Programme

0900 – 0930 

Registration 

0930 – 0940 

Welcome Remarks

Mr. Simon Tay, Chairman, Singapore Institute of International Affairs

0940 – 1020

Keynote Dialogue: Keeping Singapore Competitive in a Disrupted World

Keynote Speaker: Mr. Jeffrey Siow, Acting Minister for Transport and Senior Minister of State for Finance, Republic of Singapore 

Moderator: Mr. Simon Tay, Chairman, Singapore Institute of International Affairs

1020 – 1130

Panel 1: Competitiveness in an Age of Fragmentation   

Regulatory divergence, economic security concerns and decarbonisation pressures are reshaping investment flows. Amid these shifts, businesses and policymakers must rethink what makes a hub resilient and investable. Over the course of 2026, the SIIA has been convening a series of roundtable dialogues with MNCs in Singapore, collectively called the Competitiveness Commission (CompCom). 

This panel features perspectives from participating companies on how competitiveness is being redefined in a more fragmented global economy. The discussion will examine how Singapore can anchor trust, connectivity, and innovation amid global uncertainty, how ASEAN economies can avoid internal fragmentation, and what reforms are necessary to sustain investor confidence in a more contested geoeconomic environment.

Panellists:

• Dr. Claus Rettig, President (Asia Pacific), Evonik (SEA) Pte Ltd 
• Ms. Wendy Cheong, MD-Regional Head of APAC, Moody’s Investors Service Singapore Pte Ltd

Moderator:

• Mr. Satya Ramamurthy, Chair, Public Sector in the Structured Finance Department Asia Pacific, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) and Council Member, SIIA 

1130 – 1155

Tea Break

1155 – 1245 

Keynote Dialogue: Thailand and ASEAN’s Competitive Future

1245 – 1400 

Lunch

1400 – 1450

Keynote Dialogue: Power and Agency amidst Turmoil 

Keynote speaker: Mr. Chan Chun Sing, Coordinating Minister for Public Services and Minister for Defence, Republic of Singapore 

Moderator: Mr. Simon Tay, Chairman, Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA)

1450 – 1615

Panel 2: Power, Turmoil, Competitiveness 

Countries across ASEAN and Asia are caught in the middle to navigate strategic and economic uncertainty driven by major power rivalry. Rising tariff tensions and energy shocks have shown how geopolitics now directly affects businesses across the region – driving up costs, adding inflationary pressure, and complicating decisions on investment, sourcing, and supply chains. The question, then, is not simply how states position themselves between major powers, but how they can continue to exercise agency and shape their own strategic and economic space amid intensifying competition. 

This panel will examine how ASEAN and Asia can strengthen competitiveness in this environment through clearer rules and standards, deeper coordination, and a stronger foundation of trust. Bringing together senior policymakers and regional economic leaders, the discussion will explore how regional partnerships and greater strategic agility can reduce overdependence on any one major power, and what this means for market access, supply chains, investment confidence, technology ecosystems, and broader regional stability.

Panel Keynote: Mr. Todotua Pasaribu, Vice Minister of Investment and Downstreaming and Deputy Head of Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board

1615 – 1630

Closing Remarks

Mr. Simon Tay, Chairman, Singapore Institute of International Affairs

1630

End

*Last updated 13 May 2026. The programme is subject to change.