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Singapore's water sector is abuzz with developments, and they're making the news worldwide. Our aspirations
to be a global hydrohub, what we need to do to realise them and how well we're doing. - Chairman Tan Gee Paw
shares his thoughts on these and more.
Singapore wants to be a global hydrohub. What does
this mean?
By `hydrohub', we mean a centre of activity for the
water industry, water-related R&D, and the exchange of
ideas, solutions and technologies relating to water.
In short, we want the world to automatically think
`Singapore' when they think `water'.
Why do we want to be a hydrohub?
Water continues to be a strategic resource, and we
must ensure that Singapore always has a sustainable,
affordable and safe supply of it. This means being on the
lookout constantly for better technology and methods to
manage our water. In the process, we can help the world
with its water challenges too.
Also, the water industry is growing worldwide,
because water supply and management is an issue for so
many countries. We would like to anchor some of that
growth here, as it can contribute to sustainable economic
growth for Singapore.
How much growth do you anticipate for the industry
in Singapore?
We aim to double the jobs in the environment and
water industry to 11,000 by 2015. A large part of this
growth will be in the professional and skilled categories.
At the same time, we are targeting to triple the value-add
from this sector, that is from a base of $0.5 billion (0.3%
of GDP) in 2003 to $1.7 billion (0.6% of GDP) by 2015.
Many cities talk about wanting to be a hub of some
kind, and Singapore is already a hub for several
other industries. How seriously are we trying to be
a hydrohub as well?
The litmus test lies in how much resources, attention
and effort are being paid to developing Singapore as a
hydrohub. In terms of resources, we are not just talking
about money and manpower from PUB or our parent
ministry, the Ministry of the Environment and Water
Resources (MEWR). In January 2006, the government
established the National Research Foundation which
will provide funding of $5 billion over the next five years
for strategic R&D initiatives. Of this, $330 million will
go to water and environment technologies. This demonstrates their importance to Singapore's agenda to grow
new economic sectors.
Within MEWR, a dedicated office has been set up
to spearhead the growth of the environmental and water
industry in Singapore. This is an inter-agency organisation,
the Environment and Water Industry Development Council
(EWI). The EWI is headed by PUB's Chief Executive
Khoo Teng Chye, and guided by high-level leadership in
the EWT (Environmental and Water Technologies) Steering
Committee and Executive Committee.
How much of this growth is going to be driven
by government?
Government has been providing seed money, research
funds and even test-bedding facilities that a small company
would otherwise find cost-prohibitive. We also act as a go-between - linking the academia with the corporate world.
Likewise, it is sometimes hard for local companies
to internationalise without the contacts and know-how
of government agencies in potential markets like the
Middle East and China. So government agencies such as
IE Singapore and Economic Development Board render
useful assistance in marketing, branding and introducing
local companies to new markets. In fact, IE Singapore
is helping to form a consortium of water companies to
allow local water and environmental companies to provide
the full value chain of services in targeted markets like
the Middle East.
But in the end, this has to be a sector that makes
business sense so that its growth and development is sustainable. So I would say that government is there more
as a catalyst and to help lower barriers to entry.
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