Rising Singapore business costs have become the leading concern for local companies as global uncertainty, weaker demand and supply-chain disruption weigh on profitability. A Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry survey of 540 businesses found that 80% were concerned about higher operating expenses, up from 65% a year earlier. Although 78% expected to remain profitable in 2026, 56% anticipated lower earnings than in the current year. Companies said they were resp

Thailand AI adoption should move beyond isolated pilot projects and become embedded across core business operations if organisations are to unlock the technology's full economic value, according to Google Cloud Thailand. Country manager Saruj Thipsena said enterprise-wide deployment could generate THB1.4tr (USD43bn) in economic value over the next five years. He said organisations require consistent AI governance, secure access to internal data, collaboration across departmen

The Taiwan economic indicator remained at a red level in June for a seventh consecutive month as strong artificial intelligence demand continued to support exports, industrial sales and investment. The National Development Council said the composite business monitoring score increased by two points from May to 41, marking the second-longest red-level streak on record. Leading and coincident indicators also strengthened. Demand for semiconductors, chips and servers continued t

The KPay Singapore licence application has received in-principle approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore, allowing the fintech company to move closer to expanding regulated payment services. Subject to satisfying MAS conditions and obtaining final approval, KPay Merchant Service Singapore will be authorised to provide merchant acquisition, domestic money transfers and cross-border transfer services under a major payment institution licence. KPay already serves more

HSBC Singapore hiring will add more than 200 employees across artificial intelligence and wealth management as the lender expands two businesses central to its Asian growth strategy. HSBC plans to recruit more than 100 AI specialists and a further 100 wealth managers. A new Singapore AI centre is expected to open during the second half of 2026, with roles spanning natural language processing, data science, AI governance and human-centred design. The centre will focus on perso

The HKMA quantum readiness programme aims to prepare Hong Kong’s banking sector fully for quantum-related cybersecurity risks by 2030 after the regulator’s first industry index revealed limited progress. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s Quantum Preparedness Index scored the banking sector at just 2.3 out of 10. Around 68% of surveyed banks had reached the awareness, planning or pilot stage, while 32% had yet to begin preparing for the transition. Approximately half lacked a

Hong Kong GDP is forecast to expand by 4.3% in 2026 as artificial intelligence investment, recovering capital markets and stronger domestic demand support the city's economic outlook, according to Standard Chartered. Senior economist Tommy Wu said Hong Kong is well positioned to benefit from Asia's AI-driven investment cycle through its logistics and trading sectors, noting that more than 70% of electronic products imported into mainland China pass through Hong Kong. Recoveri

The South Korea economy is expected to lose momentum during the second quarter of 2026 as weaker domestic demand offsets exceptional export growth driven by artificial intelligence-related semiconductor investment. A Reuters survey forecast quarterly gross domestic product growth of 0.4%, slowing sharply from the revised 1.8% expansion recorded during the first quarter. Annual growth is expected to ease to 3.5% from 3.8%. Exports increased by approximately 71% in June, suppor

FinEx Club AI governance was a central theme at the organisation's Strategic Advisory Board reception in Hong Kong, where members reviewed a year of initiatives spanning financial markets, tokenisation, artificial intelligence and executive development. The event brought together founder and chairman Morris Hui, senior adviser Jonathan Watkin, chief executive of Asia First Financial Insights, and other advisory board members. Lawrence Au introduced the FinEx Club Research Cen

The Hong Kong Investment Corporation generated a strong 14% net internal rate of return in 2025 as the government-owned investment fund expanded its portfolio across strategic sectors including artificial intelligence, biotechnology, fintech and green energy. Investment income rose 175% to HKD6.46bn (USD824m), while operating profit increased 181% to HKD6.3bn. Total assets reached HKD69.7bn as the sovereign investment fund continued deploying capital to support Hong Kong's in

LEAP East Hong Kong has secured a long-term future in the city after organisers confirmed a three-year partnership that will keep the technology and innovation summit in Hong Kong through 2029. The inaugural three-day event attracted approximately 25,000 participants, including 600 investors overseeing more than USD6.5tr in assets, alongside 340 speakers, 450 exhibitors and 300 startups. Organiser Tahaluf, together with the Hong Kong Tourism Board and the Innovation, Technolo

Private markets data is set to become more transparent and standardised after MSCI and UBS announced a strategic partnership aimed at improving reporting quality, analytics and benchmarking across private assets. The collaboration responds to growing industry demand for more consistent performance measurement as private markets continue to expand. Under the agreement, UBS will adopt MSCI's artificial intelligence-powered private markets platform, contributing expertise from i

Asia-Pacific venture capital delivered the region's strongest private-market performance in 2025, although investors remain cautious about increasing allocations amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainty. Reports from MSCI and Coller Capital showed global venture capital generated returns of 22%, ahead of private equity's 13.3%, while Asia-Pacific venture capital produced regional returns of 15.3%. Globally, venture capital achieved a 19% internal rate of return, helped by its st

Singapore supply chain resilience is stronger than in other major developed markets, with local businesses better prepared to withstand prolonged disruptions, according to Proxima's 2026 Global Supply Chain Resilience Outlook. The findings highlight Singapore's continued focus on operational resilience and business continuity amid increasing geopolitical and technology-related risks. The survey found that 23% of Singapore companies could continue operating for between four an

Family office technology is becoming a defining factor in the next stage of Hong Kong's wealth management development as increasingly sophisticated portfolios require stronger operational infrastructure alongside investment expertise. A commentary published on Wednesday said technology and operating capability, rather than capital alone, will determine how effectively family offices manage growing cross-border complexity. The report said family offices are increasingly adopti

Wiki Finance Expo Hong Kong 2026 will bring together global investors, technology companies and financial institutions when it takes place at Hong Kong's Hopewell Hotel on July 23-24. Organisers describe the event as Asia's largest conference dedicated to financial technology, foreign exchange and cryptocurrency, reinforcing Hong Kong's position as a regional hub for digital finance and innovation. The event is expected to attract more than 12,000 participants from over 120 c

Thailand's newly licensed virtual banks are expected to expand cautiously during their initial years of operation as regulators prioritise financial stability and prudent risk management, according to market analysts. The Thailand virtual banks framework requires institutions to undergo a restricted operating phase lasting between three and five years before receiving full licences. Under regulations issued by the Bank of Thailand, new virtual banks must maintain paid-up capi

Singapore is establishing a Future of Finance Institute to accelerate financial innovation through greater adoption of artificial intelligence, tokenisation and emerging financial technologies, the Monetary Authority of Singapore announced. The Singapore financial innovation initiative is intended to help transform successful pilot projects into large-scale commercial deployment. The institute will bring together financial institutions, fintech firms, technology companies and

Hong Kong is preparing further legal and regulatory enhancements to support wider adoption of distributed ledger technology within its fixed-income markets following completion of the first phase of a government-led review. The Hong Kong tokenised bonds initiative aims to strengthen the city's position as a leading digital capital-markets centre. The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority concluded that the existing legal framework is

Artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly important source of investment research, but affluent investors continue to rely on professional advisers when making major financial decisions, according to HSBC Hong Kong. The AI investment advice survey highlights growing adoption of digital tools while reinforcing the enduring value of human expertise. The study, covering nearly 10,000 investors across 10 markets, found that more than three-quarters of Hong Kong responde