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Together with the Saxon State Chancellery, the Saxony Economic Development Corporation and the State Capital Dresden, Silicon Saxony e. V. organized a joint trade fair appearance of Saxon enterprises at the SEMICON Southeast Asia from 26 to 30 April 2016, followed by a trip of entrepreneurs through the City State of Singapore. Headed by Saxon Prime Minister Stanislaw Tillich and Lord Mayor of Dresden Dirk Hilbert, the delegation’s focus was on intensifying economic and scientific relations in the Asian region. Before travelling to Singapore, Tillich and Hilbert had already successfully promoted Saxony as an economic and scientific location in South Korea. Numerous connections, MoUs as well as fresh contacts with Asian partners were made.

Lord Mayor of Dresden and honorary member of Silicon Saxony Dirk Hilbert travelled with an economic delegation, which was headed by Saxon Prime Minister and president of the Bundesrat Stanislaw Tillich, to South Korea and Singapore from 22 April to 1 May 2016. As Hilbert pointed out before the trip: "In East Asia, South Korea belongs to Germany’s most essential business partners. For Dresden, it is a key country for business and science relations. A number of enterprises and institutions from Dresden and from the region maintain good contacts there already. We would like to accelerate and advance our cooperation even more.

About 60 participants from politics, economy and science from enterprises and research institutes joined Hilbert and Tillich. While the participating politicians, among others, met to talk to the South Korean State President Park Geun-hye, for the entrepreneurs, meetings with representatives of South Korean Think Tanks, visits of research institutes and universities as well as with the globally active corporate groups LG, Samsung (Korea) and ST Engineering (Singapore) were paramount. An experience exchange too with the cities Seoul and Singapore titled "Smart City" was part of the trip.

On 27 April eventually, further enterprises, to a large part from the high-tech network Silicon Saxony, joined the delegation in Asia. A joint booth at the SEMICON Southeast Asia, organized by Saxony’s largest high-tech network, put an Asian spotlight on products and innovations "Made in Saxony". Even aside from the largest semiconductor trade fair of the region, a highly fascinating program was taken care of. Workshops, B2B matchmakings with experts and managers of the local semiconductor companies, company visits as well as an evening reception with representatives of the Singapore economy and politics meant just some highlight of the entrepreneur trip with many prominent figures.

Thanks to the support by AHK Singapore, Luther Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft as well as SSIA (Singapore Semiconductor Industry Association) too, the trip was a success for all participants. A joint MoU between Silicon Saxony and SSIA will help to bring both these regions even more closely together.

Photo: Saxony Economic Development Corporation