Strategic Business Location

	Over the last four decades, Singapore has achieved tremendous economic advancements. From earning a GDP of S$2.15 billion in 1960 to a GDP of S$153 billion in 2001, the city-state is today a reputable financial centre, a key regional trading centre, the world's busiest port and a top location for investment.
	In the latest 2002 survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) involving 60 economies, Singapore has taken over Hong Kong's title of having the best business environment in Asia.
	Singapore was also once again rated the most competitive economy by the Swiss-based World Economic Forum (WEF). It pointed out that Singapore was evidently an economy that possessed the greatest innovative ability and a solid macro economy in the world.
	For more comparative data about Singapore, click here.

Launch-pad to the region and beyond

	Singapore is located at the heart of Asia, which has a combined market of over 500 million people. Within a seven-hour flight radius, your business can reach out to a market of 2.8 billion people.
	Leveraging on initiatives such as country-to-country platforms like the Singapore-US Business Council, German-Singapore Business Forum, France-Singapore Business Council, Singapore-British Business Council and Singapore-Bavaria Economic Cooperation, Singapore is more than armed to meet the expansion needs of your business.

Global trade linkages

	Singapore signed an FTA with Japan in January 2001. The FTA with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) was signed in mid-2002.
	Singapore is also negotiating with the US, Canada, Australia, Mexico and other countries.
	Currently, Singapore will launch a trilateral FTA with New Zealand and Chile. Also, FTA talks with India and South Korea will be launched this year.
	On 6 November 2001, ASEAN and China leaders agreed to establish an ASEAN-China FTA within 10 years. This will create a Free Trade Area of 1.7 billion people and combined GDP of over US$1 trillion. To date, intra-regional trade stands at US$39 billion, and will grow with this FTA.
	Other significant economic partnerships currently being discussed include ASEAN-Japan and ASEAN-Australia/New Zealand (known collectively as CER, or Closer Economic Relationship).
	Singapore is also involved in a continuing process to achieve APEC's long-term goal of free and open trade and investment no later than 2010 for industrialised economies and 2020 for developing economies.

Enterprise greenhouse

	Enterprises are naturally attracted to Singapore's enterprise greenhouse, which accelerates the growth cycle from ideas to start-ups to emerging companies to global champions. Companies interact and leverage on each other, including some 6,000 multinational companies here, supported by EDB's co-investment, seed funding and other programmes.
	To constantly rejuvenate this greenhouse, venture capital funds, incubators, business accelerators, business groups and facility-providers are cultivated. This will promote growth activities such as R&D, testbedding, industrial collaborations, international business partnerships and venture funding.
	Leveraging on Singapore's unique ability to build international partnerships, several incubators have been set up here to incubate foreign ventures in Singapore to exploit global opportunities. These include the India Centre, Japan Business Support Centre and the Korea Venture Acceleration Centre.
	To support private sector R&D, the Singapore government has established several research institutions, with competence in areas such as biotechnology to microelectronics, manufacturing technologies, materials and chemical sciences.
	Click here to find out more about EDB's Startup Enterprise Development Scheme (SEEDS) or to find out more about the intellectual property scene in Singapore.

Well-connected to the rest of the world

	Singapore is well-served by air, sea and telecommunications connectivity. As the world's busiest port, Singapore is the focal point for 400 shipping lines to more than 700 ports worldwide.
	Singapore Changi Airport is also a leading air hub in the world, with more than 3,450 weekly flights to 146 cities in over 50 countries.
	In telecommunications connectivity, besides a nationwide broadband network infrastructure, Singapore has 21 Tbps of installed international capacity, sufficient for your every business need.

International talent pool

	Currently, there are more than 90,000 professional expatriates living and working in Singapore.
	To enhance this critical talent mass, Singapore has already attracted 10 world-class universities to set up here, complementing its three local universities. They are respected names such as INSEAD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Chicago Graduate School of Business and Technische Universiteit Eindhoven.