Just over one year since the announcement of the first US$100 million investment, P&G expands its commitment to strengthening Singapore’s digital leadership with the launch of E-Center 2.0
Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG), in partnership with the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), today announced an additional investment of US$30 million or S$45 million into its digital innovation center in Singapore, just over one year after its launch. Inaugurated by guest-of-honor Mr. Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Trade and Industry (MTI), the E-Center 2.0 is an expansion of the existing digital innovation program, focused on placing Singapore at the forefront of digital transformation in consumer goods and the retail industry in the Asia Pacific region.
With this investment, P&G expands its E-Center and celebrates a new milestone in e-Business with the opening of the i-Singapore Digital Omni-channel Center (i-SIDOC), the first digital omni-channel retail center that enables P&G to work with retailers from across the region to create actionable knowledge and retail solutions to better serve, add value and drive disruption in today’s consumer market. This innovative collaboration platform is fully dedicated to Asia and is uniquely co-located with the state-of-the-art P&G Singapore Innovation Center and the omni-channel store.
The E-Center 2.0 will also feature new projects in supply chain management, i-Supply, such as the development of automation and digitization technologies for manufacturing processes and the use of machine learning and advanced analytics to automate decision making and enhance the planning system inside the supply chain. These advances must be made alongside upskilling of employees, which P&G is also doing through training on digital and analytics skills to build a future ready talent pipeline.
In terms of e-Analytics, P&G is setting up a new team of data scientists to develop best-in-class digital capabilities and solutions to strengthen APAC operations by offering customized brand solutions and better reach through optimized media plans. Advanced analytics are also leveraged as a vital component to accelerate the development of superior products and packaging out of the Singapore Innovation Center.
Through the E-Center, P&G is also committed to support partners and employees by equipping them with the relevant skills to leverage digital technology and solve business problems. In the week leading up to the E-Center 2.0 opening, P&G Asia Pacific hosted its inaugural digital technology event, ONward, which included a digital university where 1,000+ employees went through 5,000 hours of training in only 5 days.
Meanwhile, 500+ digital tech companies including start-ups, SMEs and other companies applied to develop solutions for 9 business challenges pitched to them by P&G in an effort to co-innovate with external experts.
P&G takes this commitment to co-innovation further with the partnership between P&G and Wavefront, a Singapore-based incubator. In partnership with EDB, P&G and Wavefront will focus on personalizing skin care for Asian consumers through technology.
“P&G is a strategic partner in our efforts to place Singapore at the forefront of digital innovation for consumer businesses. The E-Center 2.0 will further build digital capabilities in retail, supply chain management and business analytics, and offer exciting opportunities for both Singaporeans and our local enterprises,” said Dr. Beh Swan Gin, Chairman of the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB). “We are also delighted to support the efforts of bellwether corporates like P&G to co-innovate with and catalyze the formation of new ventures in Singapore and the region.”
“Since the successful launch of the E-Center last year, we have been able to uniquely sharpen our core strengths and accelerate our digital transformation and growth in the region. We are proud of our success and it’s given us the confidence to do more. Today with E-Center 2.0, we continue to dedicate our efforts to further strengthen Singapore’s leadership in the digital economy and build world-class capabilities, and also collaborate with key local partners and develop local and international talents,” said Mr. Magesvaran Suranjan, the President of P&G Asia Pacific and of P&G Indian Subcontinent, Middle East and Africa at the launch.
The country has also hosted P&G’s Asia Pacific headquarters over the last 30 years, and is home to two manufacturing sites in Tuas as well as the state-of-the-art Singapore Innovation Center and the E-Center.
About Procter & Gamble
P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always(R), Ambi Pur(R), Ariel(R), Bounty(R), Charmin(R), Crest(R), Dawn(R), Downy(R), Fairy(R), Febreze(R), Gain(R), Gillette(R), Head & Shoulders(R), Lenor(R), Olay(R), Oral-B(R), Pampers(R), Pantene(R), SK-II(R), Tide(R), Vicks(R), and Whisper(R). The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and information about P&G and its brands.
For more information, please contact:
Belen Carazo
Procter & Gamble Asia Pacific
Tel: (65) 9725 7762
Email: carazo.b@pg.com
Debapriya Bhattacharya
MSL Singapore
Tel: (65) 86612952
Email: debapriya.bhattacharya@mslgroup.com
SOURCE Procter & Gamble
