Meeting with Singapore's Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Josephine Teo, Mr Barr kicked off a week-long trade mission that will include the island city-state, Hong Kong and China.

Mr Barr attended a reception hosted by Australian High Commissioner Philip Green with a delegation of Canberra business chiefs and Singapore Airlines executives, after joining a signing ceremony for Canberra start-up Mineral Carbonation International's a $100 million memorandum of understanding with Singapore company ArmorShield Holdings.

The Canberra company is building a global business and developing technology that can store carbon dioxides in carbonates in building materials for use in the building and construction industry.

Mr Barr said Mineral Carbonation International was partnering with industry leaders around the world to reduce carbon emissions and the deal would give access to ArmorShield's extensive networks in China and across Asia.

As part of the agreement, the company will progress further discussions in mainland China.

Singapore and China are both among Australia's top five international trading partners, along with Japan, the United States and South Korea.

"My time in Singapore is focussed on continuing to build momentum in our relationships with the Singapore government and businesses so Canberra can make the most out of direct international flights," Mr Barr said.

"The memorandum of understanding is a platform for MCi to grow their business in China, with ArmorShield Holdings able to provide advice and guidance on engaging with the Chinese market."

He said the deal was the latest success in "a very big weekend for MCi", who launched the world's first carbon reactor at the Newcastle Institute for Energy Research on Sunday.

"This technology has the potential to store carbon dioxide in carbonates for use in the construction industry, and is a collaboration with Boral, who manufacture building and construction materials.

"MCi is now seeking to build the next stage of their carbon reactor, which would process and convert approximately 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year," Mr Barr said.

The signing ceremony took place at Orica's Singapore offices, a shareholder in the company and responsible for a $3.12 million investment in the carbon reactor project, along with the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science and the NSW Department of Industry.

Mineral Carbonation International chief executive officer Marcus Dawe said the agreement was a first step to securing a large partner in China to build and operate the world's first large scale demonstration plant transforming CO2 into cements and other building products and producing carbon credits.

"As two entrepreneurs in Canberra in 2007, John Beever and I asked ourselves what could be done with CO2, as we could see an emerging problem with our reliance on coal and fossil fuels," Mr Dawe said.

"Nine years later, over $10 million expended in research and development and MCi now holds the best opportunity to commercialise technology for utilising CO2 in building products on a very large scale. China is our obvious first market with a strong will for environmental clean up and a need for low emissions technology."

Mr Barr met Ms Teo in Singapore in October 2014 and in Canberra in 2015. He said Monday's meeting was a chance to growing connections between the two cities.

Singapore Airlines will begin direct international flights to Canberra and Wellington, New Zealand in September. Virgin Australia will codeshare on Singapore Airlines flights between Canberra and Singapore.

The journalist is travelling to Singapore as a guest of Singapore Airlines and the Singapore Tourism Board.