Located in the heart of fast-growing Asia, Singapore has positioned itself as a developed pan-Asian asset management centre with a conducive environment for asset managers and asset owners to locate and hub their investment activities.
According to Monetary Authority of Singapore - Singapore Assets Management Survey 2018, at the end of 2018, total assets managed by Singapore based asset managers grew by 5% year-on-year to reach $3.4 trillion SGD, up from $3.3 trillion SGD in 2017. Over the last five years, the industryโs AUM expanded at a 14% compound annual growth rate (โCAGRโ).
With existing investment firms dominating the market, new firms entering the market will need to find unique and innovative ways of operating if they are to succeed. According to a report from Deloitte, new investment management firms are โtargeting millennialโ. The key to attracting these individuals is peer-to-peer interaction, low cost, transparency, and thematic investing, including social impact. UBS, an established management firm is also trying their hand at technology, partnering with Amazon to provide investment advice through their virtual voice activated assistant Alexa.
With so many different financial products and a growing need for people with in-depth knowledge of geographic regions, most industry analysts expect strong employment growth in investment management to continue midway into the next decade. Fresh demand from global investors for growing areas such as private markets, infrastructure and green investments will also fuel the growth and diversity of the Singapore ecosystem.
