SINGAPORE - Singapore's future will depend not only on adapting and perfecting what has been done elsewhere, but more and more on creating value here, said Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

He was speaking on Monday morning at the launch of a book predicting what the future holds for Singapore's economy and the environment.

Titled "Singapore 2065: Leading Insights on Economy and Environment from 50 Singapore Icons and Beyond", the book gives readers a glimpse of a plausible future where Singapore exports water, foreign workers are bionic, and people live in 400-storey apartments, Professor Euston Quah, head of economics at Nanyang Technological University, said at the launch.

Mr Tharman said Singapore is becoming more innovative and more inclusive, through "a blend of imagination and practicality that got us to where we are today, and always with a sense of fairness".

There are now more ideas and views coming from scholars, public intellectuals, and a broader range of commentators today compared to even a decade ago, he added.

There is also more active scrutiny of government policies, and more active listening by the Government.

"It will also do Singapore good if we also have more debate and peer review within civil society itself."