– The inaugural China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City economic forum was successfully held

29 June 2022, Tianjin: The inaugural China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Economic Forum, themed "New Economy in a Carbon Neutral Future", was successfully held in the China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City today. Organised by the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Co., Ltd. (SSTEC), the Forum, which was held in hybrid form, showed support for China's "dual carbon" goals while complementing the Eco-City's efforts in green and low-carbon development. It also helped Singaporean and Chinese companies to gain a deeper appreciation of the growth opportunities, relevant policies and market outlook in the Eco-City. In doing so, the Forum facilitated greater exchanges between companies and tertiary and research institutes from both countries, thus taking bilateral cooperation to new heights.

The Forum was strongly supported by Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG), Business China, SingCham, Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Administrative Committee (ECAC). Close to 1,000 government representatives, business leaders, industry experts, scholars and other distinguished guests from Singapore and China attended the Forum.

The "China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Economic Forum - New Economy in a Carbon Neutral Future" was held in the Eco-City.

Mr Teo Eng Cheong, CEO of SSTEC, welcomed the guests in his opening remarks. The invited Guests-of-Honour, Ms Sim Ann, Singapore's Senior Minister of State, Ministry of National Development and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Mr Lian Maojun, Member of the Standing Committee of the Tianjin Municipal Party Committee and Secretary of the Tianjin Binhai New Area (TBNA) Party Committee, also spoke at the Forum.

Mr Teo Eng Cheong, CEO of SSTEC, delivered opening remarks.

At the Forum, ECAC, SSTEC and the Singapore University of Technology & Design (SUTD) signed the "Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Cooperation with SUTD in the China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City", under which the three parties would undertake strategic cooperation to promote people-to-people exchanges, education and training, as well as research, innovation and enterprise. The three parties would work together to support the Eco-City's growth into a leading low-carbon, smart and sustainable city, through the application of futuristic design and technologies, and deepen the education and research exchanges between Singapore and China. SSTEC also signed the "Memorandum of Understanding on the China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Smart Public Transport Project" with MooVita Pte Ltd., a Singapore company, to bring its innovative and smart transport technologies into the Eco-City. Both parties would explore the operation of "autonomous electric public buses" to create a replicable smart and low-carbon mode of transportation for the Eco-City.

Mr Mu Xihua, Vice Chairman of ECAC, Mr Teo Eng Cheong, CEO of SSTEC and Professor Chong Tow Chong, President of SUTD, signed the MOU.

Mr Teo Eng Cheong, CEO of SSTEC and Mr Derrick Loh, CEO of MooVita signed the MOU.

The official launch of the 2022 Youth "Eco-Innovation · Green Action" Competition and Eco-City "Innovation Star" Competition also took place at the Forum. Since its first edition in 2011, the Competition has taken on board China's latest approaches towards innovation and environmental protection to encourage youths and companies to be innovative and enterprising in the field of green and smart development, and to explore implementable eco-friendly and smart solutions for eco-city development. The Competition has also been a strong advocate of eco-friendly lifestyles.

Mr Liang Yiming, Deputy Head of the TBNA (right) and Mr Teo Eng Cheong, CEO of SSTEC (left) launched the 2022 Youth "Eco-Innovation · Green Action" Competition and Eco-City "Innovation Star" Competition.

Mr Lee Yi Shyan, Chairman of Business China and Singapore's former Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ministry of National Development, delivered a keynote speech at the Forum. Mr Lee said, "Countries need to work together to combat the severe threat of climate change. We need to consider how we can enhance or disrupt our existing economic and industrial structures in our efforts to develop a low-carbon economy together. As a flagship bilateral cooperation project between Singapore and China and a frontrunner in green development, the China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City has provided an effective platform for bilateral exchanges related to the development of green communities and smart cities." Mr Lee also shared Singapore's new policies to achieve its carbon neutrality targets, its investments in technological innovation and measures to help businesses transform. He earnestly hoped that in the future, the Eco-City would be a hub for renowned green policy think-tanks, green technology research institutes and green product development centres, and grow into a leading international model of a green and low-carbon city.

Mr Lee Yi Shyan, Chairman of Business China and Singapore's former Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ministry of National Development, delivered a keynote speech.

The other keynote speaker, Mr Qiu Baoxing, China's former Vice Minister, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development who is currently the President of the Chinese Society of Urban Sciences, spoke about China's "dual carbon" strategies and smart cities. Mr Qiu briefly introduced the role of smart technologies in COVID prevention, the ideal roadmap to achieve carbon neutrality, and the reduced cost of deploying renewable energy. He also shared insights on a "dual carbon" strategy for cities, elaborating on various aspects including carbon sink, transport, buildings, waste management and municipal management. As an expert who had contributed to the planning and development of the Eco-City in its early years, Mr Qiu affirmed the Eco-City's achievements in green and smart city development. He hoped the Eco-City could leverage digital technologies to uncover innovative applications for low-carbon and smart development that could be applied in a variety of fields, become a new benchmark for low-carbon and smart cities, and take concrete action to support the realisation of China's "dual carbon" goals, and in doing so, set a good example for the development of other cities.

Mr Qiu Baoxing, China's former Vice Minister, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development who is currently the President of the Chinese Society of Urban Sciences, was also invited to the Forum as a keynote speaker.

Mr Mu Xihua, Vice Chairman of ECAC, and Ms Li Kaiyin, Regional Director of North China of EnterpriseSG, shared insights on "Planning and Policy Support for the Development of Low-Carbon Industries in the Tianjin Eco-City" and "Planning and Policy Support for Low-Carbon Development in Singapore" in their respective speeches.

The Forum concluded with a panel discussion involving industry experts, academics and venture capitalists from Singapore and China. The panelists shared their insights on various topics, including "Development Strategies and Solutions for Low-Carbon Cities", "Application of Low-Carbon Technologies in Industrial Projects" and "Support for Technological Innovations in Low-Carbon Industries". They also explored the latest technologies and solutions for low-carbon cities and new models for the development of low-carbon industries. Mr Frank Ong, General Manager (Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region) of Keppel Land China, shared in the panel discussion that the Keppel Group has been continually exploring collaborative opportunities to create innovative and efficient solutions for sustainable urbanisation. Over the years, Keppel has been deeply involved in the growth of the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City, with a focus on low-carbon, green developments spanning infrastructure, a smart vibrant precinct and a carbon-neutral smart retail mall. Keppel is also embarking on the development of a "Carbon-Neutral Smart Island" in the Northern District of the Eco-City. This will be another showpiece of the collaboration between China and Singapore to create a model for smart, low-carbon eco-communities, in line with China's "dual carbon" development strategy. Looking ahead, Keppel intends to continue collaborating with more partners to expand the application of low-carbon solutions and smart technologies.

The panelists engaged in lively discussions.

Mr Teo Eng Cheong, CEO of SSTEC, said, " As the Eco-City's master developer, SSTEC has contributed in many ways to its development through the years while also providing a good platform for the technological, economic and cultural exchanges between Singapore and China. With strong support from the governments, organisations and business associations of both countries, this Forum has successfully showcased the Eco-City's achievements in low-carbon and sustainable development and the plentiful opportunities on offer, while deepening the exchanges and cooperation between both countries. We are pleased to embark on new partnerships with SUTD and MooVita to support the Eco-City's growth as a smart and low-carbon city and to instill more Singapore elements into the Eco-City. As a platform to test, implement and showcase green and low-carbon industrial applications, the Eco-City will support the entry of Singapore and ASEAN companies into the China market and provide ideal conditions for their continued growth. We also look forward to having more companies with industry-leading technologies and solutions in the Eco-City and working with them to develop our city centre for the Eco-City. SSTEC will continue to promote multi-faceted collaboration between Singapore and China, and work closely with companies to drive the development of a new low-carbon economy and related industries in the Eco-City, so that it can become a leading example of a vibrant low-carbon city that is well-integrated with industries in China.

Annex 1: Memorandum of Understanding between the China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Administrative Committee, Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Co., Ltd. and the Singapore University of Technology & Design

29 June 2022, Tianjin: A "Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Cooperation with SUTD in the China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City" was signed between the China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Administrative Committee (ECAC), Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Co., Ltd. (SSTEC) and the Singapore University of Technology & Design (SUTD) at the inaugural China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Economic Forum today.

Under this MOU, ECAC, SSTEC and SUTD would undertake strategic cooperation to promote people-to-people exchanges, education and training, as well as research, innovation and enterprise, to support the Eco-City's growth into a leading low-carbon, smart and sustainable city. The key cooperation areas include developing and applying smart technologies to promote ecological sustainable development; nurturing education, research and entrepreneurial talents to support the economic and industrial development of the Eco-City; and promoting people-to-people exchanges between Singapore and Tianjin.

Professor Chong Tow Chong, President of SUTD, said, "SUTD is proud to participate in the next phase of the Eco-City's development. We are very excited about the new vision to build the Eco-City into a vibrant, green and smart city driven by innovation, technology and enterprise. This is well aligned with SUTD's philosophy of nurturing technically-grounded leaders and innovators to serve social needs, and building a better world through design. "

About Singapore University of Technology & Design

The Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) is one of the first universities in the world to incorporate the art and science of design and technology into a truly holistic interdisciplinary education and research experience that culminates in real-world design innovations. SUTD seeks to advance knowledge and nurture technically-grounded leaders and innovators to serve societal needs. SUTD also topped a list of emerging engineering schools in the world in a study commissioned by MIT.

A research-intensive university, SUTD is distinguished by its unique East and West academic programmes that incorporate design thinking, human-centred innovation, entrepreneurship, coupled with local and international industry collaborations. SUTD's key focus areas are Healthcare, Cities and Aviation, with Artificial Intelligence/Data Science and Digital Manufacturing capabilities across all of them. Multiple post-graduate opportunities are available. Skill-based professional education and training courses are also available at SUTD Academy. For more information about SUTD, please visit:www.sutd.edu.sg.

Annex 2: Memorandum of Understanding between the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Co., Ltd. and MooVita Pte Ltd.

29 June 2021, Tianjin: A "Memorandum of Understanding on the China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Smart Public Transport Project" was signed between Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Co., Ltd. (SSTEC) and MooVita Pte Ltd. (MooVita) at the inaugural China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Economic Forum today.

Under this MOU, SSTEC and MooVita will improve the green transportation planning in the China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City. Both parties would also bring in autonomous driving technologies developed by MooVita, to explore the operation of "autonomous electric public buses" and to create a replicable smart and low-carbon mode of transportation.

Mr Derrick Loh, CEO of MooVita said "As a provider of core algorithm software technology and solutions for autonomous vehicles in Singapore, we are honored to have the opportunity to join the Eco-City's smart transportation project. Together with SSTEC, we will leverage the application for green and low-carbon industries to incorporate our latest autonomous driving technology for smart public transportation to create safe, smart, convenient, and low-carbon travel within the Eco-city."

About MooVita Pte Ltd.

MooVita curates smart mobility solutions to roadworthy autonomous vehicles for urban municipalities worldwide. The company has proudly been doing so since 2016. Today, being one of the pioneers to stand strong for a paradigm shift in mobility, we transform existing infrastructure fleets into autonomous modes for multitudinous driving conditions and offer different modes of applications to ADAS.

Annex 3: Official Launch of the 2022 Youth "Eco-Innovation · Green Action" Competition & Eco-City "Innovation Star" Competition

29 June 2022, Tianjin: The official launch of the 2022 Youth "Eco-Innovation · Green Action" Competition & Eco-City "Innovation Star" Competition took place in the China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City today. Overseen by the Tianjin Ecology and Environment Bureau, the Competition is jointly presented by the China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Administrative Committee (ECAC) and the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Co., Ltd. (SSTEC). The Competition encourages youth to be innovators and entrepreneurs in the field of ecological and smart development, and to uncover practical green and smart solutions for the development of eco-cities. At the same time, the Competition also calls on youths to lead a sustainable eco-friendly lifestyle.

The Competition is organised by the China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Construction Bureau, China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Technology Innovation Bureau, Communist Youth League Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Committee and Beihang Investment (Tianjin) Sci-Tech Innovation. The China Association of Productivity Promotion Centre Green Productivity Committee, Friends of Nature, Tianjin Eco-City Green Building Research Institute and THEE Venture Capital are co-organisers of the Competition. The Competition also receives strong support from the China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Environment Bureau, the China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Commerce Bureau and the China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Smart City Development Bureau. Sina Welfare Channel is the media partner of the Competition.

10 consecutive editions of the Competition have been held since its inception in 2011. The Competition, which is aligned with China's latest approaches towards ecological development, innovation and entrepreneurship, has attracted 1,012 entries from 285 companies, universities, institutions and individuals in 91 cities from China and abroad to date. As China strives to achieve its "dual carbon" goals, the Competition will also make "Approaches to Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality" its theme and address issues encountered by the Eco-City and Tianjin in promoting ecological and smart development. Youths will be encouraged to submit entries in seven major areas – renewable energy; energy conservation for buildings; mechanisms to incentivise the reduction of carbon emissions; smart lifestyles and amenities; smart transportation; smart development projects; and other approaches towards decarbonisation. Through this, the Competition hopes to uncover more advanced technologies, products and solutions for the sustainable development of cities and communities, and contribute to ecological civilisation while doing so.

To encourage youths to be innovators and entrepreneurs, attract more outstanding companies, projects and talents to the Eco-City and support the high-quality development of the Eco-City, the Competition has introduced new "Innovation Star" Awards this year. This is on top of the original awards and incentives given out through this Competition. Winning teams that meet the required criteria and register in the Eco-City can also apply for the "Innovation Star" Awards, which will be worth up to RMB 650,000 in total (teams may refer to the Awards details to understand the amount they may apply). Given the Eco-City's status as a bilateral cooperation platform between China and Singapore, more Singapore teams will also be encouraged to participate in the Competition.

The Competition provides a platform for the participating teams to engage in academic, research and industry exchanges and match their resources, while also lending support to city and environmental development. Moving forward, ECAC and SSTEC will continue to be socially responsible entities and progressively establish the Competition as an internationally known event with good branding.

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About Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Co., Ltd. (SSTEC)

Founded in July 2009, the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Co., Ltd. (SSTEC) is the master developer of the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City (the Eco-City). It is a 50-50 joint venture between a Singapore Consortium led by the Keppel Group and a Chinese Consortium led by Tianjin TEDA Investment Holding Co., Ltd.

The Eco-City is a flagship bilateral project between the governments of China and Singapore. To meet the needs of an urbanising China, the Eco-City, which is located in the Tianjin Binhai New Area (45 km away from Tianjin city centre), will be developed into a beautiful and sustainable coastal city that people enjoy living, working and traveling in.

For more information about SSTEC, please visit: www.tianjineco-city.com

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Email: jiaqi.li@tianjineco-city.com