The very first intern under SMU’s Global Innovation Immersion programme to go to Sweden was SMU 3rd year Business Management student, Claire Soh – all thanks to the Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition.
SMU 3rd year Business Management student, Claire Soh went to Stockholm, Sweden for her internship between 23 May and 2 August 2024. Sweden is a rare internship destination. Claire has made history as the first student under SMU’s Global Innovation Immersion internship programme to go to Sweden.
It was only possible because the company she interned at – PlasticFri (pronounced “Plastic Free”) – was a finalist in the Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition 2023, which is organised by the SMU Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The connection was made when the founders of PlasticFri came to SMU for the competition in September 2023.
“In Sweden, when I was doing a 10-week internship, I would take a 30-minute walk to work five days a week. During the 2km walk, I would walk past two lakes with ducks. One of the lakes was called Lötsjön. It was amazing. The temperature was about 20 degrees Celsius. During the summer in Sweden, the days are very long and the sun would set at around 10pm. At the peak of summer, Midsummer, I enjoyed 22 hours of sunlight a day.
The ducks Claire would see on her 30-minute walk to work.
It was a very interesting contrast to Singapore. The thing I miss most about Sweden, now that I am back, is the nature; being able to walk to work without perspiring. I really started to like walking to places in Sweden.
The other thing I really liked about interning in Sweden was the pace of life. In Singapore the pace of life is really fast. In Sweden, there were a lot more opportunities to get in touch with nature. 
Another beautiful nature spot which Claire enjoyed at one of Sweden’s oldest mines, Silverringen - Östra Silvberg.
Global Internship Edge
I have always wanted a global experience as part of my university journey. I felt compelled to sign up for the Global Innovation Immersion, which places interns in high growth startups, venture capital firms, incubators, accelerators, around the world.
I chose to intern with PlasticFri because the job scope centred on business development and strategy, which was in my wheelhouse. I have never really explored the Scandinavian countries and I wanted to experience a new culture. I also liked what PlasticFri stood for – about new technology in the sustainability space.
PlasticFri is a Greentech firm which was founded in 2018. It converts agricultural waste, wood fibers as well as non-edible plants into products that can replace plastic bags and paper cups. It doesn’t take food away from the food chain, is 100 percent compostable and hence leaves no microplastics behind. Also, most times, sustainable products are expensive. But at PlasticFri, if you buy at scale, the prices can go down to as low as traditional plastics which is a really important unique selling point. Today, the main barrier to adoption of sustainable products is cost.
Professional and Personal Growth
I did business development as well as strategy. As PlasticFri is planning to expand into Singapore, I did research into the market and dive into aspects like how they could engage distributors, for example. What I loved about working in a startup compared to a larger consulting firm is autonomy. I had the opportunity to undertake an independent project to introduce PlasticFri cups in the Singapore market and acted as the project lead throughout my time there.
During the internship, I really grew in terms of networking and being able to interact with people in the workplace. I used to be a bit shy, but people were so warm and friendly, it was easy to open up. I would also do presentations every Friday, and I think that really honed my presentation skills.
On a personal level, I became a lot more independent. It was the first time I was living alone. That was very daunting, but I am glad I learnt how to cook, maintain the apartment, do my own laundry, and all of my grocery shopping by myself.
My experience in Sweden has made me significantly more receptive to working overseas. I used to close off the option because the prospect of living alone overseas can be quite scary. But now that I've tried it, I realised how exciting it could be. I would love to experience more cultures, while empowering myself to become more independent.”
