18 June 2014 - The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) today announced new partnerships to bolster the capabilities of the technology industry, as part of its ongoing efforts to build a Smart Nation.
Singapore, 18 June 2014 | For Immediate Release
A slew of initiatives will nurture tech talent and strengthen the capabilities of local tech companies
The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) today announced new partnerships to bolster the capabilities of the technology industry, as part of its ongoing efforts to build a Smart Nation.
In his CommunicAsia Summit Visionary Address, Mr Steve Leonard, Executive Deputy Chairman, IDA, shared several initiatives which seek to further boost the Singapore tech talent pool.
IDA will be working with leading providers for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) to offer easily accessible and high-quality learning. The first focus training area will be on Data Sciences & Analytics, and IDA will be tapping on Coursera MOOC platform's data sciences specialisation provided by Johns Hopkins University.
Working with open source software company Red Hat, IDA Labs will be co-organising a regional competition for students to develop smart homes solutions. Themed "Smart Living, Smart Homes", the competition will kick off in July 2014, and will be looking to reach out to students in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea and the Greater China region.
Separately, IDA Labs will be working with the Institution of Engineers Singapore (IES) to bring together engineers from various disciplines to build technology that can solve real-world problems.
"Singapore has embraced the vision to become the world's first Smart Nation, and we know the innovative use of technology helps us pursue ideas to improve people's lives in areas such as healthcare and education. Companies of all sizes in various countries have signalled their excitement to be part of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to 'experiment and explore' with us. The positive feedback so far has been amazing, and we've only just begun. We think some very cool tech startups will be born out of what we want to create as a Smart Nation," said Mr Leonard.
At the event, the S$15 million Partnership for Capability Transformation for the Infocomm Sector (iPACT) programme was also launched. iPACT will bring large enterprises and local tech companies together, to enable knowledge transfer, capability upgrading, co-development, and test-bedding.
Four large enterprises – Motorola, Starhub, Microsoft and Razer – have come on board, and will be reaching out to local tech companies to be part of their team.
ISSUED BY THE INFOCOMM DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE
Related Resources
- Appendix I: Partners' Quotes (49.10KB)
- Annex A: Factsheet on IDA Labs (151.36KB)
- Annex B: Factsheet on iPACT (127.31KB)
- Annex C: Factsheet on Data Sciences & Analytics MOOCs (125.65KB)
About Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore
The mission of the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) is to develop information technology and telecommunications within Singapore with a view to serve citizens of all ages and companies of all sizes. IDA does this by actively supporting the growth of innovative technology companies and start-ups in Singapore, working with leading global IT companies as well as developing excellent information technology and telecommunications infrastructure, policies and capabilities for Singapore. For more news and information, visit www.ida.gov.sg.
For media clarification, please contact:
Grace CHIANG (Ms)
Manager, Corporate and Marketing Communication
Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore
DID: (65) 6211 3863
Email: Grace_CHIANG@imda.gov.sg
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