• UOB is the primary native financial institution and largest industrial investor in Singapore’s first good digital district.

• New merchandise and capabilities will probably be ideated and developed on this new international design and developmental hub to drive the way forward for banking in ASEAN.

SINGAPORE, April 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — UOB will make investments greater than S$500 million to construct its new international expertise and innovation centre in JTC’s Punggol Digital District (PDD). With this funding, UOB turns into the primary native financial institution to ascertain its presence in Singapore’s first good and sustainable enterprise district, and is the biggest industrial investor in PDD thus far.

Targeted to be accomplished by the tip of 2026, the 300,000 sq. toes centre will home round 3,000 skills partaking in expertise, innovation and digital roles to additional the Bank’s digital ambitions. The new centre will provide high-performance workplaces to foster larger worker efficiency and engagement. It can even be fitted with inexperienced options, according to the sustainability nature of the district.

Mr Wee Ee Cheong, Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, UOB, mentioned, “UOB is pleased to be part of this smart nation initiative as the first Singapore bank and the largest commercial investor in the PDD. Our investment here reinforces our commitment to grow our Singapore core, and to support our customers in Singapore and across ASEAN on their digital journey. We look forward to working with the vibrant ecosystem of partners here to accelerate innovation, talent building and sustainability.”

UOB is the one Singapore financial institution that has standardised its regional expertise platform throughout ASEAN and its digital initiatives all through the area have been elevating the bar for digital banking, cross-border funds and monetary advisory providers. This new international design and developmental hub will additional improve the Bank’s digital capabilities to drive and scale innovation to advance UOB to be probably the most most well-liked financial institution for each shoppers and companies in ASEAN. The Bank can also be trying to additional its dedication in nurturing the following era of tech expertise in PDD. Working intently with JTC, UOB will assist native industrialists in PDD and past in embracing and jumpstarting their sustainability journey by means of capabilities constructing and financing programmes.

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Building the way forward for banking at PDD

Leveraging capabilities and experience of various companions inside PDD, UOB strives to construct the way forward for banking for ASEAN by redefining buyer expertise in monetary providers by means of improvements, testing and growing progressive and personalised options for patrons.

UOB TMRW app is the Bank’s all-in-one app constructed across the buyer, with its multidimensional capabilities in funds, investments, lending and rewards. TMRW was designed and constructed out of the Bank’s international tech centre in Singapore, and subsequently rolled out to UOB’s key regional markets with adaptation to native nuances. As the Bank’s core digital platform to digitally purchase, serve and have interaction prospects at scale, UOB TMRW is powered by main applied sciences resembling information analytics, synthetic intelligence and machine studying fashions, to offer personalised insights and product providing catered to each distinctive buyer’s wants. PDD would be the subsequent innovation lab the place new merchandise and options will probably be ideated, developed, piloted and rolled out regionally.

To develop and to contribute to the digital ecosystem at PDD, UOB can even be housing its innovation accelerator, The FinLab, at PDD to foster nearer collaborations with tech companions, start-ups and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). From accelerating early-stage fintechs to scale, to serving to SMEs remodel digitally and sustainably throughout the area, The FinLab has supported greater than 20,000 companies since its inception in 2015. The FinLab additionally launched the Sustainability Innovation Programme and The Greentech Accelerator in 2021 and 2022 respectively to drive inexperienced capabilities and join SMEs with inexperienced answer suppliers.

Nurturing future generations of tech expertise

UOB recognises the significance of nurturing its future generations of expertise, and the worth of continuous upskilling and reskilling to maintain present and future staff future prepared. As one of many first, and handful, of native enterprises with a worldwide tech centre primarily based in Singapore, UOB’s funding in PDD signifies its dedication to develop a world-class tech workforce domestically.  UOB has in place a variety of meaningfully-designed coaching programmes and collaborates with main tutorial and trade companions to hone the digital expertise of its workforce.

As a part of increasing its individuals and improvement capabilities, UOB at the moment signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) to arrange a Fintech Innovation Lab. Housed in SIT’s upcoming Punggol campus, this joint lab will enable UOB’s staff and SIT’s tutorial employees and college students to undertake fintech innovation, coaching, and improvement, and to take part in utilized analysis and innovation to ship built-in options that tackle actual enterprise challenges. The proximity of UOB and SIT’s office and coaching areas and co-utilisation of services at PDD will present higher synergy in expertise improvement.

The newest MOU provides to UOB’s present assist of SIT’s Work-Study Degree programmes the place SIT college students from three diploma programmes^[1] can entry utilized studying alternatives by way of work attachments at UOB, in addition to work alternatives for its graduates.

To proceed rising its personal timber, UOB’s present staff can even profit from coaching workshops and seminars carried out by SIT to upskill themselves with related digital and fintech expertise to arrange themselves for a digital future.

Forging a sustainable future for the ecosystem

As a part of UOB’s efforts in forging a sustainable future, the Bank inked a MOU with JTC at the moment to collaborate within the decarbonisation drive of Singapore companies. This collaboration combines the strengths of JTC’s and UOB’s sustainability capabilities to scale the adoption of inexperienced options.

Based on UOB Business (SME and Large Enterprises) Outlook Study 2023, nearly 4 in 5 SMEs imagine within the significance of incorporating sustainable practices of their companies. However, they face main obstacles in implementation resembling inadequate information and lack of sources.

To tackle this, JTC and UOB will conduct joint outreach capacity-building workshops for native industrialists, inside PDD and past, below this new partnership. The workshops will leverage each events’ respective technical experience and toolkits, together with UOB Sustainability Compass, to evaluate corporations’ sustainability readiness. Prioritised motion plans and suggestions from the outreach, coupled with UOB’s sustainable financing options, will assist companies as they advance their sustainability journey in direction of a net-zero financial system. UOB and JTC’s joint outreach will begin within the later half of 2023, specializing in native industrialists.

Being the biggest industrial investor in PDD, UOB can also be dedicated to contributing to the district’s sustainable ecosystem. UOB has maintained operational carbon neutrality since 2021 and this new centre will incorporate inexperienced constructing options and applied sciences to drive power effectivity. These options embody:

• rooftop photo voltaic panels to faucet renewable power to partially meet the constructing’s energy wants;

• built-in constructing administration and good carry programs to optimise power consumption;

• air-conditioning programs with an environmentally-friendly refrigerant of low international warming potential^[2] and airside-optimisation options to take care of power optimisation of cooling programs; and

• air quality-monitoring and enchancment options.

The Bank can also be exploring to put in different cooling options, resembling chilled beams and a direct present distribution system, to additional scale back power consumption.

UOB’s office transformation journey to assist the way forward for work emphasises on staff’ security, safety and well-being, core ethos to creating high-performance workplaces. The Bank focuses on customers’ ergonomic and luxury by means of use of licensed sustainable materials furnishings and finishes. Workspaces are enhanced with good and touchless expertise options resembling good LED lighting system, facial recognition entry and workspace reserving programs to assist an agile working surroundings for higher worker expertise and productiveness whereas safeguarding their well being and well-being.

About UOB

UOB is a number one financial institution in Asia. Operating by means of its head workplace in Singapore and banking subsidiaries in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, UOB has a worldwide community of round 500 places of work in 19 international locations and territories in Asia Pacific, Europe and North America. Since its incorporation in 1935, UOB has grown organically and thru a collection of strategic acquisitions. Today, UOB is rated among the many world’s high banks: Aa1 by Moody’s Investors Service and AA- by each S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings.

For almost 9 many years, UOB has adopted a customer-centric strategy to create long-term worth by staying related by means of its enterprising spirit and doing proper by its prospects. UOB is targeted on constructing the way forward for ASEAN – for the individuals and companies inside, and connecting with, ASEAN.

The Bank connects companies to alternatives within the area with its unparalleled regional footprint and leverages information and insights to innovate and create personalised banking experiences and options catering to every buyer’s distinctive wants and evolving preferences. UOB can also be dedicated to assist companies forge a sustainable future, by fostering social inclusiveness, creating optimistic environmental affect and pursuing financial progress. UOB believes in being a accountable monetary providers supplier and is steadfast in its assist of artwork, social improvement of youngsters and training, doing proper by its communities and stakeholders.

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SOURCE UOB