Entrepreneurship in Singapore: Case Studies, History and Ecosystem

This book examines the characteristics and context of entrepreneurship in Singapore, with reference to new interviews by Singaporean entrepreneurs and their firms. The book is split into two sections.

The first section looks at Singapore from a comparative perspective. It provides a historical overview of Singapore’s business system, examining the shift in Singapore government policy from the developmental state to encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation. It also examines the current entrepreneurial ecosystem, highlighting the synergies of government support, clean governance, and robust venture capital and angel investment networks. The second section of the book dives into a range of case studies of Singaporean entrepreneurs. All interview chapters will adopt a similar structure to facilitate cross-comparison and include pedagogical features such as summary boxes and guiding questions. Major entrepreneurship theories such as effectuation, alertness and resilience approaches are discussed, and a thematic analysis of the primary data helps readers reflect on the narratives in light of these theories.

Useful for university teaching and of academic interest, this book will be of relevance to students and researchers of entrepreneurship, business innovation and Asia-Pacific business.

Jürgen Rudolph is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Applied Learning & Teaching. In his three decades working in higher education, he has published 100+ papers on AI, crisis leadership, and pedagogy, amongst others. He is co-author of Teaching Well: Understanding Key Dynamics of Learning-Centered Classrooms (Routledge, 2023).

Robert Fitzgerald is a Professor of Business History and International Management, at Royal Holloway, University of London. He holds a BA and PhD from the University of London. Having authored some 120 books, articles, and other publications, his research interests include business and economic history, multinational enterprise, entrepreneurship, strategy, marketing history, labour history, business organization, economic development, and the Asia Pacific economies.

Choon-Yin Sam graduated from the National University of Singapore (NUS), University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), and University of South Australia (UNISA), where he obtained his Ph.D. in International Business and Management. His research has been published in journals such as Asian Studies Review, Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy, South East Asia Research, and Global Economic Review.

Ailson J. De Moraes is a global educator, TEDx speaker, author, and executive mentor with over 20 years of international experience. He has taught in the UK, China mainland, HK, Brazil, Finland, and Singapore. Recognised with multiple Teaching Excellence Awards, he combines deep academic expertise with a passion for empowering others through mindset, clarity, and purposeful growth.