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Singapore, Guangdong deepen collaboration in digital economy. Singapore and Guangdong are deepening collaboration in the digital economy, with artificial intelligence (AI) emerging as a key area of shared interest, Enterprise Singapore said on Tuesday. The government agency said in a statement that Singapore's National AI Strategy 2.0 and Guangdong's 15th Five-Year Plan share a common ambition to transform priority sectors such as advanced manufacturing, financial services, logistics, and healthcare. Both sides are already translating this shared vision into concrete partnerships. For example, Singapore's Land Transport Authority (LTA) is partnering Shenzhen-based tech startup ZoeRobot to deploy AI-powered wall-panel mounting robots for the Cross Island Line project since 2025. This has reduced manpower requirements for compaction work during concrete casting by around 30 percent. Meanwhile, AI-led technology services company NCS is partnering Shenzhen Urban Transport Planning Center (SUTPC) to develop AI-driven solutions for smart transportation, smart airports, and operations command systems across the Asia-Pacific region. According to the statement, Singapore and Guangdong's collaboration in the healthcare and biomedical sector has seen good progress. Companies and research institutions from both sides are partnering to accelerate the development and commercialization of innovative medical treatments. For example, Singapore biotech company LionTCR will work with Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Holdings Limited (GPHL), one of China's largest pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, to jointly develop and accelerate the clinical translation of next-generation TCR-T cell therapies. Singapore cell-therapy company BioSyngen is also partnering Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University to establish an international medical platform. With cross-border treatment channels as a key enabler, the partnership aims to advance immune cell therapy for solid tumors through joint clinical research, a shared research and development (R&D) and translation platform, and talent development in the Greater Bay Area. In innovation, collaboration under the Singapore-Shenzhen Joint Innovation Call1 is gaining momentum, with partnerships from the first edition seeing results. An example is Amerig Offshore Engineering, a Singapore company specializing in offshore wind foundation protection. It partnered Shenzhen Geokey Construction Group and CIMC Offshore Engineering under the 2023 Joint Innovation Call to jointly develop and deploy high-performance solidified soil materials for scour protection. The collaboration shortened research and development timelines by about 10% to 20% and supported deployments in regional offshore wind projects. Meanwhile, the China-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City (CSGKC) remains an important launchpad for Singapore companies venturing into Guangdong, said the statement. Singapore-based semiconductor equipment company Component Technology is one of the companies that has recently established a presence in the CSGKC. The company will cooperate with AQ Technology's Shenzhen branch to jointly develop AI software for advanced semiconductor packaging. The CSGKC has also evolved as a hub for talent exchange between Singapore and Guangdong, having signed memoranda of understanding with Business China, the Singapore University of Social Sciences, and the Singapore Institute of Technology respectively to advance collaboration in areas such as talent and workforce development, youth and student exchanges, healthcare innovation, and cross-cultural engagement. Overall, Singapore and Guangdong's economic ties remain strong, with bilateral trade reaching $15.09 billion in the first half of 2026. Guangdong also remained Singapore's top provincial trading partner in China for the 37th consecutive year in 2025. During the 16th Singapore-Guangdong Collaboration Council (SGCC) meeting which was held in Singapore, both sides reaffirmed the good progress achieved under the SGCC and discussed how the partnership could be further developed amid a challenging global environment. A total of 22 project signings were concluded at the meeting, reflecting the strong mutual interest in advancing cooperation across areas such as innovation, healthcare, finance and talent exchange. "Singapore and Guangdong have built a strong and enduring partnership over time, one that has demonstrated resilience and depth over the decades," said Ong Ye Kung, the Minister for Health and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies of Singapore. According to him, the challenges of today's global environment make it more important than ever to have like-minded partners. "We share common priorities across healthcare, innovation and the digital economy, and our strengths complement each other well. As gateways to our respective regions, we are well-placed to help each other access new markets and opportunities, "Through the SGCC, we will continue to build on this foundation and open new pathways for growth," he added. In a separate statement, Singapore-based transport operator ComfortDelGro said it sees Guangdong as launchpad for autonomous mobility growth. "Guangdong is central to our strategy of building a robust autonomous mobility ecosystem. Our newly established wholly owned subsidiary in Shenzhen marks a key step in developing a regional autonomous mobility headquarters and center of excellence," ComfortDelGro Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer Cheng Siak Kian said. According to him, the memoranda of understanding signed at the Singapore-Guangdong Collaboration Council meeting will strengthen the firm's AV capabilities and supporting infrastructure, including smart parking, charging and energy systems, paving the way for the large-scale deployment of autonomous taxi services in China and other key markets.

IMDA collabs with telcos to bolster industry's defences. June 1, 2026 Singapore's Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has signed a memorandum of intent (MOI) with telecommunications firm Singtel and Ericsson as well as tech services provider NCS Singapore. According to IMDA, this collaboration brings together government, telcos, and industry partners to strengthen Singapore's defences against quantum threats. This MOI, said the agency, 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. "As a digital hub, Singapore must ensure that the telecommunication sector is robust to quantum threats," said the IMDA. Since 2022, Singapore has had a dedicated testbed for quantum-safe networking, known as the National Quantum Safe Network (NQSN). In 2024, Singtel was appointed by IMDA to develop National Quantum-Safe Network Plus (NQSN+), an extension of NQSN that is addressed more directly to businesses. safeguards enterprises from quantum threats with advanced security solutions. Also, in 2025, IMDA released a Quantum-Safe Handbook and Quantum Readiness Index, published in collaboration with the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA).

Few chief AI officers at Singapore listcos despite growing AI push: survey. Local companies are largely embedding oversight of the tech into existing leadership portfolios Meera pathmanathan. Published Wed, May 20, 2026 · 07:00 AM * About 44% of Asia-Pacific leaders say AI is one of the most significant issues their organisations expect to face in 2026, says Heidrick & Struggles. PHOTO: BT FILE [SINGAPORE] About 76 per cent of firms globally have a dedicated chief artificial intelligence officer (CAIO) but adoption in Singapore-listed companies remains limited. These were the findings from a recent survey of 2,000 CEOs by IBM's Institute for Business Value, in collaboration with Oxford Economics. Although the report did not give examples, global companies such as London-based bank HSBC, technology firm Meta Platforms and brewer Heineken have appointed chief AI officers. In Singapore, such roles are still the exception rather than the norm. "Dedicated CAIO roles at C-level within Singapore-listed companies remain rare," said John Young, a partner at the Singapore office of leadership advisory firm Heidrick & Struggles. He is a member of its global technology and services practice. Young noted that many companies remain cautious about creating standalone AI leadership positions despite Singapore having built strong national momentum around AI leadership. This is seen with the appointment of Dr He Ruimin as Singapore's CAIO, who oversees national efforts to develop and implement Singapore's AI strategy, as well as the formation of a National AI Council, chaired by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. DECODING ASIA Navigate Asia in a new global order. "From conversations we're having in the field, many organisations are cautious about ring-fencing AI under a single executive," he said. This comes even as executives recognise the growing strategic importance of AI. Heidrick & Struggles' 2026 CEO and Board Confidence Monitor found that 44 per cent of Asia-Pacific leaders identified AI as one of the most significant issues their organisations expect to face in 2026, while about half said they were confident in their ability to manage it. Although CAIO roles among Singapore-listed companies are few and far between, the accelerating pace of AI capabilities is prompting companies to rethink how leadership teams are structured and how responsibilities are distributed across the C-suite. "The CEOs delivering real results from AI transformation aren't just deploying AI faster, they're redesigning their organisations to bring together the best people with the best technology," said Mohamad Ali, senior vice-president at IBM Consulting. According to the IBM report, all CEOs from the organisations with a CAIO expect the role's influence to increase by 2030. In Singapore, AI-led tech services company NCS Group recently appointed Edward Chen as its first chief AI officer. Chen said that the role was created to drive the company's AI strategy with greater focus and coordination. "The chief AI officer role was created to accelerate how NCS develops and brings AI platforms and products to market, while scaling AI adoption and transformation across our clients and operations," he explained. Chen added that the appointment helps align AI initiatives across the organisation around a common strategy, operating model and platform. While NCS continues to have strong AI talent embedded across its industry groups and delivery teams, he said that the operating model allows the company to deliver AI solutions that are "higher quality, faster to deploy, more cost-effective, and built with security and governance from the ground up". Still, many companies in Singapore are choosing to embed AI responsibilities within existing executive portfolios rather than establish dedicated AI leadership roles. Ivan Ng, governing council member and tech and digital committee co-chair at the Singapore Institute of Directors, said that this is because successful AI adoption depends on "broader integration across data, platforms, operations and governance". Heidrick & Struggles' Young noted: "In many cases, companies may find it more practical to expand the remit of existing CIOs, CTOs, digital or innovation leaders, as these executives already oversee the underlying technology infrastructure, governance, transformation programmes and implementation teams required to deploy AI effectively." He pointed to a recent search by a bank here for a chief innovation officer, where AI accounted for roughly a quarter of the role's remit rather than serving as its sole focus. "The bank recognised that AI was just one of several areas requiring innovation, alongside blockchain, cybersecurity, infrastructure and fintech," he said. Young added that companies increasingly view AI as an enterprise-wide capability rather than a standalone business function. "The reality is that AI cuts across every part of the business," he pointed out, noting that "many organisations will view AI readiness as a CEO and board-level priority, with accountability distributed across the leadership team rather than concentrated in a single role". Share with us your feedback on BT's products and services