Singapore is the most future-ready economy in APAC

It looks like Singapore government's focus on skill building and investment in economic and social infrastructure for the future has paid off.

In Dell's recent ranking of the 50 future-ready economies around the world, the Lion City came in third, slightly behind San Jose, and San Francisco, both in California.

Among the APAC countries, Singapore was ranked first, followed by Sydney (10), Seoul-Incheon (12), Beijing (24) and Hong Kong (25).

These economies were evaluated along three dimensions:

1. Human capital: People equipped with the right skills to drive meaningful social and economic change (where Singapore was ranked third globally).
2. Infrastructure: Infrastructure necessary to support the people, businesses, and technology that enable progress over time (where Singapore was ranked third globally).
3. Commerce: Sustained opportunities for businesses to accelerate innovation, growth and profitability (where Singapore was ranked 12th globally).

Ng Tian Beng, VP and MD, South Asia & Korea, Dell, cited reasons for Singapore's high performance: "Singapore ranked third in human capital for its ability to develop and attract talent and ideas. More notably, it was identified as a world leader in labour force engagement and top three for its social/cultural attractiveness, making the country an ideal place to nurture an innovative culture and conducive environment for future readiness."

He added: "Singapore was also ranked third in infrastructure, scoring high in data transparency as well as transportation and energy accessibility. Singapore’s world-class airport contributed to the boost in its infrastructure ranking. Similarly, the government-backed open data portal, and the Personal Data Protection Act, ensures data are shared in a sensitive manner that allay any concerns," in conversation with Human Resources.

"Singapore’s ability to provide access to emerging markets of Asia was also a plus. Cities can work towards future readiness in many ways and Singapore has exhibited this capability through numerous initiatives in its drive to build the world’s first Smart Nation."

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Dell's model scores large, high-growth global metropolitan areas based on attributes that enable people and organisations to access new tools and new ideas that deliver better connectivity, better economic performance – and a greater ability to attract talent.

"By understanding future-ready economies and their attributes, cities, businesses and people can create policies and strategies that will enable them to prosper and achieve strong economic health.," said Amit Midha, president, Dell APJ.

Here are the top 20 economies in the ranking (APJ countries in bold):

1. San Jose, Calif.
2. San Francisco, Calif.
3. Singapore
4. London
5. Washington, DC
6. Boston, Mass.
7. Austin, Texas
8. Raleigh, N.C.
9. Stockholm
10. Sydney
11. Toronto
12. Seoul-Incheon
13. Seattle, Wash.
14. Denver, Colo.
15. Portland, Ore.
16. Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
17. New York, N.Y.
18. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.
19. Houston, Texas
20. Atlanta, Ga.

Other APJ countries in the 50 include:

1. Beijing (24)
2. Hong Kong (25)
3. Taipei (27)
4. Shanghai (28)
5. Guangzhou (31)
6. Tokyo (32)
7. Delhi (44)
8. Suzhou (45)
9. Jakarta (47)
10. Tianjin (48)
11. Shenzhen (49)

Infographic by Dell. Lead image: Shutterstock