Businesses and investors keen to get a slice of the Asean region's huge economic potential have a new online service that is tailored to their needs.

Asean Business - find it at www.aseanbusiness.sg - features news, expert insights and up-to-date resources on the 10 markets in the bloc and the region in general.

It also zeroes in on several hot economic trends in the region, including the digital economy, trade, services, investment and energy.

Other topics include infrastructure, with China's Belt and Road Initiative providing a particular boost to this sector. There is also coverage of start-ups, featuring nimble home-grown players such as Grab and Go-Jek, and the latest on government policies and political developments that may affect business.

Users will also find handy resources on each market, including key facts and figures, guides on doing business and lists of go-to contacts.

The Asean Economic Community is a US$2.4 trillion (S$3.3 trillion) market with more than 630 million people.

"Asean's prospects are bright. Demographics are supportive of growth, and the emergence of the middle class holds great potential," said Mr Wong Wei Kong, editor of The Business Times, which started the website.

"Investment interest in the region in the coming years will be high, on the back of rising infrastructure spending on regional transport connectivity and the growth of the digital economy.

"For businesses and investors, Asean markets will be increasingly important, and we hope the Asean Business portal will help facilitate that interest."