Swiss Re Foundation is bringing its flagship initiative, Shine, to Southeast Asia for the first time, as it aims to replicate the success from Shine chapters in other regions. Since inception in India in 2018, Shine has expanded to Brazil, Slovakia, South Africa, Switzerland, the UK, US and now Southeast Asia.

The programme which seeks to boost innovation in critical impact areas – such as the Net-Zero transition, health and nutrition, financial literacy, socio-economic well-being, skills development, climate-smart agriculture, disaster risk reduction, and coastal resilience – is open to social entrepreneurs in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.

Swiss Re will be collaborating with Impact Hub Kuala Lumpur (outreach partner) and BOOKBRIDGE (learning partner) for its Southeast Asia programme.

Swiss Re Institute's recent report, Changing Climates: the heat is (still) on, states that APAC economies dominate the top 10 in terms of economic losses as a percentage of GDP from hazard intensification due to climate change. Thailand is one of the countries that show the greatest vulnerability to potential for rising losses as the countries are also exposed to a high probability of hazard intensification, primarily from flooding.

Shine Southeast Asia is calling for applications from social innovators across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand until 19 June 2024. The winning applicant will undergo a six-month immersive learning programme starting from January 2025, in which they will be partnered with Swiss Re experts and leadership to develop a strategic, financially viable business.

Aside from Swiss Re's expertise, the selected entrepreneur stands a chance to win financial award of up to SGD 40,000 to fuel their enterprise's growth.