France, Singapore to deepen tech partnership as ‘third way’: French ambassador

[SINGAPORE] Singapore and France will deepen their partnership in tech, as both nations seek a “third way” amid rising tensions between the United States and China, said French Ambassador to Singapore Stephen Marchisio on Tuesday (Oct 28).

In his keynote address at the Insead Tech Venture Summit, he noted that the global order between the two superpowers has evolved from a “cooperative mindset” to one that is “competition-driven”.

This means that other countries need to work together to prevent “over-reliance”. He added: “This does not mean that they don’t work any more with the US or China. But it’s just a new possibility.”

Marchisio highlighted the comprehensive strategic partnership between Singapore and France – which was Singapore’s first comprehensive strategic partnership with a European country – as a step in strengthening cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI), quantum and other frontier technologies between the two nations.

He said that the race for AI is no longer just about the physical and software domain.

“It is also a matter of national security because AI can bring huge opportunities for people, businesses and countries,” he said, adding that AI can also equally serve as a strategic and dual-use asset.

Singapore remains an important partner for France as it serves as a gateway to access the larger South-east Asia market, Marchisio noted.

Citing the expansion of operations of French software unicorn Mistral AI into Singapore, he noted that this was an example of collaboration between the two countries.

Mistral’s distinct open model offers users an alternative from the Chinese and American models, which allowed them to expand very fast, said Marchisio at Insead’s Asia Campus at one-north.

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During the event, which coincided with Insead Asia Campus’ 25th anniversary, Insead signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Singapore Leaders Network (SGLN) for the business school to serve as a knowledge partner to the SGLN for selected events.

Insead will also support SGLN in delivering regular joint masterclasses by providing faculty and facilities. In turn, SGLN will provide industry practitioners for those joint masterclasses.

SGLN is a movement aimed at preparing Singaporeans for global leadership roles. It is supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board and managed by the Human Capital Leadership Institute.

Sameer Hasija, dean of Asia Campus at Insead, noted that the MOU will help develop future leaders who will serve beyond Singapore and the region, as well as on a global stage.