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Speech by Ms Gan Siow Huang, Minister of State (Ministry of Education), at the MOU Signing Ceremony Between the Singapore Productivity Centre and Singapore Polytechnic

Published Date: 04 December 2020 12:00 PM

News Speeches

Mr Tan Peng Yong, Chairman, Singapore Productivity Centre

Mr Michael Tan, CEO, Singapore Productivity Centre

Mr Soh Wai Wah, Principal & CEO, Singapore Polytechnic

Colleagues

Ladies and Gentlemen

1. I am happy to join you today to witness the MOU signing between Singapore Productivity Centre (SGPC) and Singapore Polytechnic (SP).

2. At the start of 2020, no one could have predicted the extent that COVID-19 would disrupt our daily lives and the economy. One example is the food services sector, which employs nearly 200,000 people in Singapore, with operating receipts of more than $10 billion in 2018. Our food services sector has been badly hit this year. But the silver lining is that COVID-19 has presented an opportunity for us to innovate and upskill, and strengthen our resilience.

3. I am heartened by the sector's remarkable grit and adaptability. Many F&B companies have adjusted their business models and sought new opportunities. In response to the suspension of dine-in services during the circuit breaker, F&B operators were quick to onboard their operations to food delivery platforms to reach more consumers. Some companies have gone above and beyond by shifting their operations online, and have tapped on the growth of food delivery services to explore new delivery-focused models such as cloud kitchens. Several catering companies have also equipped their kitchen facilities with manufacturing capabilities for new products such as ready-to-eat meals, and I have personally tried many of such meals.

4. The partnership between the Singapore Productivity Centre and Singapore Polytechnic plays a critical role in supporting local enterprises in this transformation journey to stay competitive and sustainable. SGPC brings to the table its long-standing experience supporting local enterprises in productivity solutions, innovation and capability building, and has worked with over 1,000 enterprises to date. This complements SP's comprehensive range of Technology Innovation and Consultancy Centres in areas like User Experience Design, Data Science & Analytics, as well as Food Innovation & Research.

5. This partnership will also see the joint development of a service design framework, comprising step-by-step processes and toolkits to guide enterprises in transformation. Partnering enterprises will benefit from access to resources from SGPC and SP, to evaluate their business models, develop new revenue streams and implement cost optimisation measures. Employees, too, can access new knowledge and networks, which can in turn support their companies in taking advantage of emerging opportunities.

6. I am pleased that the Restaurant Association of Singapore and the Association of Catering Professionals Singapore have expressed their support for this partnership, and will be reaching out to their members to embark on this transformation framework.

7. I would like to congratulate SGPC and SP on this important milestone. I wish you every success in the road ahead and I hope you enjoy today's Webinar.

8. Thank you.