Singapore: Southeast Asia's testbed for smart city solutions

The world is in a state of upheaval: digital transformation is changing the way we live and work, how communities are being organised and how companies are operating.

En route to becoming a Smart City, Singapore is taking the next major developmental step, transforming into a "smart nation". In 2014, the country launched its Smart Nation strategy and is working on digital solutions that will benefit people and companies in Singapore and beyond.

The strength lies within connectivity

Smart projects are a good base for exploring the possibilities of digitalisation, and Singapore is embarking on a number of them. As a city-state, it is able to take a holistic approach.

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the advantages of a networked city: Singapore was able to communicate nationwide decisions quickly and efficiently, and involve citizens directly in processes.

In the city’s open data portal, data records of 70 public agencies are published, and citizens and companies can obtain information at any time and contribute their ideas to the development of new, smart solutions.

These are some of the reasons why the city-state topped the global Smart City Index for the second year in a row in 2020. Similar to the previous year’s results, Singapore received top marks in many aspects, such as the online organisation of medical appointments, integration of traffic cameras and the ubiquitous availability and fast speed of the Internet.

Synergy drives urban solutions

ST Engineering, a global technology, defence and engineering group headquartered in Singapore, has completed over 500 smart city projects in 70 cities. Its integrated smart city solutions suite, CitySense, tackles mass urbanisation demands and key challenges across Southeast Asia (SEA) such as road congestion, physical and cybersecurity threats, and utility wastage.

“Every city has unique demographics, physical, social or economic conditions, and it would not be feasible to expect a one-size-fits-all smart city solution,” says Mr Chew. “Instead, where cities and innovation ecosystem participants can learn from one another and collaborate, we can synergise and speed up the creation of urban solutions."

For example, the world’s first trial of self-driving taxis kicked off in Singapore in 2016, when United States-based transport firm nuTonomy – now acquired by US automotive tech supplier Aptiv – was permitted to test-drive its vehicles on a public road.

Companies can develop and market innovative urban solutions in cooperation with the Singapore government. They can test solutions here in a safe and monitored way and once successful, easily go to market. Some solutions that have succeeded in Singapore – such as water treatment technology, transport management software, and transport management tools – could also be exported to the region.

Southeast Asia's first industry-led laboratory

More and more companies are using Singapore as a living test bed for the city of tomorrow; and often by benefitting from each other.

Since 2020, the city has been home to SEA’s first industry-led smart city laboratory. Behind the Smart Urban Co-Innovation Lab are 30 companies, including Amazon Web Services, Cisco Systems, Schneider Electric and TPG Telecom. Together with local tech start-ups and international partners, the companies want to develop smart city solutions for Singapore and overseas.

Moving to Smart Nation with 5G technologies

As early as the end of 2022, at least half of the country will be equipped with the new mobile communications framework.

In a model factory in the Jurong Innovation District (JID), companies can find out how 5G can be combined with digital technologies such as the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence and robotics. Within a real test environment of a 5G pilot network, test runs in production, logistics and autonomous driving take place in the factory.

Future-oriented projects like these make JID an attractive location for global companies. Siemens, for example, launched its first Additive Manufacturing Experience Centre outside Germany - a competence centre that supports companies on their way from prototyping to automated production. Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor Group is building an open innovation lab in the district for its future mobility research and development in areas including electric vehicles and urban air mobility.

Altogether, Singapore can act as an ideal location for companies who want to test and develop their digital technologies for a smarter future.

This article was first published by German newspaper FAZ in partnership with EDB.