2020 Smart Cities Virtual Market Entry Programme: Week 1 & 2 Summary
This year, Nordic Innovation House Singapore theme on SMART CITIES aims to support and provide opportunities for our 17 selected Nordic smart cities companies to expand their foothold in Singapore! Together with our core partners from Business Sweden, Innovation Norway, Embassy of Finland, and Promote Iceland, we managed to collaborate several virtual group showcase and sharing sessions for our Nordic companies to pitch their solutions, to engage with the participating Singaporean stakeholders, and to build a better knowledge/operations about the smart city sector in Singapore.
This programme has also involved partnering with Singapore’s largest smart district 2023 – Punggol Digital District (PDD) major Singapore public and private innovation stakeholders. Focusing on fostering collaboration and building an economic digital ecosystem for work, live, and play. The selected Nordic companies will be addressing multiple problem statements gathered from the participating stakeholders. Furthermore, adopting and unifying #nordicmade digital solutions to transform the business and urban landscape of Singapore.
We are proud to connect over 200 smart city professionals, academics, innovators, and investors with our selected Nordic companies.
Here are the highlights in Week 1 (12.10 - 16.10):
12 Oct: Group Showcase with JTC Corporation
Presentation by Nee Yihan (Senior Project Manager, JTC Corporation) on JTC Corporation and Punggol Digital District, one of the up-and-coming development projects by JTC. JTC is a government agency, as part of the Ministry of Trade and Industry in Singapore. They also work with other government agencies such as the Economic Development Board (EDB), Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to generate business opportunities for Singapore and to help foreign companies come into Singapore to have a foothold.
JTC specialises in the business of setting up the business and industrial parks to support companies that would like to conduct research and development or manufacturing. The organisation also has an industrial portfolio across the entire Singapore island - about 7,000 square metres of gross floor area across Singapore (only for the pre-built buildings) and lease land to companies who are looking to build their own factories or operations. One of the famous places in Singapore would be One North, followed by the upcoming Punggol Digital District in the North-East of Singapore. JTC is the largest industrial landlord that owns and operates 10 of all land in Singapore with a few other smaller players.
The type of building development JTC supports range from:
• low-rise factories such as textile manufacturing
• high-tech industries like aerospace, tech engineering research & development
• chemical plants and food manufacturing
Punggol Digital District (PDD) is a uniquely positioned new smart district and it aims to anchor smart city, digital economy, cybersecurity, and fintech companies to create an ecosystem of future business parks. Together with this ecosystem, it can enable collaboration with academia to support research and development opportunities. The Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), one of the new universities in Singapore is building their new campus in the South of the PDD - this close proximity between PDD and SIT will strengthen synergies and create opportunities for knowledge exchange, and collaboration. PDD is a 50-hectare development, creating 28,000 new jobs and 12,000 new students to SIT.
Following JTC’s development mantra for new business parks in Singapore, the four key components of smart integrated activities will include:
• Work - JTC Business Park Buildings
• Live - Residential Districts (North and North-West of PDD)
• Play - Retail and Entertainment Activities
• Learn - Anchored by SIT
12 Oct: Group Showcase with Building and Construction Authority (BCA)
The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) is an agency under the Ministry of National Development, whose mission is to shape a safe, high quality, sustainable and friendly built environment. As the lead public agency, we champion transforming Singapore into a future-ready built environment. “Built environment” refers to buildings, structures and infrastructure in our surroundings that provide the setting for the community’s activities. Watch BCA Corporate Video here. We had a total of 80 attendees in the Group Showcase that included the BCA team and other BCA partners.
13 Oct: Group Showcase with ST Engineering / STEV
Presentation by Khoo Teng Lip (ST Engineering, Head of ST Engineering Ventures) on ST Engineering and ST Engineering Ventures. ST Engineering is a global technology, defence and engineering group with defence, government and enterprise customers in more than 100 countries. ST Engineering was founded in 1967 and listed on the stock exchange since 1997. As a business, one-third is defence, two-third are commercial revenues. However, some of the ST Engineering technologies are on the dual-use basis. The organisation has a strong global presence with 23,000 employees in over 20 countries, 40 cities worldwide - of which 16,000 are engineers and technical talents.
Four main core business sectors of ST Engineering:
• Aerospace - Offers integrated aerospace services and solutions including original equipment manufacturing
• Electronics - Designs and delivers ICT products and solutions to address Connectivity, Mobility and Security needs of Smart Cities
• Land Systems - Delivers land systems, security solutions and related through-life support for defence, homeland security and commercial applications
• Marine - Provides turnkey and sustainable defence and commercial marine, offshore, and environmental engineering solutions
ST Engineering is constantly working on technology and innovation with:
Sustaining Innovation
• Strategic technology centres as a group itself
• Digital office that helps the internal digitisation
Promoting Innovation
• Corporate Labs
• Corporate Venture Capital
• Open Innovation Lab
• Industry Partnerships / Collaborations
So, what does ST Engineering do in Smart Cities? The growth focus is Smart Security Space (Public / Cyber), Smart Environment (Energy Management / Waste & Water), and Smart Mobility (Rail / Road). Other businesses and platforms across verticals would be Analytic and Artificial Intelligence, Digital Connectivity, and Robotics. ST Engineering also developed CitySense - a smart city solution suite designed to sense the complex needs of cities for comprehensive, tailored solutions. Addressing challenges from road congestion to physical and cybersecurity threats as well as inefficiency and utility wastage. CitySense engineers tomorrow’s smart cities.
The corporate venture capital arm, ST Engineering Ventures (STEV) founded in 2017 has a fund size of 150 million and strategically invests in startups from Seed-stage to Series B. The sector focus includes Robotics, Cybersecurity, Autonomous Technologies, Data Analytics, and Other Emerging Technologies. STEV is a strategic long-term investor doing new and follow-up rounds, active board participation, and lead and syndicate.
In a nutshell, ST Engineering is an end-to-end solution for Enterprise with many used cases and applications that can help the startups whether in the transportability, environment utility, or community and security space.
13 Oct: Group Showcase with CapitaLand / Airmaker / IMDA
Presentation by Harry Lim (Chief Technology Officer, Airmaker) on Catalysing Co-Innovation Communities and Seeding New Market Opportunities for Smart Cities. In 2019, Airmaker has been tasked to operate the Smart Urban Co-Innovation Lab - jointly set up by Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), Enterprise Singapore, and CapitaLand. It aims to be a global, platform-agnostic co-innovation lab that builds and enables integrated communities of players to discover, develop, demonstrate, and deploy smart city solutions sustainably. Airmaker also has an outreach in major countries like India and China to facilitate cross border innovation.
With strong government support for solution development, it will enable the Smart Urban Co-Innovation Lab to co-fund for proofs-of-concept and technical reference sites. The six industrial segments that the Smart Urban Co-Innovation Lab focus on and the smart technologies it aims to discover include Artificial Intelligence, 5G, IoT, Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, Fintech, and Cloud.
1. Catalysing co-innovation in Intelligent Estates
2. Enabling Smart Mobility in Singapore’s largest 5G trial site
3. Enabling co-innovation in Smart and Digital Wellness
4. Enabling co-innovation in Urban Agriculture
5. Sustainability (NEW)
6. Advanced Manufacturing (NEW)
From 2 November 2020 to 1 February 2021, the CapitaLand Sustainability X Challenge is calling for proposals across the globe to make buildings more climate-resilient and resource-efficient. Two winners will each stand a chance to secure up to S$50,000 in project funding, mentoring by a CapitaLand business leader and the exclusive opportunity to kickstart a viable pilot and test innovations with CapitaLand. For more challenge and application details, visit https://www.capitaland.com/international/en/about-capitaland/sustainability/sustainabilityxchallenge.html.
14 Oct: Group Showcase with City Developments Limited (CDL)
Presentation by Allen Ang (Head of Green Building & Technology Application, City Developments Limited). City Developments Limited is a property arm of Singapore’s Hong Leong Group with:
• Over S$40 Billion of diversified premium assets
• Over 40,000 employees worldwide across the Asia Pacific, The Middle East, Europe, and North America
• Four core business in Property Developments, Hotels, Financial Services, Trade & Industry
Since 1995, CDL has been championing in sustainability and strategically integrated Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals and policies into its business, pushing the envelope for green building innovation and climate change strategies. Quality and innovation will remain the hallmarks of CDL’s projects. It is amongst the first few supporting companies in Singapore in 2017 to connect ESG to the financial impact and embraced the 14 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aligned with the company’s material ESG issues.
CDL also adopts four pillars of sustainability strategies for long-term and sustained value for its business, stakeholders, and community.
1. Integration
• Integrated into CDL business, organisation and governance structure at all levels
• Integrated reporting framework and approach
2. Innovation & Adaptation
• Technologies & solutions to accelerate green building, and a low-carbon and resilient economy
3. Investment
• Growing ESG investing and sustainable financing reward green, and responsible businesses
• Accelerates Climate Action, Innovation and Communities
4. Impact
• Reaching out to value chain and the larger ecosystem of stakeholders
• Creating positive impact and long-term value for business and the environment
• Prompt reporting
CDL welcomes technologies and solutions to accelerate a low carbon and resilient property development, and assests management.
14 Oct: Group Showcase with UNDP Global Centre Singapore & ADB Ventures
Presentation by Calum Handforth (Advisor, Smart Cities & Digitalisation - UNDP Global Centre Singapore) on Smart Cities and Digitalisation. For UNDP Global Centre Singapore, a smart city is a city that uses smart technologies and innovation such ad indigenous knowledge, nature-based solutions, behaviour change, urban planning and so on, to improve people’s lives and livelihoods. Smart Cities are important in many ways. Most of the UNDP Global Centre works focus on Sub-Saharan Africa, South and South-East Asia, and increasingly Latin America. These cities provide unique opportunities and challenges that smart cities can tackle.
The Framework of Actions sets out the smart city approach of the UNDP Global Centre. It features three elements:
1. Thematic Areas
• Adaptable Cities, Inclusive-Cities, Sustainable Cities
2. Smart City Drivers
• Digital Infrastructure, Data Management & Analysis, Smart City Governance, Financing & Innovation Partnerships
3. Guiding Principles
• Taking a systems approach, Practical & outcomes-focused, Inclusive & sustainable, Advancing UNDP-Singapore partnerships
The Global Centre’s smarty city ‘offer’ is split into five areas - each focused on ensuring the delivery of sustainable smart cities. This will be achieved through both collaborations with UNDP Country Offices as wells as engagement with the wider smart city ecosystem. The Smart City Programme covers Smart City Delivery, Community of Practice, Smart City Insights Platform, Sharing Knowledge, and Building Expertise.
Presentation by Jason Lusk (Manager, Partnerships and Communications, ADB Ventures). ADB Ventures is the venture capital arm of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). It provides funding and support to early-stage technology companies with significant potential to solve big problems in emerging Asia. ADB Ventures approach leverages on ADB’s unique public and private sector networks across Asia to de-risk and accelerates market access and scale-up. It has the vision to crowd in more than $1 Billion of venture risk capital towards achieving the SDGs by 2030.
ADB Ventures also focuses on four impact sectors:
1. Cleantech & Clean Energy
2. Sustainable Agriculture
3. Inclusive Fintech
4. Inclusive Healthcare
ADB Ventures Labs: https://ventures.adb.org/startup-inquiries/
15 Oct: Group Showcase with Singapore Land Authority (SLA), GeoWorks & Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT)
Presentation by Michael Sim (Pathfinder, Geospatial Industry Development, / GeoWorks at Singapore Land Authority) on Building Singapore’s Geospatial Industry. Established in 2018, GeoWorks is part of the Singapore Land Authority (part of Singapore Government) that aims to promote business opportunities, drive innovation, and build a well-connected community in the geospatial industry. GeoWorks’s charter in SLA has three main roles in Singapore:
1. Manage and operate state land in Singapore
2. Conduct an accurate land survey on a regular basis
3. Geospatial initiative - creates platforms/initiatives that allow other private sector or government agencies to use Geospatial data
GeoWorks Industry Engagement includes Build, Transport Logistics, Environment, and Real Estate. They also organise programme such as Singapore GeoSpatial Week, https://www.geoworks.sg/programmes-n-initiatives/singapore-geospatial-week.
GeoWorks: https://www.geoworks.sg/
ASEAN Geospatial: https://aseangeospatial.org/
Presentation by Samantha Soh (Manager, Centre for Digital Enablement (CoDE) at SIT) on ‘A Leader in Innovative University Education by Integrating Learning Industry & Community'. Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) is a university for applied learning - (1) bridging academic knowledge and skills with real-world applications in industry, (2) integrating classroom with industry - effective scaffold to learning. SIT aims to be nimble and responsive to keep pace with the constant change in the industry. The five focused clusters are (1) Engineering, (2) Infocomm Technology, (3) Chemical Engineering & Food Technology, (4) Design & Specialised Businesses, and (5) Health & Social Sciences.
SIT will be moving (3 years time) to the Punggol Campus (part of Punggol Digital District) as Microcosm of a Smart Nation. The Living Lab will be a critical infrastructure available for authentic learning and experimentation, co-location with industry facilities joint experimentation, and co-recreation of education and research programmes. The new campus is built with cutting-edge technologies and innovations that inspire:
• Integrated Building Management System – Controlling lifts, lighting, air-cons, security
• Sensors – Collecting various data for responsive decision making
• IT Infrastructure – Supporting high-speed, high-volume data access anywhere
• District Cooling System – Cooling campus efficient and low carbon footprint way
• Multi-Energy Micro Grid – Supplying sustainable power to campus
More info on the new and upcoming SIT campus: https://www.singaporetech.edu.sg/digitalnewsroom/a-smart-campus-to-call-home--sit-begins-construction-of-centralised-campus-in-punggol-with-groundbreaking-ceremony/
15 Oct: GROUP SHOWCASE WITH ENTERPRISE SINGAPORE (ESG) & IPI SINGAPORE
Starting with ESG, a global network with more than 35 offices worldwide – spotlight presentation by Terence Teoh (Senior Development Partner (Americas and Western Europe), Enterprise Singapore) on the healthcare collaboration opportunities and mission of ESG in Singapore. Understanding Singapore has an increasingly vibrant Biomedical ecosystem with sub-sectors in MedTech, Digital Health, Pharmbio. Transforming Singapore as the gateway to Asia’s key markets in Global Connectivity, International Trading Community, Financial Hub, Multicultural Workforce, and Business-friendly Environment. NIH-SG is also an Entrepass Partner with Enterprise Singapore which offers Entrepreneur Work Visas to support foreign entrepreneurs to enter and establish businesses in Singapore.
“Singapore is well-known for our international airport. Besides that we are also recognised for strong IP governance, business-friendly legislations, stable political environment, highly educated and skilled workforce. And our strategic location, being at the centre, being at the hub of Asia Pacific places Singapore in a strategic advantage. Allowing our Singapore companies to have deep networks and familiarity to the rest of Southeast Asia region. At Enterprise Singapore, business matching is part of our DNA, and when you are ready for Asia Pacific - Singapore can serve as your business launchpad.”, says Terence Teoh (Senior Development Partner (Americas and Western Europe), Enterprise Singapore).
We also had Lynne Loh (Senior Manager, Strategic Partnerships, IPI Singapore) unfolding the valuable information on IPI Singapore (a subsidiary of ESG) which was established in 2011 by the Ministry of Trade & Industry to enable enterprises to grow their business through technology and innovation. IPI Singapore focuses on industry needs (under Infocomm & Electronics, Personal & Healthcare, Food, Manufacturing, Energy & Environment, and Materials & Chemicals) by working with enterprises to source for technologies locally and overseas, from both public and private sectors; and facilitating partnerships to bring new products and services to the market. So, how does IPI Singapore facilitate innovation partnerships? Here are some of the ongoing technology matching platforms:
Innovation Marketplace, a self-service online platform that connects Tech Providers and Tech Seekers to find collaboration opportunities through IPI’s global network of 26,000+ subscribers. Sign-up for IPI TechAlerts here: https://www.ipi-singapore.org/
TechExpert, a one-stop platform matching technical experts from diverse disciplines to the industries.
Open Innovation Challenges, a platform that matches problem solvers to corporates or government organisations in addressing their tech challenges.
On a 1-to-1 basis, IPI technology managers will work with Singapore enterprises to scope out their technology requirements. Follower by sourcing suitable technologies before matching with the relevant providers. The ultimate goal is that these introductions could lead to Partnerships Agreements.
TechInnovation, IPI’s flagship technology matching event that brings together international technology seekers and providers to network, explore commercialisation and initiate business collaboration. Join the virtual technology brokerage event and innovation workshops on 7-11 Dec 2020 held alongside Singapore Week of Innovation & TeCHnology (SWITCH).
Nordic companies can join as an exhibitor under the Nordics Virtual Pavilion to showcase and pitch your technologies and connect with industry partners over 1-on-1 meetings! Industry areas of needs: Services & Digital Economy, Urban Solutions & Sustainability, Health & Personal Care, and Food & Nutrition from global sources. Nordic Pitching Webinar Showcase, 10 Dec 2020, 4 pm SGT / 10 am CEST. For more info, click here: https://www.techinnovation.com.sg/
16 Oct: Group Showcase with Ministry of Health Holdings (MOHH)
The holding company of Singapore’s three public integrated healthcare clusters to better meet Singaporean’s future healthcare needs. Opening introduction by Yvonne Lim (Deputy Director, Healthcare Infrastructure Projects Division) on MOHH framework under the Healthcare Infrastructure Projects Division (HIPD) which comprises of Project Development (PD), Professional Technical Services (PTS), and Central Hub & Asset Management Partnership (CHAMP) focusing on strategic areas such as:
To build a multidisciplinary team of healthcare infrastructure professionals
To develop a central knowledge repository of current healthcare projects
To develop and deliver quality healthcare projects on time and within budget
16 Oct: Group Showcase with Singapore Management University (SMU) Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IIE)
Presentation by Luke Wu (Senior Manager, SMU IIE) – SMU IIE nurture changemaker and founders who aspire to make the world a better place. It has also developed experiential learning programmes on three pillars: Culture, Capability, Community.
Culture: Nurturing Future Leaders
• Global Innovation Immersion – Where Diversity Meets Innovation (3-month internship)
• Protégé Ventures – Southeast Asia’s First Student-led Venture Fund
Capability: Grooming Changemakers
• Business Innovations Generator (BIG) – World-class incubator to take your ideas from Ground Zero to Reality (intensive 4-month equity-free incubation programme)
• Strong Asian Connectivity – Network and partnerships with institutes and corporates in Asia
• Enterprise Singapore - SMU Venture Building Programme – For first-time entrepreneurs
• Lean Launchpad – Commercialise your research
Community: Nexus of Innovation Communities & Home to Changemakers
• The Greenhouse – IIE’s new 700sqm innovation hub at SMU Connexion
• Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition – Reimagine Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Cities
Here are the highlights in Week 2 (19.10- 23.10):
19 Oct: INVESTOR MATCHMAKING EVENT
Starting the week with the Investor Matchmaking webinar, where our selected 15 Nordic Smart Cities companies had five minutes each to present their solutions to Singapore- and Southeast Asia-based investors and corporate venture capitals. Also, pitching to seek funding and future partnership opportunities in these regions.
20 Oct: Group Showcase with SP Group
Presentation by Victor Sun (Deputy Director, SP Group) – SP Group is a leading energy utility company in the Asia Pacific that owns and operates electricity and gas transmission and distribution businesses in Singapore and Australia, and energy solutions businesses in Singapore, China, and the Middle East. SP Group solution suite provides a span of capabilities to help make districts sustainable and reduce emissions. This includes Energy Storage Systems, Solar, Smart Metering, Digital Twin, EV Charging, Hydrogen, District Cooling, and Micro-climate solutions.
SP Groups is one of the developer and operator of integrated sustainable energy solutions for the upcoming Punggol Digital District – integrating Smart Grid solutions for active load management on an Open Digital Platform in the High-Tech District.
SP Group Sustainability, Smart Energy & Digital Initiatives: https://www.poweringthenation.sg/home
23 Oct: Development of Smart Cities - Perspectives from the Nordics and Southeast Asia
As part of the NIH-SG Smart Cities Virtual Market Entry Programme 2020 towards Singapore and Southeast Asia, we have also organised a closing event webinar on the ‘Development of Smart Cities - Perspectives from the Nordics and Southeast Asia’.
We are honoured to start this session with opening remarks by Mr Ville Skinnari, Minister (Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, Finland) sharing his thoughts on co-innovation and co-operation between the Nordics and Singapore in the smart cities sector.
“In September 2020, Singapore was ranked 1st in the Global Smart City Index by IMD and SUTD. Congratulations to this great achievement. Even in the far way in the Nordic countries, we are highly impressed by Singapore’s success in building one of the most advanced urban environments in the world. The same goes to the other countries in Southeast Asia. We have seen impressive smart city development in cities like Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh city, and also smaller cities such as Phuket in Thailand has joined the smart city revolution. While Singapore is ranked the most advanced smart city in the world, I’m proud to tell you that the 2nd best city in the same ranking is the capital of Finland, Helsinki followed closely by other Nordic capitals. I dare to call Finland and our Nordic neighbours forerunners and global leaders in the smart city development. I belive the capacity to innovate is the foundation of smart cities. The Nordic countries have all invested heavily in innovation. Not only because it is good but also necessary. … Building smart cities is a quest for sustainability and a step foward achieving sustainable development goals agreed by United Nations.
The global level of urbanisation is increasingly rapidly in cities as we all know this develops pressure on living conditions, infrastructure, and traffic. The growing number of urban residents also amplifies climate change and other environmental challenges. Cities are responsible for majority of global energy consumption and carbon emissions. Smart cities are not a fix for these challenges, but the concept can provide us with useful tools that benefit both citizens and the environment.”, says Mr Ville Skinnari, Minister, Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, Finland
Next, we had a panel discussion on examples and experiences on the Development of Smart Cities - Perspectives from the Nordics and Southeast Asia’ with our invited panel speakers.
UNDP Global Centre Singapore: Bradley Busetto, Director, UNDP Global Centre for Technology, Innovation and Sustainable Development, Singapore
Singapore: Dinesh Naidu, Deputy Director, Centre for Liveable Cities
City of Helsinki: Marja-Liisa Niinikoski, CEO, Helsinki Business Hub
City of Jakarta: Yudhistira Nugraha, Head of Jakarta Smart City, DKI Jakarta
Moderator: Marcus Kuusinen, Project Manager, Business Sweden Singapore
Our selected Nordic Health Programme companies were also able to showcase their health-related innovations and engage with the attendees in the three different breakout rooms. Check out the recorded sessions below!
Breakout Room 1
BaseN, Connected Finland, Nornir, Haltian, SmartWatcher, Disruptive Technologies
Breakout Room 2
Chaos Architects, Citynomadi, Locia, Mapita, Spacent
Breakout Room 3
Carina Solutions, Vektorio, CS Control Software, FINBIN - Lehtovuori
If you are interested to find out more about Nordic Innovation House Singapore, email us at sg@nordicinnovationhouse.com.