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Singapore SME Chamber Launches “SME UNITE” Program to Help Businesses Expand Overseas through Strategic Partnerships

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2025-12-09 12:01

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The Singapore SME Chamber (ASME) has announced that it will officially launch the new “SME UNITE” program in the first quarter of next year. The initiative aims to create a platform for local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to integrate resources, facilitate collaborations, and pursue non-organic growth strategies, helping them expand more effectively into regional and global markets. In today’s rapidly evolving business environment, SMEs—particularly micro and small enterprises—often lack the scale and capacity to expand overseas independently, making strategic alliances, joint ventures, and mergers essential for accelerating growth.
 

ASME Advisory Committee Chairman, Li Ruixiang, noted that extensive consultations with SME owners revealed strong interest in collaboration as a growth strategy, yet many face limitations due to insufficient expertise, resource gaps, and asymmetric market information. “We aim to build a comprehensive ecosystem that allows enterprises to form stronger alliances on a trusted platform, create more cross-border collaboration opportunities, and gradually achieve the scale required to compete internationally,” he said.
 

ASME President, Hong Yu, emphasized that relying solely on organic growth often prevents SMEs from gaining a competitive edge in overseas markets. In a rapidly transforming global economy, businesses must actively seek partners, explore new markets, and leverage professional institutions to strengthen operational capabilities. He stated that the launch of SME UNITE responds to this need, providing enterprises with diversified growth pathways to develop faster and more sustainably in the new economic environment.
 

In addition to the new program, ASME is actively expanding its global market access initiatives. This year, the Chamber led business delegations to Taiwan, Malaysia, and Dubai, focusing on artificial intelligence, technology collaboration, and cross-border investment opportunities, while continuing to facilitate connections with key markets such as China, Vietnam, and Indonesia. To help enterprises navigate the uncertainties of overseas expansion, ASME has partnered with the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA) to establish overseas service centers in Shanghai, Ho Chi Minh City, and Jakarta. These centers provide enterprises with local policy guidance, regulatory advice, business matching, and potential client engagement support.

 

During the event, ASME also announced the 29th Council members, consisting of 16 professionals from diverse industries. The new Council reflects the Chamber’s continued commitment to harness cross-industry expertise and support the sustainable development of local SME.
 

Against the backdrop of SMEs actively pursuing overseas growth, professional corporate service providers play an increasingly important role. FOZL Group, headquartered in Singapore, is an international accounting and business advisory firm that has long partnered with ISCA. FOZL Group provides services including company registration, secretarial services, compliance filings, financial accounting and tax reporting, statutory audits, work passes and human resource management, trademark registration, and cross-border business advisory. With operational centers in Singapore, Malaysia, China, Germany, and Indonesia, FOZL Group has cross-regional professional teams and an international network, assisting enterprises in establishing operations across Southeast Asia and Europe while ensuring regulatory compliance, thereby providing reliable professional support for SMEs to grow in regional and global markets.

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