, we met with academics and researchers in the fields of AI, biodesign and sustainability, and learnt how they harnessed an interdisciplinary approach to tackle challenges and develop solutions. We had useful discussions on potential collaborations that could complement and add to Singapore’s R&D efforts.
Also had a good visit to UCSF, a leading institution in healthcare and biomedical research. We had a good discussion on precision medicine, and the possibilities it offered in terms of better health and healthcare for our people — many potential lessons to consider as we roll out Healthier SG.
Many thanks to everyone for hosting us, and for the stimulating discussions. I am excited about the ideas that were shared, and look forward to deeper collaboration between our research institutions!

 

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HSK poses with air crew.

Heng Swee Keat​

53 m ·
Happy Mother’s Day! Sending my heartfelt appreciation to all our mothers, for your unconditional love and tireless care for your loved ones!

Back home in Singapore after a week-long work trip to San Francisco. Many thanks to the Singapore Airlines flight crew for their warm hospitality and for getting us home safely!
Also sending my thanks to colleagues from the National Research Foundation Singapore, Singapore Economic Development Board - EDB, Enterprise Singapore, Infocomm Media Development Authority - IMDA and GIC for their support on this fruitful visit.

 

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HSK had a series of good visits.

Heng Swee Keat is in San Francisco, CA, United States.​

2 d ·
Exchanging insights, deepening ties, exploring new collaborations.
Had a series of good visits to the key tech companies in Silicon Valley — Google, NVIDIA and Applied Materials. We have existing strong partnerships, and discussed how Singapore could continue to feature in, and support their forward plans in Asia and Southeast Asia.
It is an exciting time for technology and innovation. Singapore is building up our capabilities in key sectors like AI, cloud computing, and semiconductor manufacturing, which will drive our next bound of economic growth. To deepen our capabilities and grow new opportunities for Singapore and Singaporeans, we must be able to attract top talent and the best-in-class to work with us.
Excited to follow up on new opportunities and collaborations, so as to build a more innovative and vibrant economy with opportunities for all!

 

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HSK caught up with various startups and personalities.

Heng Swee Keat​

3 d ·
Bidding a fond farewell to San Francisco after a productive week of visits and meetings!

The Bay Area is known for its vibrant innovation ecosystem and we managed to catch up with various startups and personalities:

Chatted with Garry Tan, President and CEO of Y Combinator, the well-established technology startup accelerator.

Learnt about the journeys of our Singapore startup founders over dinner organised by Enterprise Singapore.

Met with our overseas students from NUS and NTU who are currently on internship programmes with various tech startups, and our Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) scholars pursuing research and/or degree programmes in STEM.

Visited Lucence Diagnostics, a Singapore startup that was spun off from A*STAR, and launched its newest lab in Silicon Valley.
Enjoyed these meetings and had many good ideas that we will pursue as we deepen our own innovation ecosystem!

 

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HSK asks if you want LKY coin.

Heng Swee Keat​

3 d ·
2023 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of our founding prime minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore has launched a special $10 coin to commemorate this occasion and pay tribute to Mr Lee’s extraordinary contributions to Singapore. I find the design of the coin particularly meaningful – see if you can spot our heritage buildings as well as facilities that Mr Lee championed to overcome our constraints.
If you would like to get hold of the coin, do put in your application by 9 June at https://go.gov.sg/lky100coin-order.
(A 3D render of the coin. / Photo from MAS)

 

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HSK is thankful to Sian Chay.

Heng Swee Keat​

4 d ·
Yesterday morning, our team of grassroots leaders organised a special Mother’s Day distribution at Block 16 hawker centre in honour and celebration of the amazing mothers in our community. Thank you to Sian Chay for sponsoring the 200 goodie bags!
A mother’s love and dedication deserves to be celebrated not only on Mother's Day but every day. I hope this small gesture made your Mother’s Day a more joyful and memorable one!
#WeLoveBedok
#EastCoastCares

 

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HSK hosted an appreciation lunch.

Heng Swee Keat is with Desmond Tan 陈国明 and
8 others
.​

4 d ·
Hosted an appreciation lunch to thank members of the Future Economy Council (FEC) for their contributions, as we closed off our second term. Our FEC members have extensive experience, networks and expertise across various fields. With their strong support and commitment, we have refreshed our Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs) and set out our plans to grow and transform our economy. With the ITMs as a strong foundation, our next bound of work will focus on seizing new opportunities and riding new waves of innovation.
The FEC’s collaborative spirit across industry, academia, unions and government is a valuable one that we must continue to nurture. Through strong partnerships, we can build a better Singapore together!

 

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HSK is proud of Team Singapore.

Heng Swee Keat is with Singapore National Olympic Council and Team Singapore.​

4 d ·
Proud of our Team Singapore athletes for the outstanding performance at the 32nd SEA Games! I was following the action from overseas and cheered with every achievement and win!
Our athletes brought home a total of 158 medals this year, including seven from Bedok residents:

Tay Yu Ling for foil fencing

Ethan Chia for sailing

Patricia Mae Maligaya Collera for field hockey

Muhammad Asri Bin Aron for sepak takraw

Raoul Sharma and Utsav Rakshit for cricket
Medals aside, your perseverance and sportsmanship are an inspiration to all of us. Congratulations all and keep flying the flag high!

Cambodia 2023
#OneTeamOneDream
#OneTeamSG

 

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HSK was happy to meet Fujian Party Secretary Zhou Zuyi. \

Heng Swee Keat​

4 d ·
Happy to meet Fujian Party Secretary Zhou Zuyi on Tuesday.
Singapore and Fujian province share warm relations, and are closely connected by historical and cultural ties. Party Secretary Zhou and I had a good discussion on deepening cooperation between Singapore and Fujian in areas such as the green and digital economies. We agreed that strengthening economic partnerships is key to improving the lives of our peoples.
I look forward to more engagements between Singapore and Fujian, in step with the broader relationship between Singapore and China which continues to grow from strength to strength.
(MCI Photo by Chwee)

 

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HSK congratulates Thermo Fisher.

Heng Swee Keat​

3 d ·
Congratulations to Thermo Fisher on the launch of your Sterile Fill-Finish Facility!
This is a significant milestone – Thermo Fisher’s facility will enable the end-to-end production of vaccines and biologics right here in Singapore. It will not just benefit Singapore, but also strengthen resilience for the wider Asia-Pacific region when tackling future health crises.
Yesterday’s launch reflects the strong partnership between Singapore and Thermo Fisher, as well as the vibrant life science ecosystem that we have built up here. I look forward to fostering new partnerships and scientific breakthroughs, to build a safer and healthier future for all!