On 30 July, 2019, the Economic Development Board (EDB) of Singapore and Enterprise Singapore announced plans to pilot Tech@SG, a targeted program to help technology companies grow in Singapore and expand in the region by facilitating access to talent.
The two-year pilot, which is expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2019, aims to provide high-potential companies in growth areas such as digital, medtech, biotech, cleantech, agritech and fintech, access to business networks and talent needed to set up new teams in Singapore. This includes connecting the companies to the Singapore innovation and startup ecosystem, and also facilitating the entry of core team members. Such teams include professionals equipped with skills in technology areas such as Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Internet-of-Things. Qualifying companies will have the Employment Pass (EP) applications of their core team members facilitated under the program.
Mr Chng Kai Fong, Managing Director, EDB, said, “Tech@SG will not only give tech companies the confidence to hire the tech talent they need, but will also create exciting opportunities for Singaporeans to work in globally competitive teams alongside top engineers and entrepreneurs from all over the world. This will enable Singapore to upskill our local talent pool to root more technology companies here and grow the sector.”
Mr Edwin Chow, Assistant Chief Executive Officer, Enterprise Singapore, added that Singapore’s high-growth companies with technology needs will benefit from the expertise that global tech talent can bring. This is especially so for tech startups that require the resources to strengthen their tech capabilities and scale up more quickly.
(Sources: Enterprise Singapore; Straits Times; The Edge Singapore)
