Infocomm Minister unveils three ideas under Singapore’s tech masterplan

• Three main ideas, including harnessing data and mobi8lising the community
• Trio of ICT conferences feature 1,800 exhibitors from 56 countries and regions

SINGAPORE’S Infocomm Media Masterplan, unveiled last October, will be launched later this year to put in place the necessary infrastructure that will serve as a key enabler for its Smart Nation vision, according to Minister for Communications and Information Dr Yaacob Ibrahim (pic above).
 
“The key components of the Smart Nation Platform were originally conceptualised under the Infocomm Media Masterplan, which is led by the private sector and involves numerous government agencies,” he said.
 
“This co-creation allows us to gather the best ideas to exploit the converging space between the infocomm and media (ICM) sectors,” he said in his opening speech at the launch of the CommunicAsia2015, EnterpriseIT2015 and BroadcastAsia2015 events on June 2.
 
Yaacob highlighted three ideas under the Masterplan, the first of which is to harness data to advance the city-state’s economic competitiveness.
 
“While some international logistics companies already use data analysis to improve processes, track-and-trace technologies are often proprietary and only used by large organisations for premium cargo, not SMEs (small and medium enterprises, which make up more than 99% of logistics service providers in Singapore,” he said.
 
“Smart Logistics will provide a boost for smaller players by enabling interoperability across the supply chain. It will leverage technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) to provide near real-time actionable visibility and improve decision-making capabilities for businesses large and small.
 
“Stakeholders will be able to respond to unforeseen events during shipment, improving cargo and facility security and data accuracy. The lowered risk of shipment failure will result in cheaper insurance and a reduced need for excess inventory across the entire supply chain,” he added.
 
The second is to mobilise the community around a series of ‘Smart Nation Tech Challenges’ which aim to create opportunities for individuals and businesses to co-innovate cutting-edge solutions with the Government to tackle urban challenges.
 
“We hope to encourage a culture of daring to dream, and daring to succeed,” said Yaacob.
 
“The Smart Nation Tech Challenges will have three characteristics: They will address a real-world problem; they will encourage active collaborations among companies, research entities and challenge participants; and they will create commercially viable prototypes with deployment and global export potential,” he said.
 
The such challenge will be launched in the next few months with Video Analytics, a component of the Smart Nation vision, as the selected area of focus. Examples of service delivery sectors that would benefit will include transportation, healthcare, retail and security, the minister said.

Finally, the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) aims to launch a ‘Smart Health-Assist’ pilot in the Jurong Lake District later this year.
 
“By deploying unobtrusive and easy-to-use sensors in the homes of the elderly or chronic disease patients, healthcare data may be recorded and sent securely to caregivers and healthcare providers to alert them whenever the elderly or patients require attention,” said Yaacob.
 
“Smart Health-Assist will enable patients to manage their conditions from the comfort of their homes, allowing them to remain independent and active in their community.
 
“Reducing the number of medical visits also frees up hospital resources and makes chronic disease management more sustainable in the long run. Additionally, the same sensors will allow healthy individuals to track and manage their own health proactively,” he added.
 
Yaacob said that recommendations under the Masterplan are still in their early stages of development, adding that the Singaporean Government welcomes industry partners to come on board to help conceptualise and develop these solutions jointly.
 
ICT melting pot
 
CommunicAsia, EnterpriseIT and BroadcastAsia, being held this week at the Marina Bay Sands, are featuring technologies such as Fifth Generation (5G) mobile technology, big data, cloud, smart devices, wireless technologies and Over-The-Top (OTT) trends in the tech landscape.
 
Spanning all five levels of the convention centre, the three events have gathered over 1,800 exhibitors from 56 countries and regions showcasing a wide array of smart technologies to better enable connected cities, governments, enterprises and consumers, their organisers said.
 
A total of 35 international pavilions are present, including new groups from China, Norway, Romania, South Korea and Vietnam.
 
“CommunicAsia, EnterpriseIT and BroadcastAsia continue to be the melting pot for the ICT and broadcasting industry in the Asia Pacific region,” said Singapore Exhibition Services project director Victor Wong.
 
“By bringing together government frameworks, cutting-edge technology and discussions with thought leaders under the same roof, we are able to offer our attendees a truly immersive experience,” he added.
 
Related Stories:
 
Smart Nation: Time for industry to step up
 
Singapore’s Smart Nation moves into prototyping phase
 
Data Discovery Challenge unlocks innovative ideas
 
 
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