With resolution 1,000 times greater than a light microscope, electron microscopes are exceptionally good at imaging materials and detailing their properties. But like all technologies, they have some limitations.

To overcome these limitations, scientists have traditionally focused on upgrading hardware, which is costly. But researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory are showing that advanced software developments can push their performance further.

Our method is helping improve the resolution of existing instruments so people don’t need to upgrade to new expensive hardware so often.

– Tao Zhou, Aassistant Scientist, Argonne & Lad Author

Argonne researchers have recently uncovered a way to improve the resolution and sensitivity of an electron microscope by using an artificial intelligence (AI) framework uniquely. Their approach, published in npj Computational Materials, enables scientists to get even more detailed information about materials and the microscope itself, which can further expand its uses.

Electrons act like waves when they travel, and electron microscopes exploit this knowledge to create images. Images are formed when a material is exposed to a beam of electron waves. Passing through, these waves interact with the material, and this interaction is captured by a detector and measured. These measurements are used to construct a magnified image.

Along with creating magnified images, electron microscopes also capture information about material properties, such as magnetization and electrostatic potential, which is the energy needed to move a charge against an electric field. This information is stored in a property of the electron wave known as a phase. Phase describes the location or timing of a point within a wave cycle, such as the point where a wave reaches its peak.

When measurements are taken, information about the phase is seemingly lost. As a result, scientists cannot access information about magnetization or electrostatic potential from the images they acquire. Knowing these characteristics is critical to controlling and engineering desired properties in materials for batteries, electronics and other devices. That’s why retrieving phase information is important.

Retrieving phase information is a decades-old problem. It originated in X-ray imaging and is now shared by other fields, including electron microscopy. To resolve this problem, Argonne computational scientists propose leveraging tools built to train deep neural networks, a form of AI.

Neural networks are essentially a series of algorithms designed to mimic the human brain and nervous system. When given a series of inputs and output, these algorithms seek to map out the relationship between the two. But to do this accurately, neural networks have to be trained. That’s where training algorithms come into play.

Using these training algorithms, the research team demonstrated a way to recover phase information. But what makes their approach unique is that it also enables scientists to retrieve essential information about their electron microscope.

Their method also improves the resolution and sensitivity of existing equipment. This means that researchers will be able to recover tiny shifts in phase, and in turn, get information about small changes in magnetization and electrostatic potential, all without requiring costly hardware upgrades.

As reported by OpenGov Asia, DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory has received nearly $3 million in funding for two interdisciplinary projects that will further develop artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technology.

The two grants were presented by the DOE’s Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR). They will aid Argonne scientists and collaborators to seek AI and machine learning work in the development of approaches to handle enormous data sets or develop better outcomes where minimal data exists.

By integrating mathematics and scientific principles, they will construct strong and accurate surrogate models. These types of models can greatly reduce the time and cost of working complex simulations, such as those used to forecast the climate or weather.

China has pledged to achieve breakthroughs in core robotic technologies and related high-end products by 2025. China also aims to become an innovation hub for the global robotics industry by 2025, as it works to achieve breakthroughs in robotics components and widen the application of smart machines in more sectors.

The move is part of the nation’s broader push to cope with a greying population and leverage cutting-edge technologies to advance industrial upgrades. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said in a five-year plan that the operating income of China’s robotics industry is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 20% from 2021 to 2025.

China has been the world’s largest market for industrial robots for eight consecutive years. In 2020, the manufacturing robot density, a metric used to measure a country’s level of automation, reached 246 units per 10,000 people in China, nearly twice the global average

China aims to double its manufacturing robot density by 2025. High-end, advanced robots are expected to be used in more sectors such as the automobile, aerospace, railway transportation, logistics and mining industries. More efforts will also be made to achieve breakthroughs in core robot components, such as speed reducers, servomotors and control panels, which are recognised as the three basic building blocks of sophisticated automated machines.

– Wang Weiming, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology

The goal is that by 2025, the performance and reliability of these homegrown key components can reach the level of advanced foreign products. From 2016 to 2020, China’s robotics industry grew rapidly, with an average annual growth rate of about 15%. In 2020, the operating income of China’s robotics sector exceeded 100 billion yuan ($15.7 billion) for the first time, data from the ministry show.

In the first 11 months of 2021, the cumulative output of industrial robots in China exceeded 330,000 units, marking year-on-year growth of 49%, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. As key equipment for modern industries, robots can lead an industry’s digital development and upgrades of intelligent systems. Meanwhile, service robots can also serve as assistants to an ageing population and improve people’s quality of life. Thanks to technologies such as 5G and artificial intelligence, service robots can play a bigger role in elderly healthcare.

The International Federation of Robotics predicted that globally industrial robot installations are expected to rebound strongly and grow by 13% year-on-year to 435,000 units in 2021, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, exceeding the record achieved in 2018. The COVID-19 pandemic has driven changes in the logistics industry, which includes the acceleration of innovation, automation and digitalisation in the workplace.

According to a paper, the Chinese robot market is one of the largest in the world although the robot density remains far lower than that of many other industrialised nations. Major users include the electrical and electronics sector and the automotive industry, together with growing applications in the burgeoning hospitality and logistics sectors.

China has been utilising robots in various fields, including healthcare with the development of vascular interventional surgical robots. As reported by OpenGov Asia, Chinese researchers from the Beijing Institute of Technology have cooperated with Beijing Tiantan Hospital and other units to research core technology optimisation and special consumables of vascular interventional surgery robots. The surgery robot has become the interventional robot product with the fastest research and development progress in China.

With the support of the project of the National Key R&D Programme of China “Industrialisation Research and Application of Minimally Invasive Vascular Interventional Surgery Robot”, the development of the robot was fully completed. At present, the surgical robot, after further technological upgrades, has taken the lead in entering the clinical trial stage registered by the NMPA (National Medical Products Administration), and 123 clinical trial cases have been completed.

Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), in collaboration with commercial partners have successfully concluded the world’s first cross-border digital trade financing pilot of its kind.

The pilot used IMDA’s TradeTrust framework to facilitate the transfer of electronic records between jurisdictions that have adopted the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (MLETR). This harmonises the legal recognition of digital documents such as electronic bills of lading (eBLs) across both jurisdictions and complements the larger global trade movement by the G7 economies on adopting electronic transferable records in international trade.

Cross-border trade finance is largely paper-based and vulnerable to fraud, due to the complex flow of transactions and the multiple number of parties involved. IMDA developed TradeTrust as an interoperable framework that provides proof of authenticity, origin and ownership of digital documents used in trade finance.

This enables trading counterparties and transacting banks to validate documents digitally and securely even when they are on different trade finance platforms, and allows such documents to be exchanged with another party in real-time. This helps mitigate the risk of fraud, reduce costs, and improve trust and efficiency.

The adoption of MLETR into statute law also provides increased legal confidence and commercial predictability to parties in both Singapore and ADGM in the recognition of electronic documents and digitalised transactions. This will pave the way for a more seamless, easier, and faster way to transact digitally.

The commercial partners collaborated closely with IMDA, MAS and FSRA in this pilot, and used IMDA’s TradeTrust to validate, review and transfer ownership of simulated eBLs. In doing so, these partner banks gained insights into potential benefits such as reducing the operational costs of fraud detection and document verification.

The digital economy is the future. Digitalisation and technological disruption, accelerated by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, have transformed consumer behaviours and business models considerably and created new opportunities. For example, e-commerce has enabled manufacturers to reach consumers directly.

The rise of platforms and apps with multiple integrated services from transport to finance and telemedicine have changed how services are consumed. Businesses are also increasingly reliant on electronic transactions and digital solutions, from sourcing to invoicing and payments. Secure and seamless cross-border data flows are essential to the growth of the digital economy and to ensure that consumer’s interests are safeguarded.

As reported by OpenGov Asia, Singapore and the United Kingdom (UK) have substantially concluded negotiations on the UK-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement (UKSDEA). The trade deal – Singapore’s third DEA – is intended to boost digital trade and data flows, such as the promotion of interoperable e-payment systems and the prohibition of local data storage requirements. It will also encourage digital economy participation, through channels such as online consumer protection rules, and e-commerce platform access for small businesses.

The agreement includes binding disciplines on cornerstones of the digital economy, such as data, as well as cooperative elements in a wide range of emerging and innovative areas such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), fintech and regtech, digital identities and legal technology.

Under the UKSDEA, Singapore and the UK are also pursuing cooperative projects that provide a dynamic framework for bilateral cooperation on forward-looking and emerging issues. Singapore and the UK enjoy strong economic ties, with the UK being Singapore’s largest services trading partner in Europe. In 2019, bilateral services trade exceeded S$22 billion, of which around 70% could have been digitally delivered.

The UK is also Singapore’s second-largest European investor and European investment destination, with over S$100 billion worth of UK investment stock in Singapore, and close to S$60 billion worth of Singapore investment stock in the UK.

China showcased several advanced products and technologies. This year, China focuses on national science centres, key state laboratories and China’s major science and technology infrastructure, as well as the latest scientific research achievements and advanced technologies in fields including high-end manufacturing, new materials, life sciences and the marine economy. China aims to boost the economy through technical innovation.

China Hi-Tech Fair is a window to observe China’s scientific and technological innovation, and the products on display in frontier fields such as synthetic biology and brain science are likely to change people’s lives in the future in profound ways.

– Fan Jianping, Head Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

More than 9,000 high-tech projects had been on display at the event, covering fields including 5G, artificial intelligence, intelligent manufacturing, smart driving, blockchain, and cloud computing, urban intelligence, virtual reality game, and 3D printer. China also showcased thousands of mind-boggling technology products, including an automatic hamburger-making robot, a delivery robot, and a robotic dog.

CHTF brings together advanced technical trade. It is currently the largest and the most significant scientific and technological fair in China and is renowned as “the No.1 Technology Show in China”. It exhibits hi-tech products and held high-level forums including environment protection, next-generation IT technology, biology, advanced equipment manufacture, new material and new energies.

CHTF has attracted many technology-desiring domestic and overseas enterprises, intermediaries and thousands of investors, which provide an opportunity to find cooperative partners around the world. At CHTF, many procurements are in demand from the central and local governments and enterprises, providing a channel for your products to enter the Chinese market rapidly.

CHTF integrates transaction of achievements, an exhibition of products, high-level forum, merchant attraction of projects and cooperation & exchange and focuses on the advanced technologies and products in such fields as energy conservation, environment protection, a new generation of information technologies, biology, manufacture of high-end equipment, new energies, new materials and new energy vehicles etc.

After years of development, CHTF has become an important window for the opening outside in China’s high-tech sectors and has played a more important role in commercialisation, industrialisation and internationalisation of high-tech achievements as well as promotion of economic and technological exchanges and cooperation between different countries and regions.

As one of the biggest specialised import and export fairs for information technologies and products in China, it emphatically exhibits new technologies, products and services in the field of a new generation of information technologies.

As the most attractive specialised show for newly-emerging brands on CHTF, it emphatically exhibits the newest technologies and application products in energy saving , environmental protection and new energy field, including green building, air purification, water purification, waste disposal, eco-friendly material, solar energy, nuclear energy, wind energy, as well as electric vehicles.

As reported by OpenGov Asia, China has made great achievements in scientific and technological innovation during the 13th Five-Year Plan period. As China embarks on a new journey to build a modern socialist country in all respects, sci-tech innovation will play a vital role in promoting the country’s overall development.

Researchers established the quantum computer prototype “Jiuzhang” through which up to 76 photons were detected, achieving quantum computational advantage. This achievement marks that China has reached the first milestone on the path to full-scale quantum computing — a quantum computational advantage, which indicates an overwhelming quantum computational speedup.

Since 2013, China has consistently and steadily moved up the ranks in the Global Innovation Index, establishing itself as a global innovation leader while closing in on the top 10 every year. According to the recent Global Innovation Index released by the World Intellectual Property Organisation, China moved up from 29th place in 2015 to 12th this year in the world ranking.

The Ministry of Science and Technology’s (MOST) Cyber Security and Smart Technology Research and Development Building in Tainan’s Shalun held its opening ceremony. The building, situated within the Shalun Smart Green Energy Science City, will host the Taiwan Tech Arena’s (TTA) south Taiwan headquarters, according to MOST. The building will be a hub for the high-tech industry as well as start-up companies in southern Taiwan.

I hope that international resources linked to TTA will migrate south to promote the development of local start-up teams as well as to establish south Taiwan as a new international base for innovative technology. Additionally, with the ongoing development of the metaverse, one must also infuse humanistic ideas into new technology to aid its growth.

– Wu Tsung-tsong, Minister of Science and Technology

President Tsai Ing-wen reiterated the humanistic aspect of technology, citing the evolving slogans for Taiwan to become an island of technology, of humanistic technology, to an Eastern civilization of silicon. He said Taiwan has taken up a key role within the metaverse and must forge its own, humanistic path in the development of relevant technology.

The government must not only see what is big within the metaverse but also see what is small — such as nanotechnology. He added that as the metaverse comes with several opportunities and a solid foundation for entrepreneurship, where professionalism and skills must be valued, even more important is cybersecurity — government entities must also be ready to tackle new forms of crime.

As cybersecurity risks arising from the recent development of digital technologies have become a topic of major concern throughout the world, the global demand for cybersecurity products and services will continue to grow. In order to best seize this immense opportunity, push forward the development of Taiwan’s cybersecurity industry and achieve President Tsai Ing-wen’s directive to treat cybersecurity as national security, the government has integrated cybersecurity into the “five plus two” innovative industries plan as a component of national defence.

By taking advantage of Taiwan’s strengths in semiconductors, integrated circuits, and information and telecommunications equipment, local cybersecurity firms can establish a strong national brand and reputation for excellence. After securing the cybersecurity environment for critical infrastructure at home, Taiwan’s cybersecurity industry will then be ready to expand and conquer international markets.

As reported by OpenGov Asia, the President of Taiwan said that no stone is being left unturned in strengthening Taiwan’s cybersecurity industry in line with the goals and objectives of the government’s five-plus-two innovative industries plan. Cybersecurity is one of the most important of the six core strategic industries founded on the plan. This is evidenced by strong legislative support in the form of amendments to the National Security Act in 2019 and the passage of the Cybersecurity Management Act in 2018.

The number of cyberattacks is on the rise in Taiwan as malevolent actors seek to take advantage of an open internet and liberal social media environment. Left unchecked, the attempted theft of business-related data and intellectual property poses a threat to Taiwan’s freedom and democracy.

The government is responding to this challenge by integrating the development of cybersecurity, information and communication technology, the internet and telecommunications. In addition, a data-driven active defence system aimed at bolstering the resilience and security of Taiwan’s critical infrastructure is in the pipeline.

Taiwan is promoting a partnership between Taiwan’s public and private sectors, as well as like-minded partners in the international community. By sharing information, it is possible to efficiently and swiftly strengthen the country’s digital defences.

The Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) harnesses science and technology to enhance the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) capabilities. DSTA also contributes its multidisciplinary expertise in areas ranging from cybersecurity, systems engineering to procurement and protective technology, in support of national-level developments.

In the Simulation and Training Systems Hub (STSH), DSTA taps the latest technologies such as modelling and simulation, extended reality, data analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to experiment and develop new training concepts and capabilities for the SAF.

For example, defence engineers from STSH tapped simulation technology to conceptualise the Littoral Mission Vessel Simulation Centre, a one-stop integrated environment for realistic training scenarios. With the simulation centre, the ship crew can train onshore without the need to sail and in a diverse range of challenging scenarios, complementing live training. Engineers and system architects explore new technologies and innovations, and in doing so develop strategies to realise training capabilities for the SAF.

Recently, One of DSTA’S projects is developing a command and control (C2) system to support the nation’s fight against COVID-19. Back in May 2020 at the peak of the pandemic, testing needs had to be ramped up quickly. Therefore, the Ministry of Health set up the Testing Operations Centre (TOC) to aggregate national testing demands and centrally manage the allocation of testing capacity.

Collaborating closely with other agencies, DSTA engineers developed a C2 system that enhanced the TOC’s capabilities in managing large-scale testing operations. The system provided an overview of testing demands and laboratory capacities, optimised demand-supply allocations and also reduced the turnaround time to receive test results. This project really showed how diverse and adaptable defence engineers are.

Since COVID-19 emerged, some overseas training was deferred and as a result, there has been increased adoption of simulation training to maintain our soldiers’ competencies and force readiness. At the workplace, we have also embraced workplace IT transformation in our stride, as work from home was established as the new norm and tele-conferencing tools became our primary mode of communicating with our colleagues and stakeholders at work.

– Eng Huiling, Director (Technology Development), Simulation & Training Systems Hub, DSTA

Harnessing science and technology, engineers and IT professionals leverage multidisciplinary expertise to equip soldiers with advanced systems to defend Singapore. DSTA also contributes its technological expertise to support national-level developments. To achieve its mission, DSTA excels in systems engineering, digitalised platforms, cyber, software development and more.

DSTA is committed to its mission of providing technological and engineering support to meet Singapore’s defence and national security needs. Therefore, DSTA has a low operational risk appetite related to business continuity, safety and delivery of capabilities to our partners, as well as incidents that affect our credibility to the public and the international community.

DSTA will employ sound enterprise risk management principles, transparent decision-making, and effective communication to prioritise risk in delivering capabilities to our partners. To develop new and potentially groundbreaking defence capabilities, DSTA is prepared to assume higher risks to push the envelope with the application of innovative ideas and technologies.

As reported by OpenGov Asia, DSTA implements defence technology plans, acquires defence equipment and supplies, and develops defence infrastructure for the Ministry of Defence. Deputy Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies and Minister for Finance Heng Swee Keat made a speech at DSTA’s 20th Anniversary outlining the many achievements and contributions DSTA has made to keeping Singapore safe.

The Minister acknowledge how DSTA has been actively building a pipeline of future engineers and scientists, by nurturing an interest in STEM among students to realise these possibilities. The Young Defence Scientists’ Programme and BrainHack have given students the opportunity to view the possibilities, for example in unmanned and space technologies.

Singapore continues its journey as a Smart Nation where people are empowered to live meaningful and fulfilled lives, offering opportunities for all and enabled by digital transformation. Technology is integral to Singapore’s next phase of smart nation-building. It has been acknowledged that for Singapore to continue to prosper and stay relevant, it needs to embrace digitalisation.

OpenGov Asia had the opportunity to gain key insights and perspectives from Chan Cheow Hoe, Government Chief Digital Technology Officer, Smart Nation and Digital Government Office (SNDGO) and Deputy Chief Executive, Government Technology Agency (GovTech) of Singapore, on the initiatives and milestones of Singapore as a smart nation.

Cheow Hoe has more than two decades of extensive experience in senior management positions overseeing organisation-wide IT development and systems. He also has a strong track record of leading IT professionals in global companies and large corporations, to deliver efficient and effective IT systems and solutions. His expertise includes leading organisations through transformational change and connecting IT to the needs of the organisation.

Without a doubt, Singapore is a leading tech power in the region and considered a model and benchmark for a smart nation. While most Smart Nation initiatives have been on track, the last couple of years has put a damper on progress in some areas like the ‘Smart Lamp Post’ project.

Cheow Hoe explains that the Lamppost-as-a-Platform (LaaP) project is part of the broader efforts to transform Singapore into a smart city by embedding smart technology into its urban infrastructure, to improve lived experiences.

No doubt the pandemic has had an impact on the initiative. Trials began in early 2020 and the aim was to complete them in a year. The onset of the pandemic reduced activities and more time is needed to assess its viability. With things under control, trials should be completed next year.

Besides LaaP, the agency is experimenting with sensor data to improve the running of estates. For example, for the JTC building, sensor data is being used to adjust air-conditioning output automatically to save energy. It is also employed for predictive maintenance of any component failure in the system such as the fan coil unit and compressor.

Singpass is another great example. Cheow Hoe says almost 97% of Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents aged 15 and above have a Singpass account, amounting to a user base of more than 4.2 million users.

There are also over 3.2 million Singpass app users transacting with over 460 Government agencies and private sector organisations across more than 1,700 services. With about 300 million personal and corporate Singpass transactions in a year, Singpass is among the most pervasively-adopted national digital identity systems in the world.

The government plans to continue to build up Singpass as an all-in-one gateway for secure access to all Government services. The Smart Nation and Digital Government Group (SNDGG), which comprises SNDGO and GovTech, aims to get more private sector companies and services onto Singpass and encourage the use of Singpass and the Digital IC as a way of life in Singapore.

Today,  all Government agencies accept the Digital Identity Card (IC) on the Singpass app as a means to prove an individual’s identity for in-person agency services. Users can present their Digital IC at Government service counters for identity verification or scan the Digital IC barcode at kiosks, such as in public libraries or polyclinics. Businesses can also use the Digital IC as an alternative method of identity verification.

SNDGG has also expanded Singpass features to the private sector to provide more efficient services. For example, Myinfo business enables businesses to pre-fill digital forms with entity data from government sources. It has facilitated more than 120 Government-to-Business (G2B) digital services to date, such as applying for a grant on the Business Grants Portal and invoicing agencies. This service has also been extended to private sector services like opening a corporate utility account and applying for SME loans. Currently, more than 60 private sector digital services have been onboarded to Myinfo business.

To facilitate business transactions, users can digitally sign documents on their Singpass app. This provides convenience and increases productivity and business efficiency as citizens no longer need to be physically present to sign documents and agreements.

The next plan is for Singpass to be used as a trusted digital ID beyond Singapore. Singapore has signed Digital Identity MOUs with Australia, UK and Shenzhen to explore cross-border recognition. For a start, the agency is exploring the use of Singpass for the filing of university applications at selected Australian universities.

Cheow Hoe touched on his personal view of a Smart Nation. For him, the Smart Nation vision is about transforming Singapore through technology to improve the lives of citizens and businesses and to make Singapore an outstanding city where people can live, work and play. SNDGG applies technology in a systematic and integrated manner nationwide and ensures that the benefits of digitalisation are experienced by all.

To achieve this vision, the agency has been focused first on digitalising itself; to make government work smarter. This means delivering public services more effectively through the use of technology, improving the efficiency of government operations and developing data science capabilities for data-driven policy-making.

The second step is to build digital infrastructure for businesses and citizens, such as digital identity (Singpass), digital forms (FormSG) and encouraging the adoption of e-payments among the population. These include platforms such as Smart Urban Mobility to enhance the public compute and the Smart Nation Sensor Platform, which will enable a smarter and greener city by collecting data such as environment and traffic data.

There is a range of other consumer-facing projects such as LifeSG and GoBusiness to improve the government’s delivery of services to citizens and businesses respectively.

Cheow Hoe is proud of what Smart Nation has achieved so far. In five years, SNDGG has built up significant in-house engineering capabilities. This was tested during COVID-19 where, because of in-house capabilities, the government could roll out digital tools quickly to support public health needs.

More than 90% of the government services are now delivered online in a cashless, paperless and presence-less way. This has significantly improved citizens’ and businesses’ satisfaction with Government Digital Services over the last few years.

According to the Survey on Satisfaction with Government Digital Services for Citizens and Businesses 2020, 85% of citizen respondents and 76% of business respondents were very or extremely satisfied with Government Digital Services.

Despite the achievements, Cheow Hoe explains several areas in which SNDGO can still improve:

The digital realm offers small countries, like Singapore, opportunities to transcend their physical constraints. In terms of international collaboration, Cheow Hoe explains that SNDGG is keen to contribute to global conversations, collaboration and action.  That is why the agency has open-sourced the codebase for both TraceTogether and the underlying BlueTrace protocol – allowing other countries to build on them for contact tracing needs.

SNDGO is exploring the mutual recognition of each other’s digital identity with several countries and is also keen on exchanging best practices in areas like Artificial Intelligence, data, cybersecurity and digital government with other nations. Cheow Hoe gave several examples of how the agency participates actively in regional initiatives within ASEAN.

Singapore is a member of the ASEAN Smart Cities Network (ASCN). Beyond sharing best practices, there is potential for closer collaboration. During the pandemic, there were several interactions and discussions with regional and international parties, to exchange and share information and best practices in managing the pandemic through the use of digital tools, such as digital vaccination certificates.

ASEAN must facilitate interoperable and trusted digital tools and infrastructure to drive inclusive growth. Countries in the bloc should work together to build trust and support interoperability to enable an integrated regional economy. This can be done by supporting businesses and consumers to connect digitally beyond borders.

ASEAN can facilitate cross-border digital utilities such as e-invoicing, e-trade documents, digital identity and digital payment. For example, Singapore and Thailand launched the world’s first linkage of real-time payment systems. Customers of participating banks in Singapore and Thailand can transfer funds instantly and securely, using their mobile devices.

Singapore is facilitating these processes even further with Digital Economy Agreements (DEA), both bilateral and multilateral. They are taking it further and building online platforms like the Networked Trade Platform to aggregate players and facilitate trade. These efforts will be increasingly salient in driving its economy forward in the post-COVID-19 world.

Artificial Intelligence represents the next frontier as the government continues on its digital transformation journey. The amount of value that AI can unlock in government is tremendous – not only in terms of providing more personalised and responsive services to citizens but also in strengthening policymaking and planning and optimising government processes for the benefit of citizens and businesses.

Singapore has made early strides for AI, such as using speech to text technologies to transcribe parliament speeches, computer vision to detect drowning in public swimming pools and AI-powered chatbots to simplify the provision of municipal feedback.

The nation has also invested in setting up a capability centre for Data Science and AI to hone its capabilities to develop and deploy AI. Over S$500 million is estimated to be spent in FY21 to accelerate the adoption and deployment of AI for the public sector.

Two years into the National AI Strategy, which comprises ambitious projects aimed at catalysing AI adoption across key sectors, Singapore launched the National AI Programme in Government in November 2021. This is a holistic strategy to drive more widespread adoption of AI and build AI capabilities in the government.

The programme has identified projects that will act as pathfinders to show how AI can be leveraged in the public sector. For instance, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is developing an AI smart planning assistant to help urban planners achieve greater adaptability and sustainability in land-constrained Singapore. Another key project is JumpStart, an AI-enabled platform with recommendation engines to complement the work of career coaches and offer job seekers more personalised and effective jobs and skills recommendations.

Besides these signature AI projects, SNDGG has developed a suite of Central AI Products that can be used across the government. An example is the GovTech developed Video Analytics System (VAS) that can support government agencies in the deployment of video analytics models. The platform was recently used to develop the Safe Distance@Parks portal in less than 4 days, providing live crowd density information for residents planning to visit national parks, gardens and nature reserves during COVID-19.

To empower and enable government officers to fully reap the benefits of AI, SNDGG curated a training roadmap for officers based on their varying levels of AI literacy, organised talks and courses and released an AI Playbook as a  supporting resource for them. Through training and education, the aim is to raise the overall level of AI literacy in the government.

The Singapore Government has developed guidelines for organisations to use AI responsibly. Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has published the second edition of the Model AI Governance Framework in 2020, the Implementation and Self-Assessment Guide for Organisations (ISAGO) and two volumes of the Compendium of Use Cases to guide organisations in implementing Responsible AI. The Model Framework is being adapted for sector-specific use, e.g. in healthcare and government.

Additionally, IMDA is working on an AI governance testing framework to help owners and developers be more transparent about their AI systems to build trust with stakeholders. Further, Singapore is participating in global platforms on AI governance, such as the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI) and OECD expert groups, to exchange perspectives and establish global norms.

Cheow Hoe acknowledges that while Singapore has made some progress in its signature AI projects and central AI products, there is certainly more to be done. Singapore continues to make investments in AI, drive AI adoption, raise AI literacy and develop Responsible AI within the government to unlock its potential to the fullest.

In closing, Cheow Hoe shares key moments and milestones in his journey thus far. First, he is happy about the progress that he and his team has made. Today, 95% of all transactions with the government are digital from end-to-end. He is proud of the improvement of the delivery of digital services to citizens, businesses and public officers.

Second, the contributions SNDGG has made in harnessing technology to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. He is amazed at how his teams rolled out a suite of digital tools within a matter of weeks and helped to streamline operational processes using technology. From timely and accurate informational updates to contact-tracing efforts such as TraceTogether and SafeEntry, the foundations that have been laid for Smart Nation efforts have allowed agencies to respond effectively and quickly.

Third, the recognition from citizens and businesses that their lives have improved. The agency has done relatively well based on various smart city surveys. For example, Singapore retained its No.1 spot in the 2021 IMD-SUTD Smart Cities Index, marking its 3rd consecutive year at the top of the index.  Singapore scored very well in most components of the index, especially in areas like health and safety, work and education opportunities and government efficiency.

From a Smart Nation perspective, respondents rated Singapore highly for the accessibility of information, free public Wi-Fi, internet speed and reliability, online tools to access public services or information (e.g. booking health appointments, monitoring of air pollution, traffic congestion).

Last but not least, he is grateful for the commitment of his Smart Nation team of policy officers and engineers in building Singapore into a Smart Nation.

On behalf of the Australian Government, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) recently announced a $100 million competitive funding round for grid-scale batteries equipped with advanced inverters to support the grid.

ARENA’s Large Scale Battery Storage Funding Round will provide up to $100 million in funding to new battery energy storage projects of 70 MW or larger operating in the National Electricity Market or Western Australia’s Wholesale Electricity Market. In addition to supporting new build projects, funding will also be available to the existing grid-scale batteries seeking to retrofit advanced inverter capability.

The funding round aims to incentivise and de-risk private sector investment and overcome barriers to the deployment of advanced inverter technology. By funding advanced inverter technology at scale, ARENA hopes to provide valuable insights into the operations and emerging capabilities of advanced inverters.

It is expected that the funding round will support at least three projects, with a maximum grant available of $35 million per project. Applications will be open to all battery energy storage technologies, provided that they are equipped with advanced inverters.

Advanced inverters enable grid-scale batteries to provide system stability services traditionally provided by synchronous generation, such as coal or gas. Finding new ways of providing stability to the electricity system will enable the grid to operate with higher shares of variable renewable energy.

In July, the Australian Energy Market Operator published its white paper on advanced inverters highlighting the importance of grid-scale batteries equipped with advanced inverter technology in supporting the energy transition.

The CEO of ARENA stated that the funding round will support grid-scale batteries that can provide system stability during periods of very high renewable generation. He noted that grid-scale batteries and other types of energy storage technology will be vital to support our future electricity system powered by renewables.

This funding round will demonstrate the role of advanced inverters in grid-scale batteries to provide system stability, facilitating a more efficient transition and accelerating the uptake of renewable generation. “We’ve seen promising signs that advanced inverters can support system stability, but it’s clear public sector investment is still needed to prove the technology at scale. We’re confident that ARENA funding will help drive the uptake of this technology and provide valuable lessons that will benefit the industry as a whole,” he said.

This funding round builds on ARENA’s previous investments in both grid-scale batteries and system security, including a recent study that found that batteries with advanced inverters can play a valuable role in maintaining system strength, supplementing the use of synchronous condensers.

ARENA has funded six grid-scale batteries since 2017. The ARENA-funded Energy Storage for Commercial Renewable Integration (ESCRI) project in South Australia is currently Australia’s largest grid-connected battery using advanced inverter technology, but this will be surpassed once Hornsdale Power Reserve completes its upgrade to advanced inverters.

Expressions of interest will open in February 2022, with a due date of 31 March 2022. Selected projects will be invited to submit a full application later in the year. For more information including funding guidelines and how to apply, please visit ARENA’s funding page.