Despite geopolitical tensions, they build toilets for rural communities or teach literacy skills to youths in the name of driving overseas change.
As they stare down the barrel of growing trade protectionism and nationalism, uncertainty may be the
overriding sentiment for some business leaders in 2025. In part, this can be attriuted to a tense geopolitical
climate that has countries on edge as they anticipate the fallout of a second Trump term.
A recent report by market intelligence firm S&P Global projected the trend of conditional globalisation, in
which governments increasingly dictate trade flows through tariffs and export restrictions. However, despite the
brow-furrowing conjecture, Singaporeans are going out on a limb to address social problems and create an
impact overseas through startups as well as non-profit ventures.
Singapore University of Social Sciences’(SUSS) Entrepreneurship department executive Meng Yi-Ju notes that
several impact startups within the SUSS ecosystem are exploring overseas expansion opportunities. The goal is
to reach larger markets to increase profitability and scale social impact.
Singaporeans are known for their propensity to bring about meaningful change to countries with unmet needs.
“Singapore’s strengths lie in its advanced knowledge and technological capabilities,”he suggests.“Social
entrepreneurs often focus on techdriven solutions to address pressing issues such as an ageing population, food
security and climate change—problems that are also relevant locally.”