From the palate to the marketplace. 🇮🇹🍷🌏 #174 A wonderful afternoon at the Borsa Vini Italian Wine Masterclass, organised by the ITA – Italian Trade Agency. It was a pleasure to be in the company of sommeliers and industry professionals as we refreshed—and challenged—our palates across a range of Italian wines, from rosé through to…
What gives value the strength to endure? Thank you, Madhu, for inviting me to CoinFerenceX Singapore 2026 at Gardens by the Bay today, 5 October. Conversations with US and Swiss bankers and crypto founders left me reflecting on the extraordinary possibilities of cryptocurrency powered by blockchain. The rise of Bitcoin and Ethereum has challenged how…
昨晚承蒙学强邀请，我有幸出席“2026临沂外贸优品（新加坡）经贸对接会”，与来自临沂和新加坡的企业家及各界朋友交流。#173 席间最难得的，是与一桌背景各异的新老朋友畅谈——既有在新加坡扎根的第一代华人，也有传承至第四代的新加坡华人，还有正在新加坡工作、并积极探索东盟商机的中国朋友。不同的人生经历与商业视角汇聚在一起，让这个夜晚格外丰富。 跨境合作不只关乎产品与市场。真正决定一段关系能走多远的，往往是信任、物流、安全与信誉。机会可以促成一次会面，但唯有可靠的履约、清晰的责任和长期建立的互信，才能让合作跨越地域与周期。 新加坡与临沂之间的双向联系，可以成为更广阔区域合作的起点：从中国与新加坡出发，延伸至东南亚，并进一步连接美国、欧洲及其他国际市场。重要的并非一开始就定义所有可能，而是先把正确的人、可信的能力与共同的长期视野连接起来。 感谢学强的盛情邀请，也感谢当晚每一位新老朋友的真诚交流。许多有意义的合作，往往始于一张餐桌、一场坦诚的对话，以及彼此愿意长期同行的信任。 — Grateful to 学强 for inviting me to last night’s 2026 Linyi High-Quality Export Goods (Singapore) Economic & Trade Matching Conference. One of the evening’s highlights was sharing a table with people whose connections to Singapore span remarkably different journeys—from first-generation Chinese immigrants to fourth-generation Singaporean Chinese, alongside friends from…
Robots, speed dating and an unmanned booth: notes from The Business Show Asia and AIMX 2026 #172 The Business Show Asia promised scale—8,000+ visitors and 250 exhibitors—while AIMX focused on real-world and embodied AI. For The Thousand Ships, I found potential collaborations across Singapore, Japan, China and the Philippines. “Speed Networking” was business’s answer to…
What makes a place feel like home—its landmarks, its stories, or the people who remember them with us? I was recently invited to a screening of That Girl in Pinafore (《我的朋友、我的同学、我爱过的一切》), Chai Yee Wei’s 2013 Singaporean comedy-musical, at the Tanglin Club. In that nostalgic setting, the film felt like a time capsule. It preserved many…
It was inspiring to be part of Franchising & Licensing Asia 2026 at Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre. #169 Across F&B, education, fashion and other sectors, one message came through clearly: as brand owners expand into Southeast Asia, they are seeking trusted partners who can drive sustainable revenue while creating meaningful benefits for…
Beyond Partnerships: Where Growth Comes Next #168 I had the privilege of attending the SMEICC Conference Series 2026, organised by the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCCI). The conference reinforced that we are navigating a world that is increasingly fragmented, geopolitically contested and being reshaped by AI. Yet amidst these challenges, ASEAN continues…
Are We Ready for a New World? | Reflections from the 7th Annual GEX Conference 2026 #167 It was a privilege to attend Dr Patrick Liew’s 7th Annual GEX Conference 2026, where diplomats, economists and business leaders shared their perspectives on navigating an increasingly uncertain world. A key takeaway was that today’s geopolitical landscape bears…
Outsourcing may transfer work, but it must never transfer accountability Outsourcing is frequently promoted as a solution. It is supposed to reduce costs, bring in specialist expertise and allow public institutions to focus on their core responsibilities. But outsourcing can also become a convenient way to move responsibility out of sight. The contractor blames the…
Spent the morning at the HR Learning Fest 2026 Executive Masterclass at Singapore Polytechnic on the theme:“Work, Reimagined. People, Elevated.” A few takeaways stood out: #165 🔹 Only 28.5% of firms in Singapore have adopted AI, while just 3.8% have actively integrated it into business processes. 🔹 Among firms adopting AI, more are redesigning roles,…
