ZwickRoell Singapore wins an award for outstanding business achievement
On the occasion of the Singaporean-German Chamber (SGC) of Industry and Commerce’s 20th Anniversary, the chamber hosted a special lunch dialogue with Guest of Honour, Mr. Heng Swee Keat, Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Coordinating Minister of Economic Policies. The theme of the Anniversary was ‘Building Bridges and Creating Opportunities’ in business relations between Singapore and Germany. To celebrate the accomplishments and the relationships formed over the past 20 years, SGC awarded two of the member companies for their outstanding business achievements. The Awards were initiated to recognize the multifaceted contributions of chamber members towards strengthening bilateral trade relations between Singapore and Germany and reflected on the broader impact on the workforce, the environment, and society.
German businesses in Singapore
Over the course of two decades, German businesses have shaped Singapore's economic landscape by contributing to trade, investments, and employment. Speaking on the changing dynamics in global trade, Mr. Heng See Keat mentioned innovation and technology as the most important business trends in the current. He also spoke about his appreciation of German businesses in Singapore and the transfer of technological knowledge and collaborations on innovation. He also elaborated on the necessity of business transformation in paving the way for advanced technology, greater access to global markets, highly trained human resources talent, and including sustainability in businesses.
Even during the pandemic more and more German companies found confidence in establishing their headquarters or regional offices in Singapore, offering approximately 45,000 jobs in Singapore today. For many of these companies, Singapore’s strategic location, world-class infrastructure, skilled workforce, stability, and security are top reasons for this decision. In this regard, it is important for Singapore and Germany to continue to strengthen bilateral trade relations for further economic growth.
Mr. Heng Swee Keat, DPM
Ms. Shirley Qi, SGC President
Dr. Tim Philippi, E.D. of the SGC
Winners of the Building Bridges Award
Selecting the winners was not an easy task as each nominee showcased remarkable contributions within their respective industries. Category Multinational Company (MNC), and Small Medium Enterprise (SME) categories. In addition, four SGC Corporate Gold members were commemorated for their longstanding support of 15 years to the chamber with a SGC Loyalty Award.
| Category Multinational Corporation (MNC) | Category Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) | SGC Loyalty Award |
|---|---|---|
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From Left (1st Row): Mr. Kenneth Chan (CFO, Siemens); Ms. Eileen Chua (MD, SAP SG); Dr. Tim Philippi (E.D. SGC); Ms. Shirley Qi (SGC President); Mr. Heng Swee Keat (DPM); Dr. Norbert Riedel (German Ambassador to SG); Mr. Holger Lindner (CEO, TÜV SÜD Product Service); Mr. Claus Rettig (President Asia Pacific and Member of the Extended Executive Board of Evonik Industries AG).
From Left (2nd Row): Mr. Timo Noetzel (E.D., Head of Corporate Banking Asia/Pacific, LBBW); Ms. Tanja Jesemann (GM, Paulaner Bräuhaus SG); Dr. Burkhard Ziegenhorn (MD, Corporate Bank ASEAN & ANZ); Mr. Tham Yew Yen (MD, avodaq); Mr. Philipp Gumpl (MD, ZwickRoell SG)
ZwickRoell Singapore and our contributions
We are thrilled to have received this award and would like to thank SGC for considering ZwickRoell for this Award and for the trust. ZwickRoell Singapore is a dedicated and passionate headquarters for the Asia Pacific Region with a character of a typical German mid tier (Mittelstand) company. We play a pivotal role as a bridge connecting the German headquarters with the Asian offices and spearheading expansion into diverse Asian markets. The fact that ZwickRoell has been able to internationalize successfully is mainly due to two factors: firstly, an excellent understanding between the Headquarters in Germany and the Headquarters in Singapore, and secondly, partners who understand what companies abroad need.
Investment impact
- Since 1997 we established 6 Sales and Service entities across Asia Pacific Region. Our approach involves establishing representative offices, fostering their growth, and providing education and support until they reach the point of independence, as successfully demonstrated with ZwickRoell India in 2020. In 2014, we acquired our dedicated offices in Tradehub21, and subsequently, in 2019, we further expanded by establishing the ZwickRoell Xperience Centre. This state-of-the-art facility features a test laboratory, the ZwickRoell Academy, and an extensive exhibition area. In 2024 we are proud to have 50 employees across the Asia Pacific Region and a strong partner network serving 17 Countries.
Innovation Impact
- In Singapore, we have pioneered a local initiative focused on smart digital services for material testing, placing us at the forefront not only in Singapore. From our regional headquarters in Singapore, we extend these digital services to customers across the Asia Pacific regions, including Australia and New Zealand. Offering services digitally enhances business continuity for many of our customers by eliminating the need for extensive cross-country travel, thereby reducing operational costs. This approach allows for efficient, faster services and provides even access to factory trained service engineers based in Germany.
- ZwickRoell Singapore currently delivers a comprehensive range of services, leveraging cutting-edge software technologies and hardware, such as the Smart Glass interface, for digital installation, troubleshooting, training, and calibration. The advantages of our smart services extend to the medical sector, where we digitally support the entire IQOQ validation process. Locally, our smart digital services for material testing position us as innovators, delivering efficient, cost-effective, and digitally-enabled services to customers across the Asia Pacific regions. We are prepared for the Next Generation because Service is Our Passion.
Job Creation and Diversity
- We take pride in our commitment to job creation and tenure, with many employees having dedicated more than a decade to our company within the Asia Pacific Region. Diversity lies at the heart of ZwickRoell Singapore's success. With employees representing around 10 different nationalities and varying levels of experience, we take pride in fostering a diverse array of skills and perspectives.
ESG impact
- With entrepreneurial success comes obligation. This applies not only to our employees and customers, but also to our community and the environment. We stay true to this responsibility through various sustainability projects initiated by our HQ. Our dedication to making a social impact is vividly demonstrated through our annual charity event, "ZwickRoell Runs the World." Since 2017, our employees, customers, and their family members have been actively participating in running, walking, or hiking to contribute to various charitable causes globally. To date, we have generously donated nearly €280,000 to over 50 organizations and institutions dedicated to supporting disadvantaged children, animal welfare, and environmental protection. In Singapore, our commitment extends to multiple welfare organizations, including the Red Cross Society and the Thye Hua Kwan organizations. Furthermore, we are actively engaged in supporting the Singapore Cancer Society through both financial contributions and volunteer services for the Relay for Life Program.
About the Singaporean-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce
SGC is part of a network of 150 offices of the German bilateral Chambers of Industry and Commerce abroad in 93 countries. The chamber is one of the largest national business chambers in Singapore with a membership of about 550 representatives from a variety of industries in Germany and Singapore.
The SGC is a valuable and well-established networking platform and is well connected with authorities in Singapore and Germany. Through its active industry committees, SGC gives a voice to businesses. With its distinct service unit known as DEinternational, the SGC builds a primary source for receiving reliable information on the German and Singapore business environment as well as bilateral trade relations. DEinternational serves clients in their business needs e.g. searching for business partners, organising business missions and business trips, finding staff members and providing market analysis. DEinternational has worked in many areas such as Energy Efficiency, education, Industrie 4.0, finance, research and many more.
The SGC is part of the official foreign trade promotion of the Federal Republic of Germany.