During the 10th AWS ASEAN Summit in Singapore, Amazon Web Services (AWS) revealed plans to inject an extra SGD 12 billion into its cloud infrastructure in Singapore from 2024 to 2028. This move will double its current investment to over SGD 23 billion by 2028. This investment aims to meet the growing demand for cloud technology and services in the country.
The Singapore government, represented by Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information, Mr. Tan Kiat How, emphasized its commitment to partnering with AWS to drive digitalization. An AWS Economic Impact Study predicts this investment will contribute SGD 23.7 billion to Singapore's GDP by 2028 and support around 12,300 full-time equivalent jobs annually. Many Singaporean businesses, including Grab and Singlife, utilize AWS for digital transformation.
Accelerating AI Adoption
AWS also unveiled its ‘Spring AI’ program, which aims to accelerate Singapore's adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) by collaborating with public organizations on projects like healthcare data analytics and maritime AI. The program aims to support Singapore's Smart Nation and National AI Strategy 2.0 goals through various initiatives, specifically focusing on the public sector, workforce development, enterprise innovation, startups, communities, and research and development (R&D).
AWS is partnering with the government to support AI adoption in the public sector. They've also inked agreements with organizations such as Synapxe and the Infocomm and Media Development Authority to create AI applications and programs to foster adoption. Recognizing the need for AI-skilled talent, AWS plans to upskill 5,000 individuals (focusing directly on AI skills) from 2024-2026 by collaborating with educational institutions like universities, polytechnics, and the Institute of Technical Education. Since 2017, AWS has upskilled over 400,000 individuals in Singapore in cloud skills.
Transforming the AI Landscape
"We believe that enterprises can utilize AI to transform and stay ahead," said Mr. Leong Der Yao, Assistant Chief Executive of the Sectoral Transformation Group at IMDA. "In 2023, IMDA supported over 3,000 SMEs in adopting AI-enabled pre-approved solutions. Earlier this year, we launched the ‘GenAI Sandbox for SMEs’ and ‘GenAI x Digital Leaders’ initiatives to help SMEs adopt generative AI technology for greater business value. We are thrilled to partner with AWS to empower enterprises in generative AI.
As a key global partner, AWS will provide expertise to support IMDA's GenAI x Digital Leaders initiative, helping local companies develop AI solutions for business transformation and growth. We are also collaborating with AWS to incorporate AWS Training and Certification programs in polytechnic and ITE curriculums. IMDA will continue working with AWS to upskill and reskill professionals in roles such as AI and Analytics."
"The signing of the MOU with AWS demonstrates our shared commitment to providing public healthcare users with cutting-edge, cloud-native analytics tools. This partnership will streamline analyses for actionable insights, transforming the way we enhance healthcare quality in Singapore," said Ngiam Siew Ying, CEO of Synapxe.
