#COVID-19: Time to learn fast if we want to keep the lights on.
Christoph W. Frei
#EnergyTransformation Venture Capital / Board Member / Professor / Facilitator - former member of UN Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Sustainable Energy - former member of WEF’s ExCom
Just back from Singapore, I am under the impression this is probably the best prepared and safest country to be at the moment. The country was exposed to SARS in 2009 and did its homework since.
- There is no shortage of sanitizing materials when you go to a pharmacy.
- In every building there is an entry check with health app or form, hand sanitizer, and fever monitoring. (I now do know my normal body temperature.)
- Most business meetings start by people telling you with a smile and shrug that this time it may be better not to shake hands or if they shake hands, point to the next sanitizer (on the desk).
- The critical infrastructure company we had meetings with has implemented its business continuity planning, segmenting its teams into separate groups that will not physically interact and can independently maintain all essential functions. If one team gets infected, other teams can guarantee continuity. They encourage home working where possible and use flex space in separate buildings to create physical separation among teams. Employees who have to perform essential functions and depend on public transport are given the choice to rent a car for the time being to minimize exposure. Etc.
- Meanwhile Singapore’s government informs citizens by several SMS per day with relevant updates and recommendations.
- And yes, there is a stick. People who do not comply (e.g. have traveled to Wuhan and will not declare it) will be punished. Foreigners risk losing their work permit.
Singapore is exposed. It has the international airport with most direct connections to Wuhan. 30% of it’s tourism is from China.
Yet, being among countries with earliest infection cases, overall numbers have been contained (and today are about half these of Switzerland, where no early infection cases were observed).
And, no, having worked with partners in Singapore for many years I am not giving great credit to these who doubt official figures in Singapore.
It is time to learn fast if we want to keep the lights on.
#businesscontinuity
#criticalinfrastructure
Managing Director @ SABIC | Venture Capital | Mergers & Acquisitions | Experienced board member
5yThanks Christoph. Any thoughts as to how these measures can be scaled up and cascaded to much larger communities? I can see Europe being able to implement measures with the existing communications infrastructure but I struggle to see how you convince the man on the street in India. Is this the planet's way of making itself more sustainable??
Chair at ARISE-US
5y... although it's easier to do for a city state of 5 million with no rural hinterland than a larger country with more people. That's not to say Singapore's response is anything other than excellent - just that others don;t have the same advantages.
Senior Partner and CFO at Emerald Technology Ventures
5yThanks Christoph - I share your view. Western governments need better preparation going forward.