S’pore’s smart solutions ‘can benefit Asian cities’

SINGAPORE — The Republic is in a position of strength as it builds on its past heavy investment into research and development (R&D) to create an innovation ecosystem. It can also serve as a living laboratory for smart cities solutions, Minister for Trade and Industry S Iswaran said yesterday.

“Over the past decades, Singapore has invested heavily in R&D, and built up an innovation ecosystem comprising public sector agencies, multi-national corporations, large local enterprises, small-medium enterprises, startups, research institutes and institutes of higher learning,” he said at Huawei’s Innovation Day, attended by leading industry players, government officials and opinion leaders.

The annual event was held in Singapore, the first time outside Europe, as the Chinese tech giant recognises Asia as a growing adopter of new technologies.

“Government expenditure in R&D, for instance, has risen eight-fold, from S$2 billion in the first half of the 1990s, to S$16 billion in the first half of the current decade. The number of research scientists and engineers in Singapore has also risen, from 5,000 in 1991 to 32,000 in 2013, forming a strong core of experts whom the economy can rely on to take advantage of the opportunities arising from technological innovation,” said Mr Iswaran.

And as Asia’s urban population continues to grow, Singapore can contribute as a solutions provider for smart cities. According to the Asian Development Bank, 44 million people are being added to Asia’s urban population each year. Mr Iswaran said this places the existing transportation, power and utility networks in cities “under inexorable stress”, resulting in “problems such as congestion, power outages and inadequate waste management”.

Singapore is well-positioned to be a living lab for smart cities solutions, having developed innovative solutions to overcome constraints such as a scarcity of land and a lack of natural resources, said Mr Iswaran. One example is the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system to ease road congestion, which has been studied by major cities, including London and Stockholm, in their efforts to address their own traffic challenges.

Another example is the intelligent water management system developed by ST Electronics, which allows the Public Utilities Board to respond quickly to incidents that could adversely affect the water supply.

Mr Iswaran said that every country must assess the future of its economy against the backdrop of global technological trends, by looking at issues such as ensuring an economic environment that promotes the creation and adoption of new technology solutions; what the government should invest in to support this goal; and how to foster an open innovation framework that stimulates public-private partnerships and yields greater economic benefits through the commercialisation of R&D.

These will be what “the Committee on Future Economy will consider in the months ahead,” he added.

“The need for smart cities solutions in Asia provides exciting opportunities for our people and businesses. I am confident that Singapore can play a meaningful and valuable role in that regard, through collaborations and partnerships between the industry, research community and public agencies, to develop innovative solutions that address the growing needs and challenges of cities in Asia.”