Building AI-Ready Enterprises: New Initiatives to Drive AI Deployment at Scale and Strengthen Digital Resilience

1. As enterprises accelerate AI adoption, the challenge is no longer about whether to use AI, but how to deploy it securely and at scale. Many businesses continue to face technical barriers, operational complexity, and rising cybersecurity threats as they move from pilots to implementation. More than eight in 10 organisations experienced at least one cybersecurity incident annually, underscoring the growing need for stronger digital resilience.

2. At ATxEnterprise 2026 today, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Digital Development and Information Mr. Tan Kiat How announced new initiatives to help enterprises adopt AI with confidence, strengthen cyber resilience, and future-proof Singapore’s digital infrastructure. The announcements include new partnerships under the Digital Enterprise Blueprint (DEB) and continued investments in quantum-safe infrastructure.

New award to recognise Singapore’s AI trailblazers

3. AI adoption across Singapore enterprises has grown rapidly in recent years. Infocomm Media Development Authority’s (IMDA) Singapore Digital Economy (SGDE) Report 2025 found that AI adoption among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) more than tripled from 4.2% to 14.5% in just one year, while adoption rates among non-SMEs jumped from 44% to 62.5% in 2024.

4. To commend SMEs that have achieved measurable business outcomes through the use of AI, IMDA and the Singapore Business Federation will jointly launch the inaugural SME AI Impact Awards 2026 as part of the National AI Impact Programme (NAIIP) and in support of the National AI Strategy (NAIS).

5. The awards will recognise up to 30 winners across two categories: the SME Innovation Excellence Award for enterprises developing their own proprietary AI tools, and the SME Adoption Excellence Award for those successfully implementing ready-to-use or off-the-shelf AI solutions. Winners will receive the SME AI Impact Award Trustmark, a verified mark of excellence that strengthens credibility and market reputation.

6. Nominations will open from 1 June to 14 August 2026. Winners will be celebrated at the SMEs Go Digital Day on 13 October 2026 at Suntec Convention Centre.

(For more details, please refer to the fact sheet on the SME AI Impact Awards.)

New Partnerships to Boost Enterprise AI Capabilities and Cyber Resilience

7. To help more SMEs build stronger digital capabilities in AI and cybersecurity, IMDA is expanding the Digital Enterprise Blueprint (DEB) through two new partnerships with Grab and RSM Stone Forest IT (RSM). Both partnerships offer SMEs hands-on guidance, practical tools and expertise to adopt AI with confidence and strengthen their cyber resilience.

8. Grab will launch the Grab AI Programme for SMEs, in partnership with IMDA, to reach 10,000 food and beverage (F&B), e-commerce and retail SMEs through a range of initiatives aimed at raising awareness of AI, strengthening AI literacy and accelerating AI adoption. The programme offers free online training videos, complimentary masterclasses and webinars. It also includes a structured two-14.day AI course co-developed with the Singapore University of Technology and Design, which seeks to guide SMEs from understanding AI's business value to building a practical AI roadmap, with hands-on experience using IMDA pre-approved AI solutions relevant to their sectors.

9. RSM will roll out the RSM Cyber2SME™ Programme, offering complimentary phishing simulation exercises to 2,000 SMEs to help them identify organisational vulnerabilities and strengthen their cyber defence posture. Up to 1,000 SMEs will also benefit from cybersecurity awareness webinars and tabletop exercises covering cyber risks, AI and data threats, and incident response strategies.

10. Together, these partnerships build on the strong momentum of the DEB, which has already supported over 26,000 SMEs since its launch in May 2024. With Grab and RSM on board, IMDA aims to reach 12,000 more SMEs, bringing the programme closer to its goal of supporting 50,000 SMEs by 2029.

(For more details, please refer to the fact sheet on the DEB partnerships.)

A New Playbook to Make AI Transformation Simpler for Digital Leaders

11. IMDA, together with SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) and Workforce Singapore (WSG)¹, has jointly developed a new AI for Enterprise Impact Playbook to provide digitally progressive enterprises, also known as Digital Leaders², a structured, step-by-step guide to navigate AI adoption.

12. Built on insights from over 1,000 enterprise engagements on their digital transformation journeys, the Playbook acts as a practical guide to help enterprises assess their readiness to adopt AI, identify relevant support, and take actionable next steps on their AI transformation journey. It also consolidates government programmes and resources from IMDA, Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG), SSG and WSG into a single framework, making it simpler for enterprises to find the right support at the right stage of their AI journey.

(For more details, please refer to the fact sheet on the Playbook. The Playbook can also be accessed on IMDA's Digital Leaders Programme webpage.)

Staying Ahead of AI Vulnerabilities

13. Sonar, a leader in AI code verification and governance, will also have a global launch of its new AI remediation agent in Singapore co-developed with engineers from IMDA and Singapore. As AI speeds up software development, organisations need a reliable way to fix real code problems at scale, without slowing their teams down.The new SonarQube Remediation Agent enables engineering teams across enterprises to automatically fix code issues and scan every fix before it is deployed, helping organisations confidently adopt AI-assisted development securely.

Building a Quantum-safe Singapore

14. As a digital hub, Singapore must ensure that the telecommunication sector is robust to quantum threats.

15. IMDA has signed a Memorandum of Intent (MOI) with Singtel, Ericsson and NCS Singapore to pilot and validate quantum-safe technologies for migrating Singtel's infrastructure and systems. This collaboration brings together government, telcos, and industry partners to strengthen Singapore's defences against quantum threats. Together, they will drive ecosystem readiness and position Singapore as a reference point for secure quantum-era transformation. Insights and lessons from this collaboration will be shared with the broader telco ecosystem to support wider adoption.

16. Together, these partnerships mark a significant step in Singapore’s digital journey – empowering enterprises to adopt AI with confidence, strengthening cyber resilience, and laying the foundation for a more secure and innovative digital future.

17. For more information on ATxSG, please visit asiatechxsg.com.