Have you heard of a condominium hotel or condotel? As the name may imply, it is a condominium that operates as a hotel, which you could own because units within the hotel are individually owned and managed for you. Hannah Yulo Luccini, CEO of Hotel101 Global, tells us a bit more about how such projects work and how it is different from traditional time-shares with their Condotel project in Niseko, Japan.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Digital health innovations are playing a more pivotal role in disease management and treatments. From electronic health record integration to wearable devices and mobile applications, advancements in digital technologies are offering more opportunities to improve health outcomes.  On World Diabetes Day (14 Nov), Industry Insight takes a look into the healthcare technology industry and discuss trends specific to diabetes management with Dr. Kenneth Lee, Regional Medical Director, Abbott...

Tokenisation and on-chain finance are becoming buzzwords in the financial industry. Increasingly, more traditional financial institutions are taking collaborative and bolder steps towards a harmonious coexistence of the traditional and the digital. On Industry Insight, we take a look at trends in the blockchain industry, particularly the ways technology is reshaping how traditional financial instruments are digitised and traded. Aaron Gwak, is the founder and CEO of Libeara, a technology...

Technology is driving the transition to a more sustainable future. Green tech innovations are at the forefront of the global sustainability push, offering practical solutions to some of the most pressing environmental challenges. Recently, UOB FinLab, the Bank’s innovation accelerator, awarded a total ofmore than $100,000 to selected Green Technology (GreenTech) firms to pilot 15 sustainability solutions with UOB and its corporate partners across ASEAN. The pilot solutions and partnerships...

The US dollar is soaring amid strong momentum to the upside following Donald Trump’s US election win.  What does this mean for the USD / JPY pair and the carry trade? How will a strong dollar and impending tariffs impact the Chinese markets? How does the USD pair with the Singapore dollar in the current market conditions? Yeap Junrong, Market Strategist at IG, weighs in with his views on the greenback.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The global quantum computing market is estimated to be worth between US$45 billion and US$131 billion by 2040 (McKinsey). The single largest sector to be impacted is the financial services sector, with an estimated value at stake of US$450 billion. To this end, the business world is rapidly transforming with two revolutionary technologies leading the charge; quantum computing and AI. Each of these technologies represents immense potential to redefine the boundaries of what's possible. This...

Up to 20,000 additional certificates of entitlement (COE) will be injected across the five vehicle categories over the next few years from February 2025. The announcement, made by Land Transport Authority on Oct 29, has sparked much discussion among many. The LTA says the move reflects recent trends in vehicle usage, the upcoming and improved ERP 2.0 system and significant investments in Singapore’s public transport network. Could a boost in COE supply lead to a drop in COE premiums and ease...

Singapore Airlines Group's net profit fell 48.5% YoY to $742m in H1 FY2024/2025 on weaker operating performance. Shares of the city's flag carrier dropped after it reported a slump in profits due to increased competition and higher fuel costs.   Isaac Lim, Chief Market Strategist at investment platform moomoo Singapore joins The Afternoon Update to unpack details of the earnings release and shares his take on the charts for SIA's stocks.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In recent years, the digital entertainment landscape has witnessed a fascinating evolution with the emergence of Virtual YouTubers, or VTubers. There is a rising trend of these content creators who use computer-generated avatars representing themselves in videos and live streams. The VTuber market, stands at around US$500 million ($658.7 million).  Today on Industry Insight, we find out more about this trend in the live-streaming industry from SGX-Listed live-streaming platform 17LIVE. The...

With the rise of digital assets, it can be quite an uphill journey and steep learning curve for both traditional banks and clients in navigating this space. This is where Singapore-based digital payment solution provider MetaComp enters the picture.  Describing themselves as the Compass of the Meta-Crypto World, Eddie Hui, COO and Co-President of MetaComp and Tin Pei Ling, Co-President of MetaComp, shares with us more about their vision, which is to build the bridge between traditional and...

While quantum computing is still in its developmental stages, it is gearing up to have a profound impact on the financial system. According to McKinsey, by 2035, quantum computing use cases in the finance industry could create $622billion in value. Here in Singapore, efforts are being made to tap into that potential. For example, just a few months ago, the Monetary Authority of Singapore announced plans to invest SGD$100 million to fund quantum computing and AI projects, as part of a...

As global financial institutions and consumers navigate economic and regulatory changes, more effective ways are sought to predict risk. With the boom in generative AI, how has technology changed the financial services industry when it comes to financial crime compliance? What are the new challenges for financial institutions in the fight against financial crime? Rohit Mittal, APAC Director of Financial Crime Compliance and Payments at global data and analytics company LexisNexis Risk...

In an era of rapid digital transformation, efficient and innovative payment solutions are crucial for business success.  On Industry Insight, we look at the latest in payment solutions, and explore the advancements in payment technologies. From real-time transactions to embedded finance, what are some of the common initiatives industry players are focusing on, to help businesses scale and unlock new revenue streams through smarter and more secure payment infrastructures?  Sarita Singh,...

Carbon markets have evolved into a significant international market segment that has generated $104 billion in revenue in 2024 to fund climate and nature programs. Indeed, it is a growing sector, especially when energy transition and the race to net zero is entering a new phase of maturity in which nations and corporations are being held to higher levels of integrity in both compliance and voluntary carbon offset claims, reporting and data. Singapore’s Green Plan 2030 aims to make the...

There is an emerging trend of innovative products being made to help boost food production without agriculture. For example, fat that is free from animal ingredients and artificial ingredients. Using precision fermentation, Australian food tech company Nourish Ingredients, a pioneer in the emerging 'animal-free' speciality fat segment has produced the world's first animal-free fat that is derived from nature. It claims this will help to accelerate the future food system by solving the...

With the US election and Fed meeting on the horizon, there is a noticeable shift in investor sentiment across Asian markets. Key movements in currencies hint at regional resilience amid global uncertainties as the dollar weakened ahead of the outcome of the U.S. presidential election this week. However, the Malaysian ringgit has seen its move to the upside halted, closing in October lower by 5.8 per cent against the US dollar, which is its biggest monthly drop in about eight years. What can...

For Singapore-based investors, letting properties in the UK is one of the best ways to make a steady income. But a long-distance landlord job can be challenging. Research by independent letting and sales agent Benham and Reeves has highlighted the increasing number of fraudulent lettings applications by rogue tenants in the UK. The research found that the number of false applications being detected by their team had already increased by 117% so far this year when compared to 2018 and the...

China’s top legislature will convene a meeting from November 4-8 to discuss a wide range of issues facing the country.  The meeting which usually takes place at the end of October, will be held as the US elects its next president. How will the US elections impact China’s markets? Gary Ng, Senior Economist at investment banking firm Natixis, tells us more about what to expect from China’s top legislative meeting. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba insists that he would not step down following the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)’s resounding defeat in the lower house election. A special Diet session must be held within 30 days of the election to elect the prime minister, as bound by the Constitution. But whether this will again be Mr Ishiba, who had taken office only on Oct 1, is a big question mark. Walter Sim, Japan Correspondent at The Straits Times, weighs in on the contributing factors...

With the US Election exactly a week away, opinion polls show a frozen presidential race, between Vice-President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump, especially in the handful of decisive swing states. All the polls are within the margin of error, as both camps continue to fight for every vote.  What happens in the coming days will be pivotal in deciding the winner, so what can we expect? What is the state of play?  Samuel Garrett, Research Associate at the University of...

With more than 90% of Singapore food coming from imported sources, food security is a big issue here since we are more vulnerable to many factors outside our control. Therefore, a Singapore Aquaculture Plan has been implemented to uplift the local aquaculture sector and work towards sustainably producing 30% of our food by 2030, especially as aquaculture has some of the highest attrition rates in the range of 70% of entire yields being wiped out.  On Industry Insight, we look into solutions...

Asia Pacific is home to some of the world’s largest real-time payments markets. In the last decade, there has been rapid proliferation of digital payment solutions such as digital wallets, peer-to-peer transfers, and contactless payments, which have enabled the growth of digital economies across Asia and beyond. While the payments experience may seem simpler, providers face growing challenges from regulations, fragment systems and the advancement of AI. In a wide-ranging interview, Thomas...

The US presidential election is just a week away. A win for either side will significantly change what happens in the world, including market movements. What would a Kamala Harris or Donald Trump victory mean for the US stock market and global markets? Yeap Junrong, Market Strategist at IG, looks ahead to the possibilities, the various permutations of the results and the impact on the S&P 500, Chinese Markets and Emerging markets.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over this year’s Singapore Grand Prix weekend, a 20 percent increase in the number of international visitors was observed, while the number of high-net-worth visitors surged by over 70%. According to data from Visa’s Formula One Travel Spending Data Report, the exciting and busy weekend drove close to 30% spending uplift.  With several high-value tourist events happening this year besides the Singapore Grand Prix, such as concerts featuring music icons Taylor Swift, Coldplay and Bruno Mars,...