Singapore is ranked one of five “AI pioneers” in the world, alongside the UK, US, China, and Canada¹.

Underpinned by a National AI strategy, strong government commitment and a thriving ecosystem of tech giants and more than 4,000 tech startups², Singapore offers valuable opportunities for businesses to harness AI for innovation and growth.

Those that have adopted AI have seen improvements in productivity and processes³, according to the Singapore Digital Economy Report 2024 by the Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore (IMDA).

Here’s a look at how businesses in Singapore accelerated AI adoption and launched new AI initiatives so far:
 

Driving AI adoption across sectors and industries

In healthcare and insurance:

• Lilly Digital Health and Lilly Centre for Clinical Pharmacology, subsidiaries of U.S.-based Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly), announced the establishment of a S$42 million Digital Health Innovation Hub in Singapore to accelerate the research and development of AI-powered digital health technologies. Learn more >>
• Prudential launched an AI Lab in Singapore to speed up the adoption of Generative AI (Gen AI) and Machine Learning (ML) within the organisation. The lab will incubate AI-powered solutions to deliver a better customer experience, while integrating AI capabilities into Prudential’s operations, services and products. Learn more >>
   

In Advanced Manufacturing:

• Coca-Cola Singapore’s Tuas Plant was added to the World Economic Forum’s Global Lighthouse Network This is a pool of 172 leading production facilities and sites worldwide, recognised for their efforts to harness AI and ML technologies to power demand forecasting and overcome rising volume and product portfolio complexity. For Coca-Cola, using AI and ML resulted in a 28 per cent increase in throughput increase, a 70 per cent boost in labour productivity, and a reduction in Scope 2 emissions by 34 per cent. Find out more >>
• A joint initiative by Agency for Science Technology And Research (A*STAR) and Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), the AI Centre of Excellence for Manufacturing (AIMfg), was launched this year. AIMfg will empower businesses to harness the power of AI through collaborative projects, standardised AI models, and dedicated support. It will also help companies develop and deploy innovative AI solutions to enhance operational efficiency and open new opportunities for growth and competitiveness in the global market. Find out more >>
• Enterprise Singapore and five local institutes have launched the Advanced Manufacturing Centre of Innovation (AMCOI). There will be 14 specialised centres providing companies with expertise and resources in areas like robotics, AI, and additive manufacturing. By partnering with these centres, local manufacturers can innovate, testbed, and commercialise advanced manufacturing solutions. AMCOI aims to support over 800 Singapore companies from the advanced manufacturing sector in more than 100 joint innovation projects over a two-year period. Read more >>

In Tech:

• Data management and data governance company, AvePoint, with the support of EDB, launched an AI Lab to advance research and innovation in the AI and ML spheres. The lab aims to spur industry-relevant R&D to drive AI innovation globally. It will hire over 25 AI researchers and program specialists in the next three years to support these initiatives, driving AI innovation not only in Singapore but also across the globe. Find out more >>
• Tech leader HCLTech announced the creation of a new AI/Cloud Native Lab in Singapore, expected to open this year.  The fifth in the company’s global network, the Singapore lab will help enterprises in the region in accelerate their AI initiatives through access to the company’s comprehensive suite of integrated AI and GenAI offerings. The Lab in Singapore will also partner with Nanyang Polytechnic and Singapore Polytechnic to aid in transferring knowledge and nurturing young talent and mid-career individuals In the AI sector. Find out more >>

In Transport:

• Grab and OpenAI announced a strategic collaboration, the first of its kind in Southeast Asia, to develop and implement advanced AI solutions for Grab's users, partners, and employees. The partnership will focus on enhancing accessibility, customer support, and mapping capabilities, while also piloting ChatGPT Enterprise for Grab employees to boost productivity. Learn more >>
• SBS Transit announced its collaboration with Portuguese company Stratio to enhance its bus fleet maintenance using generative AI, focusing on predictive maintenance and condition monitoring. The operator is also working with TNT Surveillance to improve safety through AI-powered digital mirror systems. These initiatives aim to improve service quality and safety for passengers while carefully balancing the pace of AI implementation in public transportation. See more >>
   

Uplifting access to AI for innovation

• After supporting 43 organisations in 2023, Google Cloud’s AI Trailblazer Initiative returned for a second run in 2024 to support up to 150 more organisations (inclusive of startups and SMEs) in building GenAI solutions that address real-world challenges. Participating organisations received access to Google’s LLM, Gemini, and its pre-trained Gen AI models and collaborate with experts to develop a minimum viable product at the end of their participation. Here’s how GSK, Ethlas and Ai Palette tapped the initiative to drive AI adoption >>
• Organised by Tribe, Digital Industry Singapore (DISG) and Nvidia, the Ignition AI Accelerator bridges the gap between startups and potential investors including MNCs to gain access to cutting edge AI technology and innovations. The programme offers a four-month curriculum to equip participating startups with foundational capabilities to ensure their AI projects are market-ready. Pfizer has partnered the accelerator to accelerate novel drug development and discoveries. Read more >>  

Becoming the preferred AI hub in ASEAN

Drawn by Singapore’s robust digital infrastructure, access to a skilled talent pool, tech companies like OpenAI, Robin AI and Databricks have chosen Singapore as a preferred base for their regional headquarters.

• The developer of ChatGPT, Open AI, opened its APAC hub in Singapore in line with its efforts to advance partnerships with local and regional governments, businesses and institutions. OpenAI will also partner with AI Singapore to make advanced AI more widely accessible across Southeast Asia, providing US$1million (S$1.33m) to help develop resources, including open datasets, that will enable the creation of models better suited to the region's diverse languages and cultures. Find out more >>
• The American data and AI company, Databricks, named Singapore as its regional headquarters for APAC and Japan, to cater to growing demand for data intelligence services in the region. Databricks has tripled its Singapore headcount in the last three years and is collaborating with IMDA’s and training partners to equip over 10,000 individuals with advanced data and AI skills over a three-year period. Read more >>
• Operating in partnership with Anthropic and Amazon Web Services (AWS), Robin AI opened its APAC regional hub in Singapore to help companies automate legal tasks, speed up processes and improve productivity and efficiency. The company counts global giants like Pfizer, PwC, General Electric and Yum Foods among its major corporate customers. Read more >>
  
  

New avenues to level up AI talent and capabilities

• Upcoming launch of IBM and National University of Singapore’s (NUS) AI Research and Innovation Centre. The centre will provide NUS students with access to IBM's advanced AI infrastructure and open-source models to accelerate AI research and drive innovation. It will also deepen collaboration between government agencies, academic institutions, and businesses to contribute to AI research with real-world applications.  Discover more >>
• NUS established the NUS AI Institute (NAII) to advance AI research and applications with a focus on foundational AI research, policy and societal implications of AI, and real-world applications across various domains. The institute will also train AI talent, collaborate with government and industry, and promote entrepreneurship. Learn more >>
• Nvidia-Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) AI Centre aims to bolster AI adoption and talent pipeline, contributing to Singapore’s aim of tripling the number of AI practitioners within the next five years. SIT’s undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolled in Infocomm Technology programmes and the Industrial Doctorate and Industrial Master programmes have begun to work on real-world projects with access to relevant Nvidia AI technologies, to ensure they have the skills to become AI innovators and apply AI across industries in Singapore. Learn more >>

 

Footnote:

¹ Boston Consulting Group (BCG). "Which Economies Are Ready for AI?". 2024. Accessed from https://www.bcg.com/publications/2024/which-economies-are-ready-for-ai

² Enterprise Singapore. "Innovation & Startups". 2024. Accessed from https://www.enterprisesg.gov.sg/grow-your-business/partner-with-singapore/innovation-and-startups/overview

³  Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA). Singapore Digital Economy Report (SGDE) 2024. 2024. Accessed from https://www.imda.gov.sg/-/media/imda/files/infocomm-media-landscape/research-and-statistics/sgde-report/singapore-digital-economy-report-2024.pdf