SINGAPORE (April 18): American multinational consumer goods company Procter & Gamble (P&G) today launched its first digital innovation centre in Singapore, with Minister for Trade and Industry S Iswaran present as the guest of honour.  

The inaugural E-Center, which is P&G’s first outside of the US, was established in partnership with the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB).

P&G has committed to invest US$100 million (S$140 million) through its partnership with EDB over the next five years in support of its aim to strengthen Singapore’s standing as a “leading digital and e-commerce hub in the world”.

In a press release on Tuesday, P&G says it will be training 40 employees within the first year to take on digital-related roles within the centre’s three capability areas of supply chain management, e-business and e-analytics.

The group also intends to expand its partnerships with local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and startups, to strengthen digital capabilities and co-develop new digital solutions.

In conjunction with the launch of its E-Centre, P&G also hosted its second edition of P&G Leadership College, its leadership programme for SMEs in collaboration with SPRING Singapore.

The half-day training programme comes as part of the group’s Partnerships for Capability Transformation (PACT) initiative, and aims to foster collaborations between large organisations and SMEs through projects involving knowledge transfer, capability upgrading, co-innovation and test-bedding of innovative solutions.

“We are pleased that P&G has chosen to establish its first E-Center outside of the US, in Singapore. Through digital innovation in supply chain management, e-analytics and e-business, the centre will drive transformation of P&G’s operations in the region,” comments Beh Swan Gin, chairman of EDB.

“This will in turn create new jobs in fields such as data analytics that are aligned with Singapore’s efforts to strengthen our digital capabilities,” he adds.