Export financing as a strategic link between Dutch expertise and Asian project ambitions
A look back at Singapore and Jakarta, where Atradius DSB spoke with private and public sector organisations, financiers and other export credit agencies (ECAs) about Dutch exports, sustainable infrastructure and the role of export credit insurance in realising international projects.
The infrastructure agenda in Asia is one of the most decisive drivers of growth for international trade, sustainable development and technological cooperation. The region is growing, urbanising and investing in water security, energy, transport, industrial capacity and climate-resilient urban development. At the same time, projects are becoming more complex. Technological quality alone is rarely sufficient to take a project from ambition to implementation. Major public and private investments require reliable partners, a solid financing structure, manageable risks and sufficient confidence among banks, clients and exporters.
This is precisely where the role of export credit insurance comes into play. In markets such as Indonesia, public investment ambitions, international expertise and complex financing issues are closely intertwined. There are opportunities for Dutch companies to deliver high-quality solutions, but these opportunities only become a reality when projects are financially viable, well-structured and bankable. Export credit insurance can help by making risks manageable and creating the conditions under which international projects become more easily financeable.
Against this backdrop, colleagues Oscar Boot and Mackenzie Masaki travelled to Singapore and Jakarta on behalf of Atradius Dutch State Business. Their programme did not consist of a single event, but rather a broader series of conferences, partner meetings, market discussions, networking activities and embassy contacts. The common thread was always the same: how can Dutch expertise, European ECA cooperation and appropriate financing structures contribute to projects that are not only ambitious, but also feasible and financeable?
Singapore: infrastructure, water and the financing challenges behind growth
Singapore was a logical starting point. As a regional hub for infrastructure, finance, technology and international cooperation, the city-state offers an environment in which public and private sector stakeholders come together to address Asia’s major project challenges. During the Asia Infrastructure Forum, the focus was on the future of sustainable infrastructure, with attention paid to financing, innovation, cooperation and the conditions under which projects are actually implemented.
For Atradius DSB, it is precisely this combination that is relevant. Infrastructure projects are often presented as technical or social challenges, but in practice, the financing structure is also a decisive factor.
The SIWW Water Expo was also closely aligned with the Dutch export proposition, which was represented at the Dutch pavilion at the expo. Water management, industrial water solutions, reuse, desalination, digitalisation, urban water infrastructure and climate adaptation are areas in which Dutch companies can distinguish themselves internationally. At the same time, these are often projects with a public or semi-public component, long payback periods and complex tendering or financing processes. As such, water solutions directly address the question of how technological added value can be translated into a financeable international transaction.
The discussions in Singapore highlighted that the international market for infrastructure and water is not merely looking for suppliers, but for partners who understand the full scope of a project: technical quality, commercial viability, public interests, risk profile and financing capacity. This is where Atradius DSB can add value by contributing its expertise at an early stage regarding the insurability and financeability of export transactions.
Mackenzie Masaki: “The value of this type of event lies in the direct link between market needs and financing expertise. By bringing buyers, exporters, financiers and ECAs together at an early stage, a dialogue is created about what is needed to make projects not only attractive but also feasible.”
Oscar Boot: “In Singapore, it became clear once again that the demand for infrastructure and water solutions cannot be viewed in isolation from the issue of financing. Dutch companies possess a great deal of relevant expertise, but the likelihood of a project being realised increases when risks, durations and the way in which a project can be made financially viable are considered at an early stage.”
Jakarta: European ECA cooperation in a growth market
In Jakarta, the Asia programme took on a distinctly market-oriented focus. During the Connect. Export. Succeed. – Export Finance Forum, Indonesian buyers, project partners, exporters, financiers and export credit agencies from the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland came together to discuss how international project ambitions can be translated into feasible and financeable transactions.
The event was hosted by Atradius Dutch State Business, Euler Hermes and SERV Swiss Export Risk Insurance. This gave the forum a distinctly European character, but with a clear focus on the Indonesian market: an environment where significant investment needs, public project ambitions and international expertise are increasingly converging.
The discussions centred not only on available technology or export opportunities, but above all on the conditions under which projects can actually go ahead: suitable financing structures, clear risk allocation, sufficient payment security and the timely involvement of banks and ECAs. For potential buyers, the question is often not just what technology is available, but also how a project can be made affordable and feasible. For exporters, it is all about making the transition from commercial interest to a transaction with sufficient certainty. For banks, the decisive factors are whether the risk profile, the term and the project structure are financeable. For Atradius DSB, this early dialogue is essential. Export credit insurance is not the final piece of the puzzle in an export deal; rather, it can help during the preparatory phase to translate commercial interest into a financeable project structure. This makes export credit insurance a strategic tool for making Dutch export opportunities more concrete, financeable and feasible.
The embassy as a link between market knowledge and Dutch export strength
A key part of the programme in Jakarta was the visit to the Dutch embassy. Oscar Boot and Mackenzie Masaki gave a presentation there on the role of Atradius DSB in supporting Dutch companies with export credit insurance. This also explicitly linked the trip to economic diplomacy.
In markets where public investment, international tenders and strategic sectors converge, the embassy acts as a key link. Local knowledge, diplomatic relations, insight into policy priorities and access to relevant decision-makers can help to identify export opportunities more clearly. This is valuable for Dutch companies, as international project development is rarely solely about price or technology. It is also about trust, timing, the institutional context and whether a solution fits within the country’s broader development and investment agenda.
The presentation at the embassy demonstrated how Atradius DSB operates within this complex landscape.
From market discussion to project opportunity
The trip to Singapore and Jakarta demonstrates that export opportunities often arise before a concrete contract is on the table: in discussions where market needs, possibilities, financial viability and the right partners come together.
For Atradius DSB, the value lies precisely in that early phase. By contributing ideas on risks, tenors, payment security and financeability, export credit insurance can help translate commercial interest into projects that are actually financeable and feasible.
This review therefore offers, above all, a sense of perspective. There are clear opportunities in Asia for Dutch expertise, provided that technology, local relationships and financing are approached in an integrated manner from the outset.