24 June 2026 | 11:30–12:30 CET | Online
Almi Östra Mellansverige, under the Regional Exportsamverkan and Enterprise Europe Network umbrella, recently hosted a webinar on export and investment opportunities in Singapore and Indonesia. Business Sweden provided the speakers. The session gave Swedish companies an overview of two complementary Southeast Asian markets and introduced the upcoming Focus Asia SME Study Trip in October 2026.
The framing was straightforward: Singapore continues to serve as one of Asia’s leading business and innovation hubs, while Indonesia is emerging as one of the region’s most significant long-term growth markets. Together they offer Swedish companies a combination of market access, regional headquarters, manufacturing, and industrial expansion.
Trade Commissioner Erik Odar presented Indonesia as a rapidly evolving economy undergoing industrial transformation.
With a population approaching 286 million and GDP of approximately USD 1.45 trillion, Indonesia remains Southeast Asia’s largest economy. It has grown by around 5 percent annually for the past fifteen years, and forecasts point to a similar rate over the next decade. Manufacturing contributes roughly 19 percent of GDP, supported by a young, digitally oriented population, abundant natural resources, and extensive government investment in infrastructure.
Rather than relying on commodity exports, Indonesia is pursuing downstream industrialisation, particularly in critical minerals such as nickel, while investing in manufacturing capacity, digital infrastructure, and renewable energy.
Several sectors were highlighted as offering strong opportunities for Swedish companies:
Consumer. A growing middle class adds several million people each year. Demand is shifting toward premium products, particularly in food and drink, and e-commerce is widely adopted.
Healthcare. Odar described the sector as underdeveloped relative to neighbours such as Thailand and Singapore, with too few hospitals and equipment that lags regional standards. This has become a political priority, with investment directed at new hospital construction, medical equipment, electronic medical records, and digital health. Opportunities were identified for medical devices, digital health solutions, and technologies supporting chronic disease management and infection prevention.
Energy. Coal remains the base of Indonesia’s power supply, with associated emissions. The country has set ambitious targets for renewable generation — solar, wind, geothermal, hydro, and biomass — to be built out as total energy demand rises. Modernising the power grid alongside this expansion is a parallel requirement. Sweden is a partner in this transition, and Business Sweden and the Embassy of Sweden are actively engaged with companies offering relevant solutions.
Transport. Jakarta operates one of the world’s largest bus systems, with around 10 000 buses. All are to be electrified within a decade — a transformation that, in turn, drives wider electrification of road traffic. Indonesia is also expanding rail and pursuing digitalisation in logistics.
Manufacturing. As the largest single contributor to GDP, manufacturing is under pressure to modernise — Industry 4.0, 5G, and AI applications to improve productivity. Special Economic Zones (SEZs) provide developed industrial areas and a potential base for regional expansion.
The webinar emphasised that entering Indonesia requires careful preparation. Business Sweden pointed to several structural challenges, including local content requirements (TKDN), product certification such as Halal and SNI, regulatory complexity, logistics costs, and the availability of qualified labour. Understanding these requirements early improves the prospects of successful entry.
Asked about working practices, Odar set out three points that matter in Indonesia. First, relationship comes before track record — companies should expect to invest time in getting to know people. Second, presence and persistence are essential; a single good meeting is not enough, and partners expect repeated engagement. Third, seriousness is judged by follow-through — whether a company returns, keeps its commitments, and follows up — rather than by credentials. Cultural adaptation, he noted, is a topic that warrants a session of its own.
Business Sweden described the Sweden–Indonesia Sustainability Partnership (SISP) as its flagship platform for collaboration between Swedish and Indonesian stakeholders. In 2026 the programme covers six priority sectors: energy, electric mobility, sustainable mining, healthcare, industry, and forestry. Activities include business delegations, conferences, government-to-government dialogue, business matchmaking, and technology showcases.
Country Manager Ludvig Hermansson outlined Singapore’s continued importance as one of the world’s most competitive economies.
Singapore combines political stability, strong institutions, and advanced infrastructure with an internationally connected business environment. It ranks among the world’s leading economies for competitiveness, innovation, ease of doing business, and talent attraction, and continues to grow at around 5 percent from an already high base.
Manufacturing accounts for only about 2 percent of GDP but is highly advanced: Singapore ranks third on manufacturing value-add and is the fifth-largest exporter of high-tech products, concentrated in semiconductors and electronics. The country has a long-standing AI strategy across healthcare, transport, security, and education, reflected in continued data centre investment.
Energy is a priority. Singapore is working toward carbon neutrality, with gas currently dominant. One route is the Asian Power Grid, importing up to 6 GW of renewable energy — relevant for companies in cables, grid equipment, and energy systems. On transport, the country is expanding Changi and its port and accelerating the shift to EVs: no new petrol cars are to be sold after 2040, and one-third of vehicles are to be electric by 2030.
More than 300 Swedish companies operate in Singapore, employing approximately 12 000 people across manufacturing, healthcare, finance, industrial technology, transport, and consumer goods. For many, Singapore serves both as a domestic market and as a regional headquarters for Southeast Asia.
The main constraint Swedish companies report is talent. Specialist personnel are expensive and difficult to retain, staff loyalty is low, and rules on hiring non-Singaporeans have tightened gradually in recent years. The regulatory environment, by contrast, is among the most straightforward globally.
Regional Manager Andrea Staxberg presented the Focus Asia SME Study Trip, running for the fourth time, from 12–16 October 2026. The five-day programme combines Jakarta (Monday–Tuesday) and Singapore (Wednesday–Friday) and is designed for Swedish small and medium-sized enterprises.
Participants receive market briefings from Business Sweden, meetings with government agencies and industry organisations, company visits, networking events, and the opportunity to establish contacts with local decision-makers and potential partners. Follow-up support is available after the visit to help participants evaluate opportunities and develop entry strategies. Staxberg framed the trip as a first-hand market assessment — seeing the markets directly rather than reading a report — and noted that registrations are already coming in, with around ten companies targeted.
Singapore and Indonesia complement each other. Singapore offers an efficient, highly competitive regional base for management, innovation, and international operations. Indonesia provides access to one of Asia’s fastest-growing industrial economies, supported by strong domestic demand, ongoing industrialisation, and major investment in infrastructure and sustainability.
For Swedish companies considering Southeast Asia, understanding both markets — and how they combine within a regional strategy — may offer significant long-term advantages.
Although SwedCham Indonesia was not involved in organising this webinar, the Chamber welcomes initiatives that increase Swedish companies’ understanding of Indonesia and encourage greater engagement with one of Asia’s most dynamic markets.
260624 Exportnytt Singapore-Indonesia presentation
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