Singapore Ramps Up AI Push for 2,000 Local Enterprises to Turn Digital Ambition into Real-world Impact

1. Enterprises are key drivers of Singapore's digital economy, and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has developed programmes and resources to empower every enterprise to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) effectively to transform their operations to increase revenue, improve productivity, identify new markets and capture new growth opportunities. In the push to accelerate the adoption of AI in enterprises, IMDA will intensify efforts under its Digital Leaders Programme (DLP) to support 2,000 local digitally mature enterprises or Digital Leaders¹ from various sectors to harness AI with confidence over the next three years.

Enhanced Digital Leaders Programme Helps Enterprises Solve Pain-points with Tech

2. Launched in 2021, IMDA’s DLP was developed to guide digitally ambitious and progressive local enterprises to propel their digital transformation, build digital capabilities and capture new business opportunities, both locally and abroad. Having implemented DLP over the past few years, IMDA is enhancing the programme under a three-pronged approach to cater to the demands of the industry:

• Uplifting leadership mindset by equipping enterprises with knowledge and skills to leverage AI strategically through Tech Discovery Workshops co-organised with industry experts, and Playbooks to provide practical guidance;
• Instilling confidence by supporting enterprises to design and deliver impactful AI projects, tapping into the expertise of tech giants and network of partners; and
• Building internal, independent competencies by providing funding support for the hiring of in-house digital teams, enabling enterprises to operationalise AI initiatives and scale confidently.

3. Based on this three-pronged approach, IMDA will design and deliver a more structured programme with industry partners to hand-hold and guide willing, committed and able enterprises to translate their digital ambition into actionable plans to achieve tangible outcomes. The enhanced programme aims to equip participating enterprises with the capabilities and actionable insights to drive stronger pull-through to sustain digital transformation efforts through the following components:

• Laying the digital foundation – via practical, modular training and awareness sessions on business and technical aspects of digital transformation, covering a range of content such as AI, Data and Business Re-design.
• Identifying high-impact business opportunities – through expert coaching, business use cases, and simulation to prioritise digital initiatives with higher Return On Investments (ROI).
• Delivering quick-win solutions – by means of hands-on execution, with opportunities to experiment with ready-to-use solutions or digital tools, to understand requirements for digital deployments. Participating enterprises will also be given the opportunity to embark on short-term digital projects to build their confidence before going on full-scale deployment.
• Securing commitment to digital transformation – with development of actionable roadmaps to refine milestones and success metrics.

4. Through this holistic approach, IMDA aims to nurture a strong base of Digital Leaders who can spearhead AI innovation and adoption and set the pace for transformation in their respective sectors. They will be the new wave of industry champions who can compete globally, lead in their sectors, and anchor Singapore’s position as a trusted hub for digital innovation.

5. More details on the enhanced programme will be shared by the end of this year. Enterprises that are keen to participate can email their interest and/or queries to DIGITAL_LEADERS@imda.gov.sg.

iHub's Transformation Supported by Digital Leaders Programme: From Traditional Logistics to LogTech Enabler

6. To-date, more than 600 enterprises have benefitted from the DLP and learnt more about digital transformation, capabilities required and tech solutions available, with some embarking on their own digital projects. Close to 50 of them have engaged IMDA to do more and were supported in the recruitment of digital teams and implementation of AI projects, including Homegrown SME iHub Solutions Pte Ltd (iHub).

7. iHub exemplifies what it means to be a Digital Leader and is proof that digitalisation can completely redefine a business. Founded in 2003 as a traditional third-party logistics provider, iHub has transformed into a LogTech enabler, integrating robotics, AI, and Generative AI (GenAI) into its daily operations to stay ahead of the competition.

8. To accelerate this transformation and achieve its vision of being a global digital leader in the complex supply chain logistics services, iHub joined the DLP in 2021, gaining access to expertise and funding support to build an in-house digital team of AI/Machine Learning engineers and the hiring of a digital product manager. This gave iHub the confidence to take bold steps into GenAI applications with IMDA’s initiatives to unlock new levels of efficiency and insights. Refer to the Annex for more details on the digital projects supported by IMDA (157.74KB).

9. Mr Koh San Joo, Founder and CEO, iHub Solutions Pte Ltd, said: “iHub has always envisioned itself becoming a global digital leader in the Supply Chain Logistics sector. Being part of IMDA’s initiatives gave us the confidence and capabilities to integrate AI into the heart of our business — transforming our warehouses into intelligent hubs and our fleets into data-driven networks. With the data, we are helping our customers to stay ahead with predictive insights, made possible with GenAI. Now, we are not just keeping pace with change but shaping the future of logistics in Singapore and beyond.”

Resource:

• Annex A - iHub’s Digital Projects Supported by IMDA’s Digital Leaders Programme and GenAI x Digital Leaders Initiative (157.74KB)