Singapore, 3 December 2025 — Guglielmo Picchi, Chairman of SACE, visited Singapore from 1 to 3 December to reaffirm the Italian export credit agency’s commitment to supporting the internationalization of Italy’s industrial system in the dynamic Southeast Asian region and to promote new areas of Italy–Singapore partnership in third markets, including Africa.
During the mission, Picchi met with Siong Seng Teo, President of the Singapore Business Federation and Co-Chairman of the Africa South East Asia Chamber of Commerce (ASEACC), as well as senior executives from key Singaporean companies such as Keppel Infrastructure, Seatrium, and ST Engineering, to explore potential collaborations in the energy transition, infrastructure, and defense sectors. In his discussion with Swan Gin Beh, Secretary General of Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry, Picchi shared convergences in their respective industrial and commercial development priorities, including strategies for internationalization.
Chairman Picchi also participated in the seminar New Partnerships in Africa: Singapore’s Outreach and Italy’s Mattei Plan, organized by the Embassy of Italy in collaboration with the government agency Enterprise Singapore and the Africa-SEA Chamber of Commerce (ASEACC), and attended a networking evening at the Residence of the Italian Ambassador. The event brought together representatives of Singapore’s government and business community, including the Deputy Secretary General of Defense, the Director General for Europe at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the CEO of the Singapore Manufacturing Federation, representatives of multilateral development banks and commercial banks active in the region, as well as Singaporean companies interested in investing in Italy.
The mission concluded with an interview for Bloomberg’s Asia Insight program, during which Picchi discussed the key economic and geostrategic dynamics shaping the rapprochement between Europe and Southeast Asia, underscoring the importance of strengthening partnerships in the region to safeguard the strategic role of global value chains for the benefit of Italian companies.
