Singapore's digital transformation began in 2014, when Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong launched the “Smart Nation” initiative.
The Smart Nation Initiative is based on (www.smartnation.gov.sg):
- Digital Economy – creating a dynamic digital economy that is attractive to foreign investment,
business development, and talent, with opportunities for Singaporeans;
- Digital Government – in 2018, the Blueprint for Digital Government was made public,
and a vision, strategy and 14 KPIs were developed to measure progress. Two years later,
new initiatives and policies were developed and KPIs were added, strengthening the focus on digitalization.
At the same time, the document notes that digitalization is not an end in itself, but allows the government
to better perform its tasks, as well as to create new and better means of interaction with society and business (Digital Government Blueprint);
- Digital Society – all Singaporeans are provided with access to quality-of-life enhancing digital technologies as well
as training on how to use these technologies. In order to maximize the benefits of the digital society,
the Digital Readiness Blueprint project was developed to ensure that everyone in Singapore can enjoy the
benefits of digital technology (Digital Readiness Blueprint, www.mci.gov.sg)
This means that everyone has a role to play in Singapore's digital transformation - society, business and government.
Key factors in the creation of the “Smart Nation” are strategic national projects aimed at the widespread adoption of digital and smart
technology in Singapore, including:
- Core Operations Development Environment and eXchange (CODEX) – a digital platform, i
ncluding a government data architecture and Singapore Government Technology Stack (SGTS),
that enable the government to deliver high-quality digital services, share data across agencies,
and enable the latest private sector technology to develop digital services and build digital applications;
- E-Payments – this national project aims to create an open, clear and interoperable internal infrastructure for electronic
payments - simple, fast, seamless and secure electronic transactions - providing a more convenient and reliable service to the public and businesses;
- LifeSG Initiative is an app that allows citizens to access government
services and information quickly and easily. LifeSG simplifies the use of
government services by personalizing the experience, anticipating citizen
requests and offering effective solutions. By doing so, citizens can save a great deal of time and direct it to important matters;
- National Digital Identity (NDI) is Singapore's digital identity system for
people and businesses to easily and securely conduct electronic transactions with the government and the private sector;
- Smart Nation Sensor Platform is a unified national platform and sensor and data
system to optimize municipal service delivery, city-level operations, as well as create more flexible and safer urban transportation and improve public safety;
- Smart Urban Mobility – this national project aims to use digital technology to improve the comfort,
convenience, and reliability of public transportation systems, and to support the vision of a car-free Singapore.
In addition, a National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy has also been developed, which is a critical element on the road to a "smart nation. This strategy aims to scale up the application of AI technologies to transform the national economy, going beyond the mere adoption of technology and focusing on fundamentally redefining business models and introducing profound changes to ensure increased productivity and create new areas of growth. Five national AI projects have been developed as part of this strategy: transportation and logistics, smart cities and complexes, health, education, and safety and security.
The secret to the success of Singapore's digital transformation is that the government is boosting the country's IT sector, with billions of dollars in government purchases from technology startups since 2017. Thus, the costs of technology development, testing and implementation are borne by the government, and then these projects are transferred to private companies for scaling. As a result, the country has achieved high results, largely due to the fact that the development and introduction of new technologies is carried out in close cooperation with business and is supported by the state.
Singapore's Relentless Pursuit of Becoming an Innovation Hub Has Made it The Smartest City in The World
