Riding the tech wave

In Loh's view, the breathtaking, awe-inspiring power and sheer wildness of technology, or AI to be precise, offer all the elements required to be an integral part of the efficiency, and no exchange can afford to miss the boat. As technology evolves over time, "it will be natural to see more up-and-coming AI-related companies to expand and look for capital".

The game-changing technology also calls for exchanges and regulators worldwide to strike a delicate balance between wider adoption and ensuring transparency and integrity. At the heart of the increasingly interconnected global financial system lies collaboration.

Indeed, SGX is working hard pressing home its advantages as the operator of a fair, orderly, transparent market with structural reforms. The Monetary Authority of Singapore, the country's central bank, established a review group in August last year to recommend measures to make the financial hub a fundraising magnet for prominent international companies. A related report is expected to be completed by this August.

The MAS and the market's front-line regulator, the Singapore Exchange Regulation, are launching consultation exercises on proposed regulatory changes in phases. This includes proposed measures for a more disclosure-based approach characterized by a pro-enterprise stance and undertakings to strengthen investor confidence.

From boosting investor demand to attracting quality listings and streamlining regulations, the pursuit of openness, neutrality and international engagement means a lot against a radical shift toward protectionism and nationalistic agendas that could unravel decades of economic interdependence.

Southeast Asia wants greater collective efforts to turbocharge its green transition to sustainable growth.

Loh says this is where Chinese domestic investors and companies' robust interest in low-carbon themes could come into play. Particularly interesting is that China's energy and EV enterprises are on track to take Chinese renewable energy supply chains overseas, vying for a fair share of green opportunities across Southeast Asia.

Singapore, he says, is poised to be a strategic pivot, with the backing of SGX's strong portfolio of multiasset offerings.

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