Industrial Transformation in ASEAN A Cluster-Driven Model for Regional and Global Collaboration 2026

Image credit: Suzhou Industrial Park.CASE STUDY 10 Suzhou Industrial Park: a Singapore–China model for global partnership in industrial transformation Context: Established in 1994 as the first flagship project between Singapore and China, the Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) covers 278km2, accounts for about 3% of Suzhou’s area and contributes over 13% of Suzhou’s GDP . It has evolved into a vibrant hub for high-tech industries and hosts over 5,000 foreign-funded projects (including more than 150 projects from more than 100 Fortune 500 companies). Objective: Building on three decades of trusted collaboration and a robust governance framework that made SIP a testbed for policies (and later replicated in projects like the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City), Singapore and China are now harnessing the SIP as a platform to accelerate industrial transition. Intervention: The partnership has taken major steps towards energy transition, achieving over 75% clean energy consumption by integrating clean energy projects. –Circular use of industrial by-products and waste: Through systematic planning and infrastructure development, the cluster has formed a circular industrial chain that maximizes reuse of by-products like waste heat and sludge to produce biogas and biomass fuels, saving the equivalent of over 10,000 tonnes of standard coal annually. –Clean energy systems: The partnership has established two major clean energy centres and launched projects including the Moon Bay, Suzhou Centre and China–Singapore Green Digital Park energy stations. Renewable capacity now includes nearly 500MW of distributed solar capacity, 356MWh of grid-connected energy storage (including three grid-side projects) and over 5,000 public EV charging points. By aligning China’s scale with Singapore’s institutional strengths, SIP illustrates how global partnerships can accelerate energy transition, cultivate mutual competitiveness and provide replicable models for industrial clusters worldwide. Industrial Transformation in ASEAN: A Cluster-Driven Model for Regional and Global Collaboration 31