Annual Report 2022
It has been a very busy, challenging and fulfilling year for the SGC. As we moved forward, we paced ourselves along the changing business landscape to reignite what was important to us, the physical presence! Our journey ahead was aligned with the chamber’s theme for 2022, Emerging Stronger in a Reconnecting World. As such, we organised many key events that you can read about in this Annual Report.
The outstanding event for the SGC in 2022 was the 17th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business (APK), organised by the Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business (APA) and the SGC as the local host. The APK was co-chaired by Dr Robert Habeck, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), and APA Chairman Dr Roland Busch, President and CEO of Siemens. It was a very special APK as it was the first time ever that the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, participated at the conference. As the local host, we received very positive feedback from our partners, sponsors, and participants.
Earlier in 2022, we could welcome the Federal President of Germany, Dr Frank-Walter Steinmeier as a guest at the SGC for a roundtable discussion with our members on topics such as R&D, sustainability, and Singapore’s regional role. This event was an excellent opportunity for the chamber to deepen the Singapore-German business relations.
From the Singapore side, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations S. Iswaran and Minister of Defence, Ng Hen Eng were speakers at the APK. We also had Minister of Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong, CEO of EDB, Ms Jacqueline Poh, and more government representatives at other SGC events.
It was an exciting year due to these events, as well as the other SGC activities like business delegations, committee meetings, business dialogues, trainings, individual business services, trade fair engagements and more. These activities focused on important topics such as sustainability, digitalisation, automation, security technologies, risk management, and more. As we continue with more conversations on collaborations and resilience, the SGC is working along our theme for 2023, Forging Ties for a Resilient Future. We hope this will inspire you to engage with our chamber and our members.
We would like to thank the entire SGC Board, Advisory Council, and Committees, as all these activities and the results that we have achieved would not have been possible without their great commitment and excellent know-how. Our thanks also go to our Corporate Gold members and SGC members for their participation in our events, and for being actively involved. Furthermore, we would like to thank the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK), the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) as well as the German Embassy in Singapore and Singapore Embassy in Germany.
Last but not least, we would like to thank the SGC staff for their continuous passion and relentless efforts in bringing forth successfully quality services and activities to our members and clients.
We hope you enjoy this Annual Report that we have compiled for you and wish you all happy reading!
Mr Jens Ruebbert, President, SGC and Dr Tim Philippi, Executive Director, SGC
