Neither Civil Nor Servant: Singapore's Disruptive Economic Playbook

by Philip Yeo

Philip Yeo is the Institute of Policy Studies' 16th S R Nathan Fellow for the Study of Singapore. This book is an edited collection of his three IPS-Nathan Lectures, delivered from March to June 2025, and includes highlights of question-and-answer segments with our audience. Mr Yeo shares his bold and unconventional approach to shaping Singapore's economic future, examining the past, present and future of Singapore's economic strategy across three interconnected economic development, research and development (R&D) and innovation, and enterprise growth.



A firm believer in talent development, Mr Yeo has mentored young leaders and established scholarship programmes to cultivate Singapore's next generation of industry pioneers. Reflecting on Singapore's rise as a global manufacturing hub, the role of innovation in driving progress, and the journey of local enterprises expanding internationally, he offers insights into the key drivers of Singapore's economic transformation and the challenges ahead.

144 pages, Paperback

Published March 23, 2026

Reviews

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

quite a bit of tea spilled like i didn’t know about the (real) objective of newater and also the explicit method of stealing (hungry) talent from neighbours and from opportunistic turns (see: trump administration). also some insights into the history of ESG, which helps to understand the org’s ethos and structure.