Workato will commit S$300 million towards Singapore's first Digital Automation Hub, create over 700 jobs, and ink training partnerships with three institutions of higher learning to help people build a career in automation

SINGAPORE  - 21 April 2022 - Workato, the leader in enterprise automation, opened Singapore's first Digital Automation Hub (The Hub) and its second global headquarters today, as part of the company's broader plan to invest S$300 million in the region over the next three years.

Workato launches Digital Automation Hub and signs three MOUs with Singapore Polytechnic, Singapore University of Social Science and Ngee Ann Polytechnic. Executives in clockwise direction are Vijay Tella, Founder and CEO of Workato; Tan Kiat How, Singapore's Minister of State for Communications and Information; Allan Teng, Founder and Managing Director of Workato Asia Pacific and Japan; Allan Chia Beng Hock, Dean, School of Business of Singapore University of Social Sciences; Tan Yen Yen, Senior Director, Business and the Creatives of Singapore Polytechnic; and William Lim, Director Designate, School of Business and Accountancy of Ngee Ann Polytechnic.

The opening of Workato's 8,471 square meter Suntec City headquarters was officiated by Singapore's Minister of State for Communications and Information, Mr Tan Kiat How, Workato's Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Vijay Tella, and the company's Founder and Managing Director of Asia Pacific and Japan, Mr Allan Teng.

"As a regional and international tech hub, Singapore is known globally for its innovation and strong government support for tech startups and innovative technologies," said Mr Tella. "Workato's goal is to empower companies globally to harness the power of low-code, no-code integration and automation for transformative business growth. With its focus on innovation and business, Singapore has been a key springboard for Workato to expand within the Asia Pacific region. We look forward to partnering with companies here to help them speed up innovation and transform their businesses."

Mr Justin Ang, Assistant Chief Executive, Media, Innovation, Communications & Marketing, Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore, who was also present at the opening said, "Workato is recognised as a global automation leader and we are excited that the company is establishing its second international headquarters in Singapore. We look forward to working with Workato, especially through our Accreditation@SGD programme, to support their growth which will help organisations in Singapore and Asia Pacific accelerate their automation goals for business impact. Our vision is for many more tech companies in Singapore to build world-class products for the global market."

Empowering businesses and employees to become 'unstoppable' in the age of automation

Workato's Digital Automation Hub will house its second global headquarters, where companies in Singapore and the region can learn and accelerate the adoption of digital automation in the age of industry 4.0.

"Singapore has always been a strategic regional hub for major flows in capital, data and technology assets. We anticipate worker augmentation and automation will support businesses to innovate quickly, achieve higher productivity and ultimately, capture new opportunities for the economy," said Mr Allan Teng. "Today's launch marks our commitment and momentum in empowering modern businesses with industry-leading integration and automation technologies. We look forward to partnering with governments, businesses, and institutions across the region to accelerate Digital Transformation 2.0 and unlock opportunities in industry 4.0."

The Hub will host a 'Centre of Excellence for Automation', an experiential showcase of the impact and value that automation can bring to enterprises. It will consist of eight meeting rooms and an executive briefing centre, equipped with the latest state-of-the-art conference meeting technology for hybrid work. The venue will also be used to conduct automation training courses and certification programmes. Furthermore, The Hub will enable businesses in Singapore and Asia Pacific to benefit from complimentary automation consulting sessions with Workato's in-house experts.

While Workato's employees have always enjoyed working flexibly from anywhere around the world, the company also recognises the need for employees to have a physical space for creative collaboration and social interaction. Its presence in Singapore has thus been designed with ample discussion and brainstorming rooms, as well as a social hub where events can be held for both employees, customers and partners.

Beyond physical spaces, Workato's employees will stand to benefit from the company's social programmes, organised for their holistic development and mental well-being. These include fireside chats, Workato ABCs (APJ Business and Career Conversations) where new employees would learn about the business and the career pathways available at the company.

Growing Workato's workforce by more than five-times, nurturing Singapore's next-generation digital and automation talents, and making social impact

By 2025, Workato will create more than 700 skilled jobs for fresh graduates and Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians (PMETs), and expand its workforce in Singapore by more than five times. In 2022, the company will add 120 jobs across business, technology and support functions, and double its staff strength in Singapore.

To build strong talent pipelines, Workato inked Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with three Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) to equip students and mid-career professionals with the skills, tools and expertise to upskill in technology and automation. The three IHLs are Singapore Polytechnic, Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) and Ngee Ann Polytechnic. The MOUs cover business digitalisation, information technology (IT) and human resource (HR) automations.

Ms Tan Yen Yen, Senior Director, Business and the Creatives, Singapore Polytechnic, said, "Industry 4.0 brings about a technological transformation that will reshape the future of work in all business verticals and the HR function in many organisations. Working with Workato to nurture and train our young learners from our Diploma in Human Resource Management with Psychology course will help Singapore build a community of new talents who are skilled in employing technology and automation to drive efficiency and productivity across the HR department, which is the backbone of every organisation. This is an excellent partnership where we work with like-minded industry professionals and leaders to equip our local businesses with the expertise in HR automation in their respective verticals and be future-ready for a growing digital economy."

"At SUSS, we believe education must be continuously refreshed and updated to meet the latest trends and demands. The need to modernise business workflows and enhance enterprise operations is key to elevating organisations' digital transformation in this digital-first age," said Associate Professor Allan Chia, Dean, School of Business, Singapore University of Social Sciences. "By collaborating with Workato to develop a module on 'Data Integration for Enterprise Automation', our students will be able to build their own automations - an imperative skill for next-generation talents as Singapore looks towards fortifying our regional and global presence as a technology hub. We also look forward to organising industry engagements in workflow automation and integration, in partnership with Workato."

"As more companies employ digital technologies to transform their processes, there is a strong demand for digital talents who can harness the power of automation. Ngee Ann Polytechnic's timely partnership with Workato allows our learners to hone their skills through real-world projects, hackathons and work attachment opportunities. This reinforces our efforts to place industry at the core of our curriculum, through which we build a strong talent pipeline with the relevant skill sets to meet the challenges of Industry 4.0," said Mr Patrice Choong, Senior Director, Technology, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Ngee Ann Polytechnic. (*).