Singapore: Most admired Knowledge City in the world

Someone I met on the highway of life not too long ago, a newfound co-sojourner, flew to Mexico around the same time I left for China because the Singapore Government had appointed him to Mexico to receive this award on their behalf:

where Singapore placed TOP amongst all the cities of the world!

I must rave about it!

A panel of experts voted for 38 MAKCI nominees and the top 10 are placed as follows

1. Singapore
2. Barcelona, Spain
3. Ottawa, Canada
4. Bilbao, Spain
5. Boston, USA
6. Helsinki, Finland
7. Monterrey, Mexico
8. Wien, Austria
9. Aguascalientes, Mexico
10. London, UK

Wow, I never realised that experts think Singapore is ahead of London and even Boston (which boasts of knowledge tanks like MIT and Harvard) when these 8 indicators were used in the evaluation framework
1. Identity Capital
2. Intelligence Capital
3. Financial Capital
4. Relational Capital
5. Human Individual Capital
6. Human Collective Capital
7. Instrumental-material Capital
8. Instrumental-knowledge Capital

Singapore is regarded as the premier regional hub to attract foreign Multinational Corporations (MNCs) and local enterprises to use it as a production base for high value added products and to provide manufacturing related services for their subsidiaries in the region. This south-Asian city-nation has attracted key MNCs headquarter services to the
region.

The Singaporean government also recognizes the need to nurture small and medium local enterprises and to build up a core of world-class companies with core competencies, which can compete in the global economy3. As such, the Economic Development Board (EDB) of Singapore has launched a knowledge-based 10-year plan to develop Singapore into a vibrant and robust global hub of knowledge-driven industries in manufacturing and traded services with emphasis on technology, innovation and capabilities. The idea is to encourage MNCs to locate more of their key knowledge-intensive activities in Singapore and for local companies to embrace more knowledge-intensive activities and become world-class players. Such plan envisions integrating Singapore into the global economy to leverage on international talent, knowledge and technology, by providing an entrepreneurial environment that embraces innovation to generate new business and growth and grooming world-class local and foreign companies in niche areas. Additionally, Singapore has engaged now in an effort to nurture its cultural base and to develop other social capitals.

In comparison to Boston (where I almost committed 4 years of my life for studies)

Boston is one of America’s oldest cities, evolving into a centre for social and political change, and becoming the economic and cultural hub of New England. Boston boasts a diversified economy, a strong Institutional and physical infrastructure and a culture and practice of innovation. The city’s human capital stems from its nearly 590,000 residents, world-class institutions of higher education, some of the world’s finest inpatient hospitals, and numerous cultural and professional sports organizations. Boston-based jobs, primarily within the finance, health care, educational, and service areas, numbered nearly 660,000 in 2002.
Boston’s racial/ethnic diversity reflecting ties to most parts of the world, which contributes to global connectivity: an international port and airport. The city also boasts an expanding public transportation system and the fruits of investment in research and city building. Its unique environmental assets such as a newly clean harbor, and an expanding system of urban open space are combined with a wealth of human capital in the skills, ideas and aspirations of residents who are seemingly ready to develop new strategies for success in the challenging 21st century.

Singapore’s been admired for many things as a country and a city. But for knowledge?

Now that’s cool! And something quite unexpected to me. From young, I’ve always seen Singapore acquiring knowledge from global influences, sending our kids on scholarships to places like Boston and Barcelona to learn from the very best.

I’ll write more about my thoughts on this award on my CNET Asia blog later.

References
The World Capital Institute
Expert Panel
Evaluation Framework