Tekes strengthens its networks to Singapore
World Bank report Doing Business 2010 classifies Singapore as the world’s most business friendly country.The National Technology Agency of Finland, Tekes and the Singaporean Agency for Science, Technology and Research, A*STAR will renew their contract of co-operation with the aim of increasing R&D activities between the two countries. The new contract will continue the research and technology collaboration which was started three years ago.
- The contract is significant for Tekes in networking with Singapore's innovation environment. The previous contract has gives us an opportunity to exchange information, familiarize ourselves with innovation systems and research institutions as well as piloting our joint funding. The new contract will give us a chance to deepen this collaboration and open possibilities for joint applications, says Mika Aalto, Head of Technology at Tekes.
The contract focuses on sustainable development and infrastructure as well as intelligent systems and environments, innovation services, health care, well-being and ageing. The forms of co-operation take place for instance in mutual R&D projects and exchange of researchers.
In 2008 Tekes funded 11 projects in Singapore. The funding for mutual R&D projects is sourced from Tekes in Finland, and from A*STAR in Singapore.
There are nearly a hundred Finnish companies operating in Singapore. For instance Neste Oil has invested in the world's largest biodiesel plant located in Singapore.
Singapore's innovation environment and competitiveness have been considered top of the world in several international comparisons. According to the WEF Global Competitiveness Report 2010 Singapore is the world's 3rd most competitive country, while Finland was on sixth place. In World Bank Doing Business 2010 - report Singapore was revealed to be the most business friendly country in the world. Finland ranked 16th.
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