The Singapore–Germany Strategic Partnership
The Singapore– Germany Strategic Partnership in a Business Context
The elevation of bilateral relations between Singapore and Germany to a Strategic Partnership, formalised through the Joint Declaration signed on 18 November 2024 during the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, marks an important step in an already longstanding and close relationship. It builds on strong trade and investment ties, regular political dialogue, and broad cooperation across areas such as industry, innovation, research, and sustainability.
At a time of growing geopolitical uncertainty and shifting economic realities, this Strategic
Partnership sends an important signal. It reflects a shared commitment to open markets,
multilateral cooperation, and stronger engagement between Europe and Southeast Asia. For businesses in both countries, it also creates an opportunity to think more strategically about how bilateral cooperation can be further developed in practical and mutually beneficial ways.
In addition, the ongoing Singapore–Germany Year of Innovation, jointly announced in February 2026 during the visit of Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Johann Wadephul to Singapore, builds on and complements the Strategic Partnership by providing a platform for collaboration in key areas such as artificial intelligence, future and clean technologies, and start-up cooperation, while also supporting broader efforts to strengthen EU–ASEAN economic linkages.
This publication looks at the Strategic Partnership from the perspective of the Singaporean-German business community. While the political framework is important, its lasting value will ultimately depend on how it translates into concrete initiatives, cooperation formats, and opportunities for companies. Our intention is therefore not only to assess how the Strategic Partnership is perceived by businesses, but also to identify where companies see potential, where they encounter constraints, and which approaches could help strengthen implementation in practice.
As the Singaporean-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (SGC), we see it as part of our role to bring these perspectives into the discussion. Through our work with companies, public institutions, and other relevant actors, we help identify areas of cooperation and support the translation of strategic objectives into practical engagement. This publication is part of that effort.
The analysis presented in this publication is based on three main sources. It draws, first, on structured individual and group interviews conducted between August 2025 and January 2026 with a total of 27 representatives from private and public sector organisations. Second, it incorporates input gathered through SGC committees, reflecting perspectives from different industries. Third, it includes findings from a survey conducted between February and March 2026 among SGC member companies, with 54 respondents (equalling 10% of membership), providing additional quantitative insights into how the Strategic Partnership and its thematic areas are assessed.
The publication follows a step-by-step analytical approach. Chapter 2 outlines how the Strategic Partnership is perceived by the business community and presents key findings from the survey. Chapters 3 to 6 then follow a consistent structure, separating observations from the business community from possible approaches and concrete suggestions raised by interviewees and survey participants. Within this framework, Chapter 3 examines strategic priorities, governance structures, and implementation mechanisms. Chapter 4 looks at cross-cutting framework conditions that influence cooperation in practice. Chapter 5 considers Singapore’s role as a regional hub and its relevance for structuring bilateral engagement in Southeast Asia. Chapter 6 explores selected sector-specific cooperation opportunities. The final chapter brings these findings together in the form of key recommendations and an outlook for the further development
of the Strategic Partnership, and an indicative set of next steps to support implementation.
We hope that this publication contributes to further strengthening the Singapore–Germany Strategic Partnership by highlighting concrete opportunities for cooperation and practical engagement. It is intended to support continued dialogue and collaboration among all partners involved, with the shared objective of translating this important political framework into meaningful initiatives and tangible outcomes.
Dr Claus Trenner, President, SGC and Dr Tim Philippi, Executive Director, SGC