Initial stop on first Asia-trip since pandemic reflects broad consensus on peaceful global order, free trade and underlines continued commitment to the Region.

German Federal President Frank Walter Steinmeier will visit Singapore from June 14 – 15 before he continues to Indonesia on what will be his first trip to Asia since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ahead of his visit, President Steinmeier comments: “The Indo-Pacific remains a priority for us. The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine has underlined once again that we have to avoid unilateral dependencies, expand our partnerships and diversify our supply chains.
Singapore took a very clear stance following Russia’s attack on Ukraine. We are strongly aligned with Singapore in our commitment to preserving and strengthening the rules-based international order. My trip is meant to express our appreciation and that despite all difficulties we face in Europe, we stand with our partners to defend the multilateral order – in Europe as well as in Asia.”

Dr. Norbert Riedel, German Ambassador to Singapore, adds, “Singapore is at the centre of one of the most dynamic regions in Asia. More than 2,100 German companies providing for more than 45,000 jobs locally are testament to our confidence in Singapore, its business environment and its role as a regional hub.
Even in the pandemic, we maintained a robust and intense political dialogue on all levels. Singapore as the first stop on President Steinmeier’s trip celebrates the trust forged and the manifold milestones in German-Singaporean relations this year.
With ASEAN poised to become the fourth largest economic area in the world by 2030, there is great potential for co-operation to develop solutions to the challenges of the future.
I am looking forward to welcoming President Steinmeier in Singapore, as the city-state makes for an ideal location to discuss the consequences of recent disruptions of supply chains and upheavals in the global order.”

President Steinmeier will be accompanied by members of parliament, government representatives, an economic delegation as well as representatives from think-tanks, the arts and scientific exchange institutions.

His programme in Singapore will include a visit to TUM Asia, the first subsidiary of prestigious Technical University Munich founded in 2002 in Singapore. He will also meet with students of German European School Singapore that celebrates its 50th anniversary.

On the margins of his stay, the book “Germans in Singapore - Stories from 200 years of friendship in an age of globalisation” will be pre-launched and available for advance-orders at www.germansinsingapore.sg

Having visited Singapore before in his former role as foreign minister, the visit is his second visit to Singapore as President after his stay in 2017. Singaporean President Halimah Yacob reciprocated his state visit in December 2019.

For further enquiries and photos of the visit, please contact the press section of the German Embassy Singapore: christabel.fernandez@diplo.de and heinrich.hubbe@diplo.de

Telephone: +65-6231-0834 Mobile: +65-8661-4667

BACKGROUND

The Programme of German Federal President Frank Walter Steinmeier Singapore will include the visit of the following institutions:

TUM Asia

To recruit Singapore as an education hub and attract students from home and abroad, Singapore's Economic Development Board launched the Global Schoolhouse Initiative in 2002. In the same year, the private subsidiary of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) opened the first branch of a German university abroad. The first degree program offered by TUM was Industrial Chemistry (M.Sc.) and ended with a degree from TUM and the National University of Singapore (NUS).

In 2010, TUM CREATE was launched, a research project in which TUM collaborated with scientists from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) to find solutions for the mobility of the future.

Asian Civilisation Museum

The Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) is the first museum in the region to offer a comprehensive perspective of pan-Asian cultures and civilizations. The museum aims to promote a better understanding of Singapore's multi-ethnic society.

Emphasis is also placed on the long history of trade and cultural exchange among the various peoples in Asia. The region was a center of global trade as early as the ninth century. Singapore is located between two oceans, on a busy sea route - better known in recent times as the “maritime Silk Road.” These economic links led to the exchange of technologies and artistic ideas, as well as contacts between peoples of different cultures.

National Gallery Singapore

The National Gallery Singapore is a leading fine arts institution housing the world's largest public collection of Singaporean and Southeast Asian art with nearly 8,000 works of art. The museum is housed in two national monuments - City Hall and the former Supreme Court, which have been transformed into the 64,000-square-meter venue after restoration. Exhibitions focus on Singapore culture and relationships with other Asian cultures and the world.

Bosch

Robert Bosch (South East Asia) Pte Ltd, based in Singapore, is a regional subsidiary of the Bosch Group and has represented the Group's interests in Southeast Asia since 1923. In fiscal 2020, the Singapore company generated sales of 85 million euros. Around 750 associates are employed at the regional headquarters. Bosch promotes regional cooperation among startups in its Innovation Hub, which opened in 2021. One of the startups in the Innovation Hub is AquaEasy, which is working on an aquaculture solution that combines sensors, software and analytics to improve the yield and predictability of shrimp farming.

Life Science Incubator

The Life Science Incubator (LSI) at the German Centre in Singapore is a state-of-the-art and fully equipped co-working laboratory for companies in the biotech, medtech and life science industries. It offers company founders, start-ups, scientists and researchers everything they need from a single source.

German Centre

The German Centre (GC) in Singapore, a subsidiary of Landesbank Baden-Württemberg, is the pilot project of the German Centre network. Initiated in 1993, this German Centre for Industry and Trade project now includes six international locations (Beijing, Mexico, Moscow, Shanghai and Taicang) and cooperation with the Business Incubator Vietnam. Since its opening in 1995, it has been supporting predominantly German companies in their start-up, settlement or market entry by providing office, conference and production space, among other things, in addition to various consulting services. The GC promotes networking and exchange between companies, institutions, authorities and experts and organizes workshops and information events.

Singaporean-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce

The Singaporean-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK) was founded in 2004, part of the network of about 140 German Chambers of Commerce Abroad in 92 countries worldwide. With about 600 members, the AHK is one of the largest chambers of commerce with a broad network of committees. The AHK Singapore is the first point of contact to obtain information about the German and Singaporean business environment and the bilateral trade relations between Germany and Singapore. The AHK has its office in the German Centre, a building in Singapore's International Business District where German companies can rent office space.

Sustainability Centre “City Sprouts”

City Sprouts is a non-profit social project that aims to rejuvenate urban spaces and develop educational programs. It promotes exchanges between people and businesses. Furthermore, within this campaign, it aims to inform, educate and accordingly support environmentally conscious, sustainable and social actions on social and environmental issues. Established in 2019, City Sprouts @ Henderson is the first redevelopment project to transform a portion of the former Henderson Secondary School into an urban agriculture project. Located between a nursing home and a child care center, the facility is designed to help foster relationships between Generations.