As Singapore looks ahead to SG60 and deepens international collaboration at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kok Ping Soon, CEO of the Singapore Business Federation (SBF), outlines how the organization is preparing local enterprises for a more competitive, resilient, and connected future. In this Q&A, he shares insights into SBF’s role in trade advisory, digital transformation, and sustainability, as well as the strategic potential of the Johor–Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ). He also reflects on Singapore–Japan economic relations and the shared ambitions both countries hold in advancing regional innovation and cooperation.

Bridges: With Expo 2025 underway and SG60 approaching next year, what are SBF’s key priorities in strengthening Singapore’s business ecosystem and preparing its members for the opportunities ahead?

Kok Ping Soon: As Singapore approaches SG60 and participates in Expo 2025 Osaka, our focus at SBF is clear: to help build a future-ready business ecosystem anchored in resilience, innovation, and regional connectivity. We do so through a wide range of programs across our Action Agendas.

We helped businesses expand overseas through business missions and the network of Singapore Enterprise Centres in Bangkok, Jakarta, and Ho Chi Minh City. The Centre for the Future of Trade and Investments (CFOTI) provides trade advisories to help companies navigate trade shifts and use FTAs to gain market access.

Through technical advisories and capability programs, we helped businesses upskill their workforce, digitalize their operations, and decarbonize their operations. We also facilitate companies to do good through social impact programs to strengthen the community they operate in.

Together, these efforts underpin SBF’s broader mission: to shape a progressive, pro-business ecosystem that enables our enterprises to grow sustainably and compete globally.

How is SBF helping its members navigate trade challenges, such as tariffs and supply chain diversification, through tools like the new e-book, financing support, and other initiatives?

Trade uncertainty today is not episodic — it’s persistent. Since the tariff announcements in April, companies, especially SMEs, have taken steps to reassess risk exposure, explore alternative sourcing, and improve regulatory fluency.

SBF’s CFOTI has seen a 1.5x increase in trade advisory requests in Q2 this year, reflecting growing demand for support in navigating FTAs, rules of origin, and supply chain realignment.

To further support these efforts, the Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce (SERT) of which SBF is a part of has recently announced the Business Adaptation Grant, which will be ready for application in October. The grant will help businesses offset early-stage costs related to market diversification, trade compliance, and operational restructuring. It complements other financing tools such as the Enterprise Financing Scheme and the Enterprise Development Grant.

Together with practical resources like our Tariff Playbook: Decoding the Impact and Navigating the Shift, these initiatives provide businesses with not just tactical support, but also the confidence to take proactive, strategic steps in an increasingly complex trade environment.

Can you share more about the Johor–Singapore Special Economic Zone working group and how SBF sees this initiative benefiting its members and boosting regional economic integration?

The JS-SEZ is a timely platform to boost Singapore’s regional competitiveness by expanding operational space and enabling cross-border integration.

It gives businesses the flexibility to site different functions across Johor and Singapore, easing constraints on land, cost, and manpower. SBF has been engaging closely with companies and working groups to advocate for greater clarity on incentives, customs clearance, and fast-track immigration.

With transport projects like the RTS Link and knowledge worker tax incentives already announced, we believe the SEZ could scale into a wider ASEAN platform. We will continue to ensure SMEs are part of this journey and that early movers are not disadvantaged.

We continue to support businesses looking to land in the SEZ, including those pursuing cross-border joint ventures or setting up complementary operations in Johor. For SBF, the JS-SEZ is not just a bilateral opportunity, it’s a scalable model for deeper regional integration.

How does SBF view the current trajectory of Singapore–Japan economic relations, and where does it see the most potential for deepening business collaboration in the years ahead?

Singapore and Japan share a longstanding and robust economic partnership. Japan remains a key investor and innovation partner, and Singapore continues to serve as a strategic gateway to Southeast Asia for many Japanese companies.

Japan consistently ranks among the top internationalization markets for Singapore businesses, according to SBF’s National Business Survey. Our recent mission to Osaka and Kobe in April 2025, which brought together 14 Singapore companies, spotlighted strong opportunities in eco-innovation, advanced manufacturing, and digital transformation. Site visits to leading organizations like Omron, Amita Holdings, and the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster reinforced collaboration potential in decarbonization, the circular economy, and healthcare.

We also participated in the ASEAN–Japan Platform Symposium, co-organized by the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, alongside our counterparts from across Southeast Asia. The discussions reflected a shared ambition to shape the future of ASEAN–Japan collaboration, particularly around areas like carbon markets, AI governance, and smart cities.

Looking ahead, Expo 2025 Osaka is both a strategic and symbolic milestone, one that reinforces our commitment to working with Japan not just on economic ties, but on setting regional standards for a more sustainable and connected future.