Procter & Gamble is set to invest some $100,000 in a digital innovation centre based in Singapore, the first of its kind for the company outside the US.

The investment will take place over the next five years and is in allegiance with the Singapore Economic Development Board, with the centre focusing on optimizing product distribution and marketing through predictive analytics and big data. Meanwhile repetitive tasks will be undertaken by robotics and there will be a digital collaboration to bring together people in its dispersed supply network, according to Yahoo.

Speaking at the launch, P&G President for the region Magesvaran Suranjan said, “This e-center will develop digital solutions for our Asia-Pacific operations, spanning supply chain management, analytics, and ecommerce.
“It will synchronize the supply chain to increase revenues and lower inventory while serving emerging retail channels more efficiently.”

Expanding its partnerships with SMEs and start-ups, the company will look to develop its digital goals and will be employing 40 new staff in the first year to take on digital roles, while machine learning algorithms are set to improve the company’s supply chain lead time and inventory.

The company also announced the launch of its second leadership development program, which is in collaboration with SPRING Singapore.