The trade mission has moved on to Singapore, the economic miracle of the region. When I used to live in the region we always said that everything works in Singapore and I can confirm it still does.
The plane touched down at Changi, bags followed efficiently and an immediate taxi had me speeding to the hotel and ready for work in double quick fashion. Singapore was assessed by the World Economic Forum as the number one country in Asia for overall competitiveness and regularly tops polls for ease of doing business and best business environment. The country has gone from focusing on manufacturing and logistics, through skills and technology, to aspiring to become an innovation nation. It remains, however, the logistical and financial hub of South East Asia.
The companies on the trade mission have been beavering away and feedback is that good business is being done. For those seeking partners, the only problem is to find the best one from a selection of excellent candidates.
I've been working on a project to bring together Singapore's creative media talent with that of my own region. This is in part fuelled by the excellent work in Salford on Media City and in Singapore on Mediaopolis. If we can enable the best of the best to spark off each other creatively the resulting innovation flow could be explosive. If I can help the digital revolution along, I'll be thrilled.
Singapore is a small country of fewer than 5 million people and has about the same land mass as the Isle of Wight but punches economically way above its weight. Growth in 2010 will bounce back to a strong 5%, and the country is developing at an amazing pace. British companies already do well here but we can and should be doing even better and I urge UK firms to look carefully at the significant opportunities that Singapore represents.