AI at the core of Singapore’s Smart Nation 2.0 strategy

Singapore’s Smart Nation 2.0 strategy will build upon the success of the Smart Nation vision unveiled a decade ago as the country continues with its digital developments.

As countries around the world continue to embrace digital developments, Singapore remains at the forefront with its continuous supports towards digital initiatives in the country. This includes the Smart Nation strategy, which was first unveiled in 2018. The strategy was developed following the Smart Nation Vision which was announced in 2014.

Since the implementation of Smart Nation 1.0, Singapore has moved to embrace digital technologies in several sectors, including healthcare, transport, education, finance and infrastructure. Some of the successful implementation programs include digital government and digital society initiatives.

With AI gaining more prominence, Singapore is now updating its strategies to be aligned with digital developments globally as well as be a leader in the technology. Lawrence Wong, the Prime Minister of Singapore launched the Smart Nation 2.0 initiative, which is the next phase in the country’s Smart Nation Vision.

“In Smart Nation 1.0, we focused on building up capabilities and encouraging the use of technology. Under Smart Nation 2.0, we will sharpen our focus on using technology more effectively to transform our future and shape our nation together,” said Wong.

Smart Nation 2.0 aims to achieve three key goals which are growth, community and trust. For growth, the aim would be to empower Singaporeans and businesses to reach their full potential while community will focus on using technology to unify and not divide. For trust, the aim would be to enable to allow Singaporeans to go online with confidence.

A strategy that focuses on AI

The goals set by Smart Nation 2.0 clearly indicate the growth of AI adoption as well as the concerns that come with the technology for both organizations and the public. While there is a clear understanding on the importance of AI, unlocking the full potential the technology can bring to businesses is imperative.

At the same time, the strategy also wants to ensure that businesses and even society are not left behind in the use of AI. As such, there are initiatives by the government through partnerships with tech companies that ensure businesses have easy access to using AI.

“Today, Singapore is home to over 150 AI R&D and product teams. They come from a wide range of leading global companies as well as research institutions, including our own universities. We want to grow this AI eco-system, and foster more collaborations between AI researchers and scientists in other domain areas like biomedical science and materials science,” said the Prime Minister.

As part of Smart Nation 2.0, the Prime Minister also announced an S$120 million fund for AI adoption which focuses on science. The fund is expected to be used in developing and adopting AI methods and tools that are transferable across multiple domains in science to enhance research productivity and advance scientific discovery.

According to reports, the government is also expected to introduce new AI for Fun modules for students. The initiative will provide opportunities for students to have hands-on exploration and tinkering with technology.

The next two goals that focus on community and trust will deal with the challenges that come with AI adoption. Indeed, Singaporeans continue to be targeted by AI threats with many ending up as victims and not only losing funds but also the confidence in going online for banking and other services.

Singapore has already enhanced its Cybersecurity Act earlier this year and will introduce the new Digital Infrastructure Act next year. These regulations are developed to provide greater security and protection to Singaporeans as well as ensure businesses are more accountable in their data strategies when implementing AI use cases.

Growing opportunities

Singapore’s Smart Nation 2.0 will also bring better prospects for tech companies in the country. As AI adoption among Singaporean businesses grow, tech vendors, together with their partners and distributors will have more opportunities to deliver better products and solutions for customers.

Following the launch, SAP has announced an investment of S$12 million to its Digital Innovation Accelerator which is expected to boost the adoption of business AI among critical industries in Singapore.

“Singapore is significantly investing to future-proof its citizens and businesses through initiatives like the National AI Strategy, workforce development programs like SkillsFuture, and its Net Zero ambitions. SAP’s vision to boost local research and innovation will only strengthen the ongoing mission to sharpen Singapore organizations’ competitive advantage on the global stage,” commented Eileen Chua, managing director for SAP Singapore.

Chua also stated that co-innovation initiatives will enable SAP and its customers to rapidly scale digital transformation by tapping into SAP’s global expertise and ecosystems. Over the past five years, SAP has co-developed solutions with more than 80 Singapore enterprises, achieving tangible impact in their business processes and international growth.