Singapore is a launchpad, part of Asean’s deep tech and AI advancement: Heng Swee Keat
The Republic has many strengths, from its rule of law to its tax framework, he says
Heng Swee Keat, chairman of the National Research Foundation, emphasized Singapore's role as a launchpad for Asia's deep tech and AI advancement during The Business Times' 50th anniversary dinner. He highlighted the city-state's strengths in rule of law, intellectual property protections, and free trade agreements. Singapore's strong dispute resolution and tax avoidance capabilities further attract global talent and enterprises, enabling capital allocation productivity.
The AI ecosystem, according to Heng, can be likened to a five-layer cake, with energy, chips, infrastructure, models, and applications. He cited a collaboration where countries powered uninhabited islands with solar panels and piped energy into Singapore for a green data center. An Asean Power Grid could benefit the whole region.
Singapore, being a significant chip producer, welcomes all new companies and universities researching technologies in energy consumption reduction and quantum computing. Heng advised business leaders across various sectors to take innovation seriously, as transformation or disruption awaits.
Written by urgent.news from The Business Times - Singapore's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.