DBS Group Holdings hosted the second iteration of its DBS Regenerative Festival, a specialized event designed to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore as they embrace regenerative business practices to further their sustainability initiatives.
The half-day event on September 17 drew more than 300 business leaders and industry partners, featuring a keynote fireside conversation between Tan Su Shan, CEO of DBS, and Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State for Education, and Sustainability and the Environment.
Coinciding with the festival, the bank formally unveiled its new DBS Asia Gateway (DAG) facility at Perennial Business City (PBC), which accommodates approximately 1,000 staff members from the bank's operations division.
Previously situated on Toh Guan Road, DAG was strategically developed to function as a "live parallel site" within the bank's business continuity framework, strengthening operational resilience and ensuring seamless delivery of global operations.
The location, which previously housed the Big Box retail warehouse, was purchased by Perennial Real Estate Holdings in 2020, with PBC opening in phases starting in late 2022. PBC holds the distinction of being the inaugural BCA Green Mark Platinum Super Low Energy Business Park in the Jurong Lake District, featuring a fully covered pedestrian connection to Jurong East MRT and Bus Interchange.
According to Derrick Goh, DBS's group chief operating officer: "We are delighted to unveil our new alternate facility at DBS Asia Gateway, which strengthens our operational resilience and capacity to deliver consistent reliability for our global customer base. Our presence in Jurong also enables us to provide enhanced service to customers in western Singapore."
Goh further noted: "In alignment with our commitment to the Singapore Green Plan 2030, we have been collaborating with SMEs on their sustainability transitions and have introduced multiple initiatives to support businesses in this area. Today's DBS Regenerative Festival at DAG represents a continuation of these ongoing efforts."
During the festival, SMEs engaged with more than 20 exhibitors presenting innovative regenerative products and solutions. Notable participants included MYCL, which creates mycelium-based leather for consumer products like book covers, bags, and construction materials; and AlterPacks, which transforms spent wheat into certified, high-performance compostable materials.
Both MYCL and AlterPacks maintain banking relationships with DBS and have previously been recipients of DBS Foundation Social Enterprise Grants to support their operational expansion.
The inaugural DBS Regenerative Festival in 2024 assembled procurement managers from National Sustainable Procurement Roundtable (NSPR) members to promote awareness of regenerative procurement practices and facilitate connections between procurement professionals and businesses offering regenerative solutions.
NSPR membership currently includes more than 30 corporations, with founding members comprising DBS, Mandai Wildlife Group, Singtel, and StarHub.