THE 21st Singapore Prestige Brand Award (SPBA) ceremony saw healthcare provider StarMed Specialist Centre picking up the overall winner prize for the Promising Brands category at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel yesterday evening. Other winners included construction company Craftwork and co-living operator Coliwoo.
The prince was welcomed to the city-state by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at Changi Airport and was then invited by the mayor of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong, to turn on a new lighting feature at the world’s largest indoor waterfall, the HSBC Rain Vortex. He also planted a Tembusu sapling at The Jewel, Singapore’s newest mall. The sapling, which is an iconic tree of the country’s rainforest heritage, marks the first time a foreign dignitary has planted one there.
As he arrived for this year’s Earthshot prize, William praised the finalists for following in his footsteps and “following in the legacy of their parents and grandparents to repair our planet”. This year the prince is joined by five category winners – founder of UK-based ENSO Gunnlaugur Erlendsson, who has developed tyres for electric vehicles that are more sustainable and reduce tyre pollution; US entrepreneur John Miksic, who has set up a foundation to tackle global climate change; Australian scientist Peter Coclanis, who invented an artificial leaf that could help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and American astronomer Scott Pace, who has created satellites that map the ocean surface.
Each of the five winners will receive a grant of PS1 million to scale up their environmental ideas and make them more commercially viable. They were picked from a shortlist of 29 that were nominated by the public and selected by a panel of judges. The prize is a part of the Lee Kuan Yew World Cities Prize, which recognises cities that have made outstanding contributions to the growth and development of the urban world.
In his acceptance speech, Mr Lee said that companies must focus on building a strong foundation if they are to remain competitive. “They need to maintain and strengthen their brands and ensure they are relevant in the dynamic business landscape.” This is especially important, he added, when emerging trends like digitalisation and generative artificial intelligence impact the way that businesses operate.
During his four-day visit to the country, the prince will meet Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Istana palace and will call on the president of Singapore. He will then travel to Malaysia and Australia before returning to the United Kingdom on Saturday. His trip is the first of three visits to Asia by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2021. In a tweet, he wrote that it was a ‘fantastic’ opportunity to be back in the region. He also wished the people of Singapore well. The couple will return to the United Kingdom on 22 April for a royal tour of the UK and Ireland. This is their first official trip abroad as a couple. They will meet the queen later this week to mark the centenary of her coronation in Sandringham.