Canon Singapore concluded the Think Big Singapore 2025 Business Leadership Series, its thought leadership initiative designed to drive meaningful dialogue and customer engagement. The event saw a strong turnout of over 1,100 attendees, comprising business leaders, policymakers and future-shaping entrepreneurs from Singapore and across the region.
Against the backdrop of mounting economic pressure from renewed US tariffs discussions across Asia, business leaders explored critical strategies for building business resilience amidst uncertainty. This year’s Think Big Singapore Series focused on how leaders can capitalise on multifaceted opportunities, such as the growing use of AI technology amongst enterprises, innovative responses to today’s business challenges, and exploration of regional collaboration and partnerships with S$5.5 billion investment into the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (SEZ) alone.
The series sparked thoughtful dialogue on how companies can not only withstand external disruption but build adaptive strategies in response to rising tariffs, geopolitical shifts and talent shortages, while emphasising innovation to protect against volatility.
Session Highlights
A Call for Singapore to Remain Resilient in the Face of Uncertainty
Singapore’s position as a trusted global hub for innovation, collaboration and scalable change. Business leaders need to remain steadfast and adaptable, amid volatility while actively seeking new growth opportunities across regional and emerging markets.
Guest-of-Honour, Mr. Patrick Tay, Assistant Secretary-General, NTUC and Member of Parliament, Pioneer Single Member Constituency
“The only thing that is certain today is uncertainty. As our workforce faces challenges such as an ageing population and low fertility rates, staying relevant means continually upskilling, adapting and embracing new technologies like generative AI. Singapore remains resilient because of the collaborative nature of our government, unions and employers, and our focus on innovation and adoption of responsible AI. Our people continue to power ahead, riding the waves of change and navigating through uncertainty with determination and grit. As we advance on our AI journey, we must ensure it creates meaningful impact, empowers all industries and remains inclusive for every worker to benefit and grow together.”
Mr. Musa Fazal, Chief Policy & Operating Officer, Singapore Business Federation
“Singapore businesses, particularly our SMEs, are no strangers to the challenges of global economic uncertainty. While geopolitical tensions, shifting trade policies and tariff actions dominate headlines, the silent and persistent threat of global inflation directly impacts our bottom line, from rising raw material costs to cross-border supply chain pressures. Through initiatives led by SBF’s Centre for the Future of Trade & Investment (CFOTI), which equips businesses with tools such as the Trade AI Advisor and the ‘Navigating U.S. Tariffs’ playbook, companies can better make sense of these global forces, take timely action and plan ahead to manage costs, optimise operations and secure their long-term growth.”
Mr. Eddy Loh, Chief Investment Officer, Maybank Group Wealth Management
“The evolving trade landscape, marked by higher tariffs, presents both challenges and opportunities for businesses in the region. To navigate this uncertainty, companies must prioritise adaptability and innovation. Yet, amidst these challenges lie opportunities for growth through deeper regional collaboration, which will be key in reshaping globalisation and promoting intra-ASEAN trade. As businesses look to future-proof themselves, another critical factor comes into play: AI adoption is no longer a choice but a necessity – those that fail to critically integrate AI into their operations risk falling behind their competitors.”
Dr Cai Daolu, Senior Lecturer, National University Singapore Business School
“As we look ahead, the Asia region is poised to be the main driver of global growth, offering vast opportunities for businesses and investors alike. However, global imbalances will likely persist, with trade surpluses and deficits continuing to shape the economic landscape. In this context, it’s clear that a reset in trade policy alone won’t be a silver bullet – we need to focus on building resilience and adaptability to navigate the complexities of the global economy.”
Mr. Xie Dongming, Head of Greater China Research and Strategy, Overseas Chinese Banking Corporation
“The tariff war and subsequent geopolitical fragmentation have fundamentally reset the global business landscape. Companies can no longer rely on a single-market efficiency, but must instead diversify both their supply chains and their strategic areas of investments. The focus should shift to high-growth, stable regional corridors, such as the ASEAN-Greater China network, to secure future expansion and mitigate risk.”
Mr. Norihiro (Nick) Katagiri, Senior Vice President, Regional Digital Printing and Business Solution Operations, Canon Singapore
“2025 has been marked by unprecedented global uncertainty and rapid technological advancement, making resilience more crucial than ever for businesses across Asia. Canon’s Think Big Leadership Business Series serves as a cornerstone event for thought-provoking discussions, practical business insights, and innovative showcases. With a diverse lineup of speakers and a focus on actionable
solutions, we believe that this event will equip business leaders with the insights and tools needed to navigate the complexities of 2025 and emerge stronger for the future of work.”
Mr. Ang Yuit, President of Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (ASME)
“The ongoing global trade reconfiguration and its ripple effects on the existing supply chain ecosystems which businesses have relied on, have forced many to face great levels of uncertainty and disruption. For many SMEs, this has meant prioritising cash flow and shelving expansion plans as they try to adjust. In this era of change, companies must proactively seek out new growth opportunities – whether it is restructuring their business by embracing new technologies like AI or by exploring new markets in economic corridors closer to home, such as the Johor-Singapore SEZ.”
AI Emerges as the Defining Advantage for Businesses Navigating Uncertainty
AI, noted by PM Wong as the defining technology of all time, is moving beyond cybersecurity risks and policy and regulatory concerns towards mission-critical deployment opportunities, with use cases across predictive supply chains automated decision-making across finance and operations.
Mr. Laurence Liew, Director, AI Innovation, AI Singapore
“The AI revolution is reshaping the future of work – not by replacing humans, but by redefining the division of labour between people and intelligent systems. While AI excels at automation and analysing vast scenarios, humans bring the critical judgement, strategic thinking and ethical lens that machines cannot. Our roles are evolving – and together with AI, we can build a more resilient and future-ready workforce. At AI Singapore, we remain committed to nurturing an inclusive and vibrant AI ecosystem that empowers every worker, business and industry to thrive.”
Prof. Lam Kwok Yan, Professor, College of Computing & Data Science, Nanyang Technological University
“The integration of AI and Big Data is a game-changer for businesses, but it also fundamentally reshapes the threat landscape. As we embrace these powerful technologies to innovate and grow, we must equally prioritise strengthening our cybersecurity and digital trust infrastructure to ensure that data privacy remains the cornerstone of this digital evolution. Organisations must shift their mindset from simply reacting to threats to proactively building a safe and responsible, AI-driven posture. This empowers businesses to harness the benefits of AI and data while staying ahead of the evolving risks.”
Johor-Singapore Corridor as Southeast Asia’s Next Growth Engine
Over S$5.5 billion worth of investments by Singapore businesses were recently announced at the second Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) joint investment forum, reinforcing growing confidence in the region’s potential.
Businesses are using this region as a catalyst for advanced manufacturing, digital trade and cross-border logistics, while calling for stronger public–private collaboration to accelerate infrastructure and policy development.
Mr. Soo Wei-Chieh, Executive Director, International Business Division, Singapore Business Federation
“The Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone represents a powerful opportunity to deepen cross-border collaboration and unlock new growth for our businesses. Even as policy frameworks continue to evolve, we are already seeing progress on the ground – from enabling greater talent mobility to private sector initiatives in engineering, industrial products and food manufacturing. At the Singapore Business
Federation, our focus is to mobilise businesses, amplify opportunities and support Singapore companies in scaling internationally. Through partnerships and policy alignment, we can build a dynamic ecosystem that fuels sustainable growth and innovation.”
Ms. Selena Ling, Chief Economist & Head Global Markets Research & Strategy, OCBC
“With rising market fragmentation and shifting trade dynamics, companies are increasingly looking beyond the US for new growth opportunities. The Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone presents a strategic avenue for firms to diversify operations, optimise their product portfolio and tap into a broader market with competitive advantages. Alongside high-value sectors such as AI, data centres and medical technology, it also offers potential for more traditional industries seeking efficiency and resilience. A clear roadmap for these diverse sectors will be key for attracting sustainable, long-term investment.”
Mr. Toh Ser Khoon, Senior Director, Engineering Cluster, Singapore Polytechnic
“Innovation and digital transformation are key drivers of competitiveness, powered by tools like AI, IoT and automation that help people stay productive and relevant. Real progress happens when academia, industry and government come together to close skill gaps and enable talent mobility. The Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone can serve as a living sandbox for technology adoption and cross-border innovation, turning collaboration into real-world outcomes. At Singapore Polytechnic, we are preparing talent who are Life Ready, Work Ready and World Ready to power the next wave of growth in this AI-driven era.”
Human-Centered Transformation Takes Centre Stage
While AI dominated discussions, leaders emphasised that the future belongs to organisations that proactively empower their talent by integrating smart digital tools and intelligent process automation –not just to replace tasks, but to unlock employee capacity for strategic, continuous learning and growth.
Mr. Andrew Koh, Senior Vice President and Head of Singapore Operations Group, Canon Singapore
“Businesses need smarter ways to drive efficiency and innovation. Canon Singapore continues to provide powerful, reliable solutions such as the imageFORCE series that help customers to boost productivity and achieve sustainable growth in today’s AI era.”
Commitment to Building a More Agile Economy
Uncertainty is no longer a barrier but is the new normal, with the next phase of growth belonging to businesses that invest strategically for the future. Canon Singapore’s Think Big Series deepens the company’s commitment to empowering these visionary leaders through insights, smart solutions, connected workflows and deep partnerships required to future-proof their enterprises and accelerate growth in the dynamic and competitive regional economy.
At Think Big 2025, Canon Singapore launched the new imageFORCE C5100 series, designed to empower businesses in the era of artificial intelligence (AI). It directly addresses Singapore’s AI adoption paradox: while 82% of SMEs have embraced basic digital solutions, only 4.2% have successfully implemented AI technologies despite Government’s call for broader AI adoption across all business sectors.
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