DIT Press Release: UK agrees historic digital trade deal with Singapore

There has been a historic digital trade deal established between the UK and Singapore on the 9th December 2021. A press release about the Digital Economy Agreement has been given by the UK Government Department for International Trade (DIT). The press release summary reads:

• International Trade Secretary secures agreement in principle on a digital trade deal with Singapore

• The Digital Economy Agreement - the world’s most comprehensive digital trade agreement - will capitalise on our strengths as the world’s second largest services exporter and leading digital hub

• More opportunities for UK firms to target advanced, tech savvy and rapidly expanding markets in Asia

A full press release is available in PDF here, or on the Department for International Trade site here.

Awen Collective is featured twice in the Press Release, alongside other great British companies:

“A third of our exports to Singapore are already digitally delivered, including in finance, advertising and engineering, and this deal will create new opportunities to expand digital trade. Services companies will be the big winners, from financial and telecoms giants like Standard Chartered or BT Group to software companies like Wales-based Awen Collective.”

and

“The deal establishes a new partnership with Singapore to build ever-stronger cybersecurity defences against attacks by private operators or hostile states, which are a growing threat to individuals and businesses. Companies like Coventry’s CyberOwl and Caerphilly-based Awen Collective have set up in Singapore and are poised to be at the forefront of protecting critical national infrastructure and businesses against cyber risks, fraud, money laundering, terrorism funding and organised crime”

CEO & Cofounder of Awen Collective, Daniel Lewis said:

“The cyber security of our critical national infrastructures such as energy, water, transportation, smart cities and other industrial sectors is a key concern for the UK Government, Singapore Government and many other governments around the world. This agreement takes us a step closer to building more secure and more resilient societies, and Awen Collective is very proud to be part of the solution. We will be taking full advantage of the benefits that the agreement brings, and look forward to working collaboratively with our Singaporean friends going forward.”

Awen Collective is an Industrial Cyber Security Software company whose mission is to make society safer by reducing cyber risks within the sectors on which we rely daily. Awen has two products: Profile, an industrial cyber security compliance system, and Dot, an Operational Technology asset and vulnerability discovery system. Awen Collective was founded in Wales in 2017, and is a registered company in England & Wales with a wholly-owned subsidiary in the Netherlands. An ecosystem of Awen partners assist in international operations, including in Singapore and across Asia Pacific. For further details please visit: https://www.awencollective.com/

Welsh industrial cyber security company opens Dutch subsidiary

Photo by ruddy.media

Industrial cyber security software company, Awen Collective Ltd, has opened a wholly-owned Dutch subsidiary giving the ability to help critical national infrastructure, smart city and manufacturing organisations across the Netherlands become more cyber resilient.

Awen Collective CEO & Founder, Daniel Lewis says: “the creation of the subsidiary is a strategic decision which enables Awen to more easily reach new markets with the help of our investors and partners based in the country. We have registered the subsidiary in one of the international security hubs — The Hague — and are excited to use this as a launchpad for our international growth.”

The Netherlands, and The Hague in particular, were chosen for several reasons:

• Ease of doing business in The Netherlands

• The strong industrial sector

• The innovative spirit, and in particular strong desire to progress in Industry 4.0, Smart Cities and AgriTech

• The rapidly growing security community in The Hague

• The English language is widely spoken

• Geographic closeness to the UK

• One of the international hubs to the rest of the world

• Relationship with the rest of the European Union, particularly the other countries in the BeNeLux and Schengen areas

• Support from investors.

Awen's CTO and fellow cofounder, Jules Farrow, says: “we're delighted to be putting down international roots at Awen Collective to enable us to work freely and easily with our friends in Europe. The opportunities this opens up for us for both research and development, and continued business expansion are significant. The Netherlands makes the perfect EU-base for Awen.”

Photo by Alexander

The Netherlands is the perfect next step for Awen, as Awen’s Head of Partnership, James Sandrone, suggests: “The Dutch business culture and the Awen culture are so similar: open and honest, where relationships and trust are key!“

CEO Daniel continues “This is just the beginning of exciting international growth for Awen Collective.”

Awen Collective

Awen Collective has the mission to reduce the cyber risk and increase the resiliency of the industrial sectors which societies rely on daily. Critical national infrastructure sectors such as energy, water, transportation and Smart Cities, as well as other industrial sectors such as manufacturing and warehousing are under increasing threat from cyber attack. Awen Collectives innovative cyber security software was built specifically with industrial engineering processes in mind, and is tailored specifically to the unique requirements of Operational Technologies (OT) and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Awen Collective was founded in 2017, has it’s headquarters in Caerphilly in Wales (UK) and a subsidiary office in The Hague in the Netherlands.

A note of thanks

Team Awen would like to send out a special thanks TIIN Capital, InnovationQuarter, the Security Delta and the British Embassy in The Hague for their assistance in exploring the market in the Netherlands. Thanks also to Goossens Notary for their help in registering the B.V. subsidiary.