Startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the lifeblood of Asia’s economies. They account for about 70 percent of jobs and over a third of GDP, and they are at the forefront of the region’s productivity gains. Across industries, SMEs and dynamic startups are using artificial intelligence (AI),...
In the past decade, Southeast Asia’s SMEs have rapidly modernised how they sell, communicate, and manage operations. Yet one area often left behind is how businesses procure customised goods, everything from corporate gifts and event merchandise to personalised packaging. While other parts of the digital economy have accelerated, sourcing...
With a S$113 billion contribution to the GDP in 2023, Singapore’s digital economy is thriving. Small and medium businesses (SMBs) are central to this growth, having tripled their AI adoption since 2018. The catch? Cybercriminals are finding more inroads into SMB networks, capitalizing on the fact that these companies...
In just a few years, AI has gone from a technical niche to a cultural constant. Once tucked away in labs, it now appears in browsers, messaging apps, productivity tools, and smartphones. But as the AI wave rises, a new question surfaces: Who is AI really designed for?
While enterprise...
APEC headlines often center on geopolitics and trade diplomacy, with good reason. However, at the APEC 2025 CEO Forum, themed ‘Bridge, Business, Beyond’, it was clear that beyond the political headlines, a story on artificial intelligence (AI) is also unfolding in Asia-Pacific's boardrooms, factories, and startups where businesses are...
Semiconductors sit at the heart of today’s global economy – powering everything from smartphones and electric vehicles to AI data centers and national infrastructure. They underpin everyday services that citizens rely on, from digital payments and logistics tracking to healthcare imaging and smart manufacturing.
For businesses, chip availability and performance...
As artificial intelligence continues to reshape industries, I’ve seen many founders rush to implement it without fully considering its broader implications. While AI promises significant productivity gains, the journey from hype to long-term value creation demands strategic intent and sound decision-making.
AI is far from a "magic bullet" for business...
Technology is often hailed as the great equaliser for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as they compete with larger firms. Cloud platforms, AI and automation tools are more accessible than ever, leading many SMEs to believe that buying the right tech is the ticket to transformation. The truth is,...
If you need to tell your employees that your team-building activity is “mandatory,” you’ve already lost the room.
And if the experience itself feels like a glorified icebreaker or a page torn from a corporate playbook, your people won’t just tune out. They’ll walk away unchanged. The post-activity photos might...
Fraud and financial crime used to be problems for global banks and fintech giants. Not anymore. Across Asia, small and mid-sized businesses – such as manufacturers, online retailers, logistics and professional services firms – now run on the same digital rails as large enterprises. Same attack surface, but without...
