Singapore is accelerating technology adoption among enterprises with new partnerships announced at the opening of ATxEnterprise by Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Tan Kiat How (above).
Part of the nation’s Digital Enterprise Blueprint (DEB), these three new collaborations are set to benefit more than 6,000 local businesses by equipping them with advanced capabilities in artificial intelligence (AI), cloud and cyber resilience.
- Alibaba Cloud will support up to 3,000 SMEs and digital solution providers via the Digital Accelerator Programme, offering cloud credits, technical training and trial access to its AI Model Studio.
- ST Engineering will launch the SME CyberResilience Programme to provide up to 2,000 SMEs with complimentary cyber threat scanning and expert-led awareness events to enhance cyber defence.
- Prudential Singapore, in collaboration with Republic Polytechnic, will produce GenAI explainer videos and workshops tailored for SMEs to demystify and accelerate GenAI adoption.
These efforts build on the momentum of more than 7,200 SMEs that have adopted AI-enabled, integrated and cloud-based solutions in the past year.
DEB benefits more than 10,000 enterprises
Launched in May 2024, DEB has benefited more than10,000 enterprises across its four focus areas: empowering enterprises to be smarter, enabling them to scale faster, equipping them to be safer, and upskilling workers to maximise digital capabilities.
For digitally mature SMEs (DMEs), the GenAI x Digital Leaders initiative — launched in 2024 — has helped more than 200 enterprises deepen their technical understanding of GenAI and access expert advice for deploying GenAI solutions.
The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) is currently supporting 50 DMEs in implementing customised GenAI solutions, with some businesses reporting productivity increases of up to 50 percent and annual cost savings reaching S$300,000.
Building on this success, IMDA is expanding its partnerships with AWS and Microsoft to reach more than 1,000 enterprises and support up to 500 projects in the coming year.
The enhanced initiative will double the number of Tech Discovery Workshops and Deep-Dive sessions, while reducing solution development costs and time by half through the use of pre-built GenAI modules and the latest technology development tools.
DMEs will also gain improved access to technical expertise, including subject matter experts and model developers, supported by essential resources such as compute power and cloud credits that let them translate strategic business needs into practical GenAI solutions more efficiently and cost-effectively.
Expanding AI talent pool
Recognising the growing demand for AI talent as more companies establish AI Centres of Excellence in Singapore, IMDA is intensifying efforts to build the local AI talent pipeline.
Through the TechSkills Accelerator’s Company-Led Training programme, IMDA has secured 400 local AI Practitioner roles in collaboration with AWS, Microsoft, Oracle, and SingTel.
In addition, IMDA is partnering with AI Singapore (AISG) and industry stakeholders to launch two new training programmes, creating another 400 AI Practitioner job and training opportunities.
The AI Apprenticeship Programme (Industry), launching in June 2025, will train 300 AI Practitioners over two years, equipping them with critical AI, data, and machine learning skills through a six-month programme that includes real-world project experience.
The Pinnacle AI Industry Programme, set to launch in the second half of 2025, will upskill 100 local AI Practitioners in frontier companies into expert model builders over three years through an intensive six-month full-time curriculum.
AISG has launched the first Pan-Southeast Asia AI Developer Challenge, inviting regional developers to build scalable AI solutions using models such as SEA-LION. This initiative aims to drive the creation of practical AI solutions with meaningful regional impact.
Entelechy Asia 