Terry KS Singapore ranks highest in APAC for digital resilience, driven by strong regulation and workforce readiness. However, weak leadership oversight and limited ecosystem coordination continue to leave organisations vulnerable.
SINGAPORE, 20 APRIL 2026 – Singapore has emerged as the leading market in digital resilience across the Asia-Pacific region, according to a new report by Economist Impact, supported by Telstra International. Despite its top ranking, the study highlights critical gaps in leadership engagement and ecosystem coordination that could undermine long-term resilience.
The report, titled Resilience by Design: Building Connected Ecosystems for the Age of Disruption, is based on a survey of more than 1,400 senior executives across 11 APAC markets and multiple industries, with benchmarks from Western economies. It finds that while Singapore excels in regulatory frameworks, risk management, and workforce adaptability, it lags in leadership accountability and external ecosystem readiness.
Singapore ranked first overall in digital resilience in APAC, as well as in risk management and workforce and cultural agility. However, it placed lower in external enabling environment and leadership, with the latter identified as the most significant weakness. A majority of respondents indicated that boards and executive teams do not regularly review digital resilience strategies, leaving responsibility largely confined to IT functions rather than being embedded across leadership.
According to Charles Ross, Head of Policy and Insights for APAC at Economist Impact, strong compliance alone is no longer sufficient in today’s risk environment. He noted that resilience increasingly depends on the strength of interconnected ecosystems, as well as leadership and organisational culture.
The report also highlights a sharp decline in confidence when organisations operate beyond their internal environments. Only a small proportion of Singapore-based companies have direct insight into the resilience capabilities of their suppliers and partners. Limited collaboration, weak governance, and insufficient joint simulations with ecosystem stakeholders have made supply chains and third-party networks key points of vulnerability.
Roary Stasko, CEO of Telstra International, emphasized that digital resilience is no longer an isolated effort. He pointed out that organisations must move beyond compliance-driven approaches and adopt shared accountability across partners, suppliers, and digital networks to effectively manage disruptions.
The findings also reveal a gap between preparedness and execution. While most organisations have implemented training and upskilling initiatives, only a small percentage enforce programmes that build real-time adaptability during disruptions. Additionally, despite high confidence in planning, only 30% of organisations reported that their responses to recent disruptions aligned with expectations.
Budget and resource allocation remain key challenges. Many organisations continue to prioritise compliance spending, yet lack dedicated teams and funding to actively manage digital resilience, limiting their ability to respond effectively to unexpected events.
As digital risks increase alongside the adoption of AI and hybrid work models, the report concludes that Singapore must focus on bridging the gap between strategy and execution. Strengthening leadership involvement and improving ecosystem-wide coordination will be critical to sustaining its position as a regional digital hub.