Formed 1996 | ||
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Preceding agency Productivity and Standards Board (PSB) Jurisdiction Government of Singapore Headquarters 1 Fusionopolis Walk, #01-02 South Tower, Solaris Singapore 138 628 Agency executives Philip Yeo, Chairman
Poon Hong Yuen, Chief Executive Parent agency Ministry of Trade and Industry (Singapore) | ||
The Standards, Productivity and Innovation Board (Chinese: 标新局),(Abbreviation: SPRING Singapore) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Singapore. It is the main agency for enterprise development, and it aims to enhance the competitiveness of enterprises to develop a strong base of dynamic and innovative Singapore enterprises. It is also the national standards and conformance body.
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According to SPRING Singapore, the agency helps to nurture a pro-business environment, facilitate the growth of industries and enhance innovation and enterprise capabilities of small and medium enterprises for better access to markets and business opportunities.
History
Formerly known as Productivity and Standards Board (PSB), it was formed as a result of the merger between the National Productivity Board (NPB) and the Singapore Institute of Standards and Industrial Research (SISIR) in April 1996. The purpose is to bring together the soft skills of productivity handled by NPB and the technical aspects handled by SISIR. It is also known as the SPIB.
In April 2002, it was renamed SPRING Singapore to signify the shift towards an innovation-driven economy, and its new role in promoting creativity to sustain growth for Singaporeans.
Mission
As the national standards and conformance body, SPRING Singapore 'helps to lower technical barriers to trade, provide quality assurance for products and services and promote industry use of Singapore and international standards'.
SPRING Singapore's mission is "to help Singapore enterprises grow and build trust in Singapore products and services".
Organisational Structure
SPRING Singapore is headed by Philip Yeo, former head of A*STAR. The directors in the board of directors include:
Departments
SPRING Singapore is divided into five departments: Enterprise Capabilities, Enterprise Promotion, Industry Development, Quality & Standards and Corporate Development.
Portfolio
The agency has three areas of focus: productivity and innovation; standards and quality; and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the domestic sector.
Scholarships
In 2008, SPRING Singapore awarded their first batch of Executive Development Scholarships (EDS) – targeting at both Junior College and University students who are keen to develop the SME Industry following graduation and be business leaders in future.
The Management Development Scholarship (MDS) is also available to employees of SMEs who wish to pursue their Masters with a university on SPRING Singapore's list. Up to 90% of the course fees is subsidised by SPRING Singapore with the remaining 10% fully borne by the SME company. This scholarship comes with a bond of up to two years with the sponsoring SME company.