SiTF inks deal with HESP to facilitate technology and business exchange

Singapore companies now have more help in cutting high-tech business deals in the "Heaven Silicon Valley" of China.

Yesterday, Singapore infocomm Technology Federation (SiTF) inked an agreement with the Hangzhou East Software Park (HESP) to facilitate the exchange of technology and business between companies from Singapore and Zhejiang province.

In a news conference in Zhejiang's capital city Hangzhou, SiTF representative Tay Eng Hoe said trade missions, business partner matching services, and local marketing events will be among activities that HESP and SiTF will carry out in the coming months.

"There are so many opportunities for Singapore companies in Zhejiang," said Mr Tay, who is also the group CEO of ECS Holdings. He said SiTF will help both Singapore and China companies collaborate in each other's markets.

The SiTF-HESP agreement is supported by Infocomm Development Authority (IDA), which brought a delegation to Hangzhou and Shanghai this week for the signing event, as well as to meet local companies and officials there. At the event, IDA chief executive Ronnie Tay said that the agreement would "greatly" benefit infocomm industries in Singapore and China.

HESP chairman Song Xiaochun said that Hangzhou companies could learn from Singapore's infocomm expertise. "As companies in China move towards globalisation, Singapore will be our example.".

Dubbed "Heaven Silicon Valley" because of Hangzhou's natural beauty, the 180,000 sq m HESP is home to technology companies such as Alibaba and Huawei.

Zhejiang, which has a population of about 50 million per capita GDP of US$5,000, is China's fourth-largest provincial economy.

SiTF has had a presence in Hangzhou since 2006 when it established a business exchange office called Hangzhou-Singapore Solutions Centre with HESP. The new agreement builds on the centre's exisiting programmes.

Two other agreements were signed yesterday in Hangzhou. One was by ESP Aspire - a Singapore company headed by ex-SiTF chairman Stephen Lim - with the Hangzhou Dianchi University, to foster exchange of the university's students with infocomm companies in Singapore. The other was between Singapore's NCS and HESP. Both agreed to collaborate in the areas of e-government, smart building, Internet security and Hangzhou's metro train system. The IDA-led 20-strong team will be in China till tomorrow.

Source: The Business Times - 15 April 2008