A*STAR admitted into the 2025 Design Power Index

DBCS and Consulus are pleased to announce that A*STAR is admitted into the Design Power Index (DPI) 2025.

The Design Power Index is an economic premise and framework based on three key questions:
1. Does design generate economic value?
2. If yes, what is the value?
3. Is the nominated organisation great at harnessing the power of design to generate economic value and shape societal impact?

This inaugural index is launched by the Design Business Chamber Singapore (DBCS) in partnership with its global knowledge partner Consulus, a global impact investment and creative change firm, as part of DBCS’s 40th anniversary.

Companies and organisations are first shortlisted from a wide range of industries and then nominated. By accepting the nomination, honorees affirm that design shapes economic value through their business model, products, and services. Acceptance also means they agree to participate in an assessment the following year for the Design Power Index 2026, ensuring a deepening study on the value of design for economic growth. Acceptance of nomination, use of the logo, and participation in next year’s survey are without fee.

As of now, the estimated total market value of the private and listed companies who have accepted the nomination has reached SGD 20 billion. For the non-profit organisations included, their work impacts the lives of Singaporeans.

A*STAR

ASTAR bridges the gap between research and industry and transforms innovation into meaningful real-world impact. As Singapore’s lead public sector R&D agency, ASTAR collaborates with partners to integrate science, technology and design to address complex challenges and develop solutions that benefit both society and economy.

This approach is exemplified through initiatives such as the Innovation Factory@A*STAR SIMTech, an integrated research, design, and engineering hub that works alongside companies to co-develop user-centred innovations from design to commercialisation. By enhancing innovation and design capabilities, it helps businesses become product owners with commercially viable products and expand globally.

Through multidisciplinary R&D and design-driven innovation, A*STAR supports the growth of high-value industries, drives sustainable development, and strengthens Singapore’s position as a trusted global hub for science and technology leadership.

About the Design Power Index (DPI)

The Design Power Index (DPI) is the world’s first longitudinal economics index designed to measure and track the economic value generated by companies through the strategic use of design and the creation of design intellectual property (IP). Showcasing 40 companies and 20 organisations recognised for their business growth, market creation, technological innovation, and social impact through design, the inaugural DPI 2025 provides a holistic lens of design’s contribution to the economy.

Developed by the Design Business Chamber Singapore (DBCS) in partnership with Consulus, the DPI analyses design’s impact across four dimensions:

• Business of Design — Companies who have achieved revenue and growth through creating unique intellectual property by design
• Market of Design — Companies who have harnessed design to create a new business category
• Technology of Design — Companies who have used design to innovate and shape use-behaviour
• Social Impact of Design — Companies/organisations who use design to shape societal change or impact