2023-06-27
On June 21, 2023, Singapore’s Ministry of National Development announced the launch of land supply for private housing has been further beefed up for the second half of 2023, taking the total confirmed supply for the year to its highest in a decade. In all, the eight sites on the confirmed list of the Government Land Sales (GLS) programme announced on Wednesday will yield about 5,160 private residential units, including 560 executive condominium (EC) units, and 4,900 sq m gross floor area (GFA) of commercial space. This is a rise of 26 per cent from 4,090 residential units in the first […]
2023-06-26
On June 20, 2023, Singapore has been ranked fourth among the world’s most competitive economies in 2023, according to the latest International Institute for Management Development (IMD) World Competitiveness Ranking. The 2023 ranking assessed the 64 economies based on hard data comprising 164 competitiveness criteria, including economic literature, international, national and regional sources, and feedback from the business community, government agencies and academics. Out of 64 economies assessed, the Republic ranked high in international trade (second), employment (second) and technological infrastructure (third), but was found to be less competitive in terms of price (51st). It was also ranked 23rd in […]
2023-06-21
On June 15, 2023, Siemens is building a new factory in Singapore for its industrial automation and digitalisation products that will create more than 400 jobs locally. Estimated to cost €200 million (S$290 million), the German conglomerate’s plant will begin operation in 2025 or 2026, with Tuas as the likely location. The factory is part of a €2 billion global strategy to expand the firm’s manufacturing capacity worldwide and build innovation labs, education centres and other facilities. Siemens is also expected to increase its research and development spending for the 2023 fiscal year by €500 million to over €6 billion, […]
2023-06-19
On June 14, 2023, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) of Singapore announced that the clearance time per train of passengers at the Woodlands Train Checkpoint has been cut by half to 15 minutes with the introduction of 10 automated immigration kiosks. Self-clearance at the kiosk takes approximately 24 seconds, compared with 45 seconds at the manual counter, ICA said. Those eligible to use the kiosks include Singapore residents, long-term pass holders, and short-term visitors who had previously enrolled under the Automated Clearance Initiative (ACI). Eligible foreign visitors can submit their SG Arrival Card through the MyICA mobile app or […]
2023-06-15
On June 8, 2023, Singapore has launched one of the world’s first standard for optimising energy efficiency for data centres (DCs) in tropical climate countries. Announced by Singapore’s Senior Minister of State, Communications and Information, Dr Janil Puthucheary at ATxEnterprise, the standard comes after a working group comprising domain and technical experts from both industry and academia, as well as government agencies worked on establishing a set of guidelines to enable the operation of DCs at higher temperature settings while optimising energy efficiency. IMDA said cooling systems can account for up to 40 per cent of a data centre’s total […]
2023-06-13
On June 6, 2023, Singapore‘s Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies Heng Swee Keat, announced at the Singapore Asian Tech Conference the launch of the “upgraded version of the National Quantum-Safe Network Plus” (NQSN+). This initiative aims to empower businesses to leverage quantum security technology, further enhancing the protection of critical infrastructure and countering increasingly complex cybersecurity threats. The potential of quantum technologies has prompted Singapore to invest more than $250 million in quantum research since 2007. In 2022, Singapore established the similarly named National Quantum-Safe Network – a collaboration among industry players to conduct nationwide trials […]
2023-06-09
On June 5, 2023, Ahead of Asia Tech x Singapore (ATxSG), the region’s most influential technology event, Mrs. Josephine Teo, Singapore’s Minister for Communications and Information launched Singapore’s Digital Connectivity Blueprint (DCB) that sets the direction for the next bound of Singapore’s digital connectivity. Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has also partnered Amazon Web Services AWS to launch a Joint Innovation Centre (JIC), a first-in-Southeast Asia and IMDA has also appointed 18 high potential tech professionals as SG Digital Leaders under the SG Digital Leadership Accelerator. Developed in consultation with the Advisory Panel on Digital Infrastructure, co-chaired by Dr. […]
2023-06-06
On June 1, 2023, The Jobs Transformation Map (JTM) for Retail was launched by Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Trade and Industry Dr Tan See Leng, as a guiding resource to help retail companies plan for the future and ensure that their workforce is equipped with the necessary skillsets to meet evolving business needs. The JTM was jointly developed by Enterprise Singapore (ESG) and Workforce Singapore (WSG) with the Ministry of Manpower, and supported by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), following the roll-out of the Retail Industry Transformation Map (ITM) 2025 in October last year. At the launch event, three […]
2023-05-31
On May 25, 2023, Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth and Minister of State for Trade and Industry Low Yen Ling, announced the launch of the Jobs Transformation Map (JTM) for the Food Services sector. She said food services industry contributed $4.5 billion to Singapore’s economy and employed about 235,000 workers in 2022. Food services trade associations and chambers – including the Restaurant Association of Singapore, Association of Catering Professionals Singapore and Singapore Nightlife Business Association – have committed to work with over 800 of their member companies to transform their jobs in line with the JTM. These […]
2023-05-30
On May 24, 2023, the Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech) released a statement indicating that the projected expenditure for the fiscal year 2023 in the field of information and communication technology (ICT) is expected to reach SGD 3.3 billion. A tender to replace more than 100,000 personal computers and printers across Singapore’s public service will be called in 2023, as part of the Government’s spending on infocommunications technology (ICT) this year. About $400 million will be spent on such devices, which are replaced every three years or so, the Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech) said on Wednesday. The […]
2023-05-23
On May 18, 2023, Singapore’s Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Trade & Industry Dr Tan See Leng announced the launch of the Hotel Jobs Transformation Map. The guide addresses three major transformations that the hotel industry needs to tackle: the role of technology as a driver of growth, the emphasis on sustainability, and the changing expectations of the workforce and employees, which have led to intensified talent competition. Speaking at the launch of the JTM, Manpower Minister Tan See Leng said the STB estimates visitor arrivals in Singapore in 2023 will reach about 12 million to 14 million, […]
2023-05-22
On May 17, 2023, Neste announced its final investment decision on additional renewable products production capacity in Singapore in December 2018. The EUR 1.6 billion Singapore Expansion project has been successfully completed, the start-up of the refinery expansion has been completed after mid-April, and Neste is celebrating its opening today. The Singapore refinery expansion doubles Neste’s production capacity in Singapore and brings the refinery’s total capacity to 2.6 million tons annually of which up to one million tons can be sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). This strengthens our position as the world’s leading SAF producer. In addition to increased production capacity, […]
2023-05-19
On May 15, 2023, Sentosa Development Corporation announced that all hotels, food and beverage operators and attractions on Sentosa island will stop giving out plastic bottled water by the end of 2023, saving at least two million plastic bottles a year. This includes not providing bottled water in hotel rooms, at events, and for dine-in and takeaway, Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) told The Straits Times. By the year end, SDC said it will be requiring the different operators on its island to implement a range of other measures that will help to reduce the use of plastic bags, takeaway food […]
2023-05-17
On May 12, 2023, Singapore’s Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security, Mr Teo Chee Hean, announced the launch of a new initiative called the “Cyber Traineeship Programme” at the 20th-anniversary event of the Centre for Strategic Infocomm Technologies (CSIT) under the Ministry of Defence. The training programme, lasting seven months, is designed to provide recent graduates and career switchers without relevant experience with the necessary skills. Upon successful assessment, participants will have the opportunity to be employed at the centre. The training will cover various programming fundamentals, including Windows, Linux, Python, and other relevant subjects such as system […]
2023-05-15
On May 9, 2023, Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Industry, Culture, Community, and Youth, Alvin Tan, announced that the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) plans to launch a digital platform called “Collaborative Sharing of ML/TF Information & Cases” (COSMIC). This platform aims to facilitate the sharing of information on suspicious illegal transactions among financial institutions to foster cooperation in combating financial crimes. The banks, which will also help develop the platform with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), are Citibank, DBS, HSBC, OCBC, Standard Chartered and UOB. Cosmic will first focus on three key risks – shell companies that conceal […]