Future of Singapore - and rapid growth of emerging markets across Asia -...

Singapore -- a hub of innovation, energy, infrastructure for business across Asia, able to broker deals, host headquarters. Why Singapore will continue to thrive as an ultra-connected transport hub, with highly skilled workforce. Video comment on Asia future trends by conference keynote speaker Patrick Dixon. Singapore is a small nation -- with barely 5 million residents -- so is a relatively neutral base from the political point of view. Singapore has strong legal systems, is stable and an easy place to do business, with many 5 star hotels and a vibrant, dynamic and entrepreneurial culture. Singapore is an easy nation for visitors from the Northern Hemisphere to feel their way around. The country still shows many signs of its British Colonial era -- with newly restored historic buildings, square pin plugs, English-model educational system, and influences on legal and parliamentary systems. Singapore is West-facing and East-facing. Most of the city's up-market Malls are dominated by Western-label brands, with streets that look familiar in style to European or American travellers, while Chinatown is a relatively small area of low-rise shops, eating places and offices with a traditional ethnic feel. Singapore has a great future, and so it is hardly surprising that the numbers of people wanting to work there is growing faster than the government is comfortable with. Work permits are becoming harder for some groups to obtain.Singapore's greatest limitation is land mass: one large island and many small ones. And linked to that is a serious water shortage, which means that despite many new projects, the country remains dependent on buying water from Malaysia.