Delivered Speech by Minister for Law Edwin Tong at the Launch of Enterprise Singapore’s Boston Overseas Centre

Mayor of Boston, Ms Michelle Wu,

Mayor of Cambridge, Ms Sumbul Siddiqui,

Massachusetts Secretary of Economic Development, Mr Eric Paley,

Distinguished partners and guests, Ladies and gentlemen,

1. Good evening.

2. I am very pleased to join you today to launch Enterprise Singapore’s new Boston Overseas Centre, which will be a new bridge linking Singapore and Massachusetts’ ecosystems together.

I. Navigating a more uncertain global economy

3. We gather at a time when the global economy is becoming more complex and alot less predictable.

(1) Businesses are placing greater weight on resilience and security, while governments reassess dependencies and in some cases, place new constraints on trade and investment.

4. For a small and open economy like Singapore, turning inward is simply not an option.

(1) Our total trade is more than three times our GDP,

(2) and our livelihoods depend on remaining connected to the global market.

5. Our response is to:

(1) stay open,

(2) diversify our economic links,

(3) and strengthen partnerships that give our companies in Singapore more options and opportunities in an uncertain world.

II. A deep and growing US-Singapore partnership

6. The United States has long been one of Singapore's closest economic and strategic partners and will remain central to our external economic engagement.

7. This year is especially meaningful.

(1) As the US celebrates its 250th year of independence, we also mark both our countries’ 60 years of diplomatic relations.

8. Over these six decades, our economic relationship has grown in both breadth and depth.

(1) Singapore is the third-largest Asian investor in the US, with an investment stock of about US$53 billion in 2025.

(2) More than 250 Singapore companies today are present across 45 states.

(3) Bilateral trade and Singapore’s investments in the US support over 350,000 American jobs.

(4) The US has also enjoyed a trade surplus with Singapore for more than two decades, reaching over US$33 billion last year.

9. These figures reflect an increasingly integrated relationship – spanning investments, supply chains, innovation, and talent – and give us a strong base to build on.

III. Massachusetts: a natural partner for Singapore

10. On the East Coast, Massachusetts has emerged as a key destination for Singapore companies, which are drawn by its deep talent pool, globally competitive industries, and a vibrant innovation ecosystem.

11. First, Massachusetts and Singapore have strong synergies in innovation.

(1) Massachusetts has built one of the world's leading research ecosystems, anchored by world-class institutions, such as MIT and Harvard.

(2) Singapore, in turn, is an innovation and deep tech hub in Asia – with strengths in:

(a) translating and scaling new technologies into commercial applications.

(3) By bringing together Massachusetts' strengths in scientific discovery and Singapore's strengths in commercialisation and regional scale, we can help promising technologies move more quickly into the real world.

12. Second, we share similar strengths in advanced manufacturing.

(1) Both Massachusetts and Singapore have deep industrial roots and advantages in high-value manufacturing, including medical technology, aerospace, and precision engineering.

(2) This creates opportunities for us to work together across the entire spectrum of the value chain.

13. Third, we offer the same value proposition of strong connectivity.

(1) Massachusetts is a hub for the New England region with both national and global reach.

(2) Singapore in turn serves as a gateway to Southeast Asia.

(3) Stronger links between us can:

(a) help our companies grow across both regions,

(b) and create opportunities in logistics, cargo handling, and supply-chain management.

14. These synergies are already reflected in the growing presence of Singapore companies in Massachusetts.

15. One example is ST Engineering, a Singapore global technology, defence, and engineering group, which employs more than 5,000 talented people across the US.

(1) Its subsidiary, MAK Technologies, has 2 US locations in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Orlando, Florida, developing engineering software for modelling and simulation across the US aerospace and defence industries.

16. Another example is SATS, which is the world’s largest air cargo handler, Asia’s leading airline caterer, and one of the leading cargo handlers in North America through its subsidiary Worldwide Flight Services (WFS).

(1) WFS today operates 3 cargo terminals at Boston Logan International Airport, processing more than 69,000 tonnes of cargo annually for 19 airline customers.

IV. Turning synergies into partnerships

17. These examples show how our synergies are already powering real business activity and creating jobs.

(1) But there is much more we can do together.

(2) This requires stronger institutional bridges.

18. I was therefore pleased to witness the signing of a comprehensive partnership agreement between Enterprise Singapore and the Massachusetts Office of International Trade and Investment (MOITI), earlier today.

(1) This is Enterprise Singapore's first state-level partnership in the US.

(2) It reflects our confidence in the potential of this partnership.

(3) It will create more opportunities for companies, investors, and institutions on both sides to:

(a) collaborate,

(b) accelerate innovation,

(c) and bring new solutions to market.

V. A Centre for the next phase of growth

19. It is against this backdrop that Enterprise Singapore has chosen Boston as its fifth office in the US.

(1) For Singapore companies, the Boston Overseas Centre will provide a new foothold on the East Coast, complementing Enterprise Singapore's office in New York.

(2) More than 150 Singapore companies already have a presence on the East Coast, and we hope to see that number grow.

(3) For Massachusetts companies and institutions, it opens a door to Singapore – a trusted, well-connected gateway to markets and partnerships across Asia.

VI. Looking ahead

20. I congratulate Enterprise Singapore on the opening of this Centre, and would like to express my appreciation to Mayor Wu, Mayor Siddiqui, and Secretary Paley for attending this opening ceremony.

21. I would also like to thank our partners in the US Government, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the City of Boston, and the City of Cambridge for their strong support for this Centre.

22. I look forward to seeing many new partnerships take shape and take flight in the years ahead.

23. Thank you.