On July 31st, the 14th Meeting of the Singapore-Guangdong Collaboration Council (SGCC) was held at the China-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City (CSGKC). Among the 20 cooperation agreements signed during the meeting, 10 key projects were inked, with a total investment exceeding 1.5 billion yuan.

Collaborative partnerships in biomedicine, smart city, and talent cultivation

In the field of biopharmaceuticals, the Administrative Committee of the Guangzhou Development District signed a cooperation agreement with Singapore's SCG Cell Therapy, the world's only TCR-T innovative drug company to have received clinical approval in the United States, Singapore, and China simultaneously. 

As a potential unicorn enterprise in Singapore's biomedical industry, SCG Cell Therapy plans to establish its Chinese headquarters, global innovation cooperation platform in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), and its production base in Knowledge City, with a projected investment of 1 to 1.4 billion yuan over the next 3 to 5 years.

Smart city development is also a critical area of Guangdong-Singapore cooperation. In this area, the Knowledge City (Guangzhou) Investment Group Co., Ltd. and Keppel Corporation will jointly promote the integration, supply, operation, and management of the comprehensive energy management and operation in CSGKC's buildings and projects. Additionally, with the participation of Zhiguang Electric, the three parties will collaborate in developing intelligent and low-carbon urban energy infrastructure.

In terms of talent cultivation, the Guangzhou Research Translation and Innovation Institute of the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Guangzhou Xinzhi Mingrui Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd., supported by Guangzhou Automobile Group, signed a cooperation project to establish a research platform focused on industrial robots.

Notably, the NUS Guangzhou Research Translation and Innovation Institute, a flagship project of NUS in the GBA, officially opened in the CSGKC on March 28th this year. It is anticipated to cultivate over 2,700 professionals for China through NUS's main campus within ten years, providing long-term strategic talent resources and intellectual support for the development of the GBA.

Fueling the integration of finance with AI, blockchain, and the metaverse

On the morning of August 1st, the unveiling ceremony for the trial operation of DBS Technology (China) was held in the China-Singapore Smart Park.

DBS Bank, the largest commercial bank in Singapore and Southeast Asia, is renowned as the world's most innovative digital bank. In 2023, DBS Bank signed a cooperation agreement at the 13th meeting of the SGCC, announcing the construction of its third global fintech research and development center in the Smart Park.

Previously, DBS Bank has established two major technology innovation centers globally, located in Singapore and Hyderabad, India. Unlike these two centers, DBS Technology (China) plans to attract over 2,000 cutting-edge technology talents within the next five years. The plan aims to accelerate the deep integration of the financial industry with emerging trends such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and the metaverse, providing professional digital solutions to the technology enterprise industry chain in the GBA and nationwide.

The CSGKC and Singapore have signed a cumulative total of 83 cooperation projects during bilateral mechanism meetings, attracting over 100 high-quality Singaporean enterprises such as Biosyngen, LionTCR, and Singrow. These endeavors have also led to the competitive settlement of over 300 foreign-invested enterprises in the area.