Take a Look At the Top Three Locations for Tech Enterprises in Asia

The report titled ” Top Locations in Asia: Technology sector”, has compiled the top locations in Asia for the technology sector

By Nidhi Singh | Oct 03, 2018
Pexels

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur Asia Pacific, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

A wave of tech startups is driving economic growth by creating new jobs and industries. With Silicon Valley becoming crowded, especially over its thriving startup culture, many aspiring entrepreneurs are moving to small cities. But what really attracts tech companies to expand their operations beyond the city and country.

A report by Colliers International, a Canada-based global commercial real estate services firm, has compiled the top locations in Asia for the technology sector. The report, titled ” Top Locations in Asia: Technology sector”, studied16 cities in developed and emerging markets across Asia, and examined nearly 50 criteria across a spectrum of socio-economic, property and human factors to determine the viability of these cities as tech hubs as a workability index for the tech sector.

The report recommends Bengaluru, Singapore and Shenzhen as the top locations for starting or expanding technology operations in Asia. Modest long-run growth prospects hold down developed cities like Tokyo and Taipei for the sector. While emerging cities offer high growth potential and low operating costs, they tend to score lower on employment criteria and human aspirational metrics.

Let’s find out why tech companies are attracted to these three locations:

Bengaluru Top Choice For Tech Enterprises

Score: 68%. Overall position: #1

  • Est. avg. real GDP growth 9.6% over 5 years

  • Office stock: 141mn sq ft (13.1mn sq metres)

Bengaluru’s greatest strengths are socioeconomic: the city looks set to be the fastest growing in Asia over the next five and perhaps the next ten years, and it benefits from a wide and deep talent pool. Besides being the Silicon Valley of India, Bengaluru, is the largest office market in the country, with total Grade A stock of 141 million sq ft (13.1 million sqm) spread across multiple micro markets. On this basis, Bengaluru ranks as the second largest urban office market in Asia after Tokyo. Thus, the tech hub offers technology occupiers ample space to house their operations. The capital city of Karnataka scores 68 per cent in the ranking and comes first overall.

Singapore

Score: 63%. Overall position: #2

  • #1 for talent and on employment criteria

  • #1 on human aspirational measures

Singapore is already well-known among entrepreneurs for its business-friendly environment and that’s why the country comes in second place after scoring a total of 63 per cent. The island nation scores highly on the socio-economic index, due largely to its strong talent pool, and on aspirational measures including personal tax rate, safety and living quality. Singapore is expected to continue to benefit from its position as a well-connected financial and communications hub for South East Asia and APAC operations.

Shenzhen

  • Higher GDP than HK, broad technology base

  • Ample office and flexible space; supply over

2018-20 exceeds office stock at end-2017

With a score of 61 per cent, Shenzhen’s came in at third. The high ranking comes as no surprise as it currently reigns as China’s technology capital. Heavy investment in R&D has broadened the city’s tech base far beyond hardware manufacturing. Shenzhen scores highly on property factors due to moderate staff costs, ample office stock, flexible workspace, and planned new supply. It has also surpassed Hong Kong by GDP and is expected to benefit further from closer integration of the Greater Bay Area hubs.

A wave of tech startups is driving economic growth by creating new jobs and industries. With Silicon Valley becoming crowded, especially over its thriving startup culture, many aspiring entrepreneurs are moving to small cities. But what really attracts tech companies to expand their operations beyond the city and country.

A report by Colliers International, a Canada-based global commercial real estate services firm, has compiled the top locations in Asia for the technology sector. The report, titled ” Top Locations in Asia: Technology sector”, studied16 cities in developed and emerging markets across Asia, and examined nearly 50 criteria across a spectrum of socio-economic, property and human factors to determine the viability of these cities as tech hubs as a workability index for the tech sector.

The report recommends Bengaluru, Singapore and Shenzhen as the top locations for starting or expanding technology operations in Asia. Modest long-run growth prospects hold down developed cities like Tokyo and Taipei for the sector. While emerging cities offer high growth potential and low operating costs, they tend to score lower on employment criteria and human aspirational metrics.

Nidhi Singh

Former Correspondent, Entrepreneur Asia-Pacific
A self confessed Bollywood Lover, Travel junkie and Food Evangelist.I like travelling and I believe it is very important to take ones mind off the daily monotony .

Related Content

Business News

Visa Cardholders in Asia Pacific Access Year-Round Global Messaging with Travelgoogoo eSIM

Singapore, 6 February 2026 — Visa cardholders across 23 Asia Pacific countries can now access global messaging through the Travelgoogoo eSIM Travel Club. The partnership between Visa and Travelgoogoo provides 365-day unlimited messaging across 123 countries and members-only rates for high-speed data via a single eSIM. Travelgoogoo has expanded collaborations with financial institutions to extend […]
Business News

Acronis Names Insightz Technology as First MSSP Partner in Singapore

Acronis today announced that Insightz Technology has been appointed as its first certified Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) partner in Singapore. Under the partnership, Insightz Technology will deliver Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services to managed service providers (MSPs) and their customers using Acronis technology. Insightz Technology was selected based on its experience providing managed […]
Business News

VCI Global Disposes Credilab via Management Buyout Valued at US$43.74 Million; Retains 30% Stake

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Feb. 4, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — VCI Global Limited (NASDAQ: VCIG) (“VCI Global” or the “Company”) today announced that it has entered into an agreement to dispose of its fintech subsidiary, Credilab Sdn Bhd (“Credilab”), through a management buyout at an enterprise valuation of approximately US$43.74 million, representing 1.1× net tangible assets […]
Business News

HKMA Launches Initiatives to Support AI and Distributed Ledger Technologies

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has released a blueprint outlining new initiatives to support the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and distributed ledger technologies (DLT) in the financial sector, enabled by high-performance computing infrastructure. The blueprint forms part of HKMA’s Fintech 2030 strategy and focuses on advancing more complex technology use cases within financial […]
Business News

UBS Marks Handover of New Hong Kong Headquarters

Hong Kong — UBS has completed the handover of its new Hong Kong headquarters at the International Gateway Centre in West Kowloon. The 14-storey building will serve as UBS’s Hong Kong headquarters and is expected to consolidate employees currently working across five locations, including Two IFC and One Peking Road, by the fourth quarter of […]
Business News

Hong Kong IPO Market Records Second-Strongest January on Record

Hong Kong’s initial public offering (IPO) market has kicked off 2026 with exceptional momentum, recording its second-strongest January on record in terms of funds raised, according to market data. In January 2026, 12 companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, raising a combined US$4.2 billion, based on data from the London Stock Exchange Group […]