Amid rapid technological and geopolitical changes in the world, Singapore has made important adjustments to adapt to the new environment, with key measures such as improving legal and regulatory frameworks, increasing investment in research and development (R&D), developing high-quality human resources, promoting digital transformation and gradually mastering core technologies.

Vietnam is also facing the need for strong transformation, despite challenges in infrastructure, energy, human resources and institutions.

At the 10th ASEAN Conference in Singapore, Richard D. McClellan, CEO of the Vietnam International Financial Centre (VIFC), said the rapid pace of technological development requires Vietnam to upgrade its infrastructure in a coordinated manner.

He stressed the need for a strong education system to retain talent, alongside developing data centres and ensuring adequate electricity and energy supplies, noting that energy remains one of the biggest challenges for Vietnam as it seeks to meet the needs of a population of around 100 million while targeting annual economic growth of 8-10% and transitioning to green energy.

According to him, Vietnam is moving in the right direction in talent development, overall strategic orientation and policy reform.

After years of research and work in Singapore, Prof. Vu Minh Khuong from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy identified five key principles underpinning the country’s adaptability to major global changes.

Singapore maintains a strong awareness of “existential risks”. Over the past six decades, the perception that failure to move forward could leave the country behind has encouraged leaders and society to continuously innovate and adapt to competitive pressures.

The country places importance on strengthening public trust in institutions. Khuong said major projects can succeed only with broad social support, prompting Singapore to carefully assess public backing before launching large-scale programmes.

Khuong said Singapore focuses on delivering tangible results and bringing technology into everyday life. In areas such as AI, digital and green transformation, people and businesses need to see, experience and benefit from concrete outcomes.

The country seeks to attract talented people and those with a forward-looking vision into governance, particularly those with technological expertise, thus helping improve the quality of national governance and strengthen the capacity of the entire system, he added.

Singapore also fosters a culture of continuous learning and adaptation. It regularly organises seminars and exchanges to update knowledge and seek new approaches.

Khuong noted that Vietnam is also making positive progress in this area, with officials increasingly focused on updating knowledge, learning from new models and adapting to changes. The key, he stressed, is to quickly translate these efforts into concrete results, which can build trust, strengthen motivation and drive further development.

As technology advances at unprecedented speed, from AI and semiconductors to digital and green transformation, Singapore’s experience shows that successful adaptation depends not only on choosing the right technologies, but also on governance capacity, human resources, social trust and the ability to turn technological change into tangible value for people and businesses.

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