2,000 Singapore firms to receive expertise, funding for AI adoption under enhanced IMDA programme

SINGAPORE – A total of 2,000 local firms that have already developed some digital capabilities will further profit from a government initiative that will equip them with expertise and provide funding so they can harness artificial intelligence (AI) in their operations.

The Digital Leaders Programme (DLP) was launched in 2021 by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), and more than 600 companies have already benefited from it.

Under the DLP, the firms build digital capabilities to develop new business models and capture new growth opportunities.

Participating companies can now expect to leverage the expertise of tech giants and industry experts, and receive funding support to hire in-house digital teams that will help them make use of AI in their business, IMDA said on Sept 19.

The authority said it provides up to 50 per cent of the funding for recruitment and implementation of AI projects by these firms, which should have already started building internal digital capabilities.

Under the programme, they will also be guided to identify high-impact business opportunities, experiment with ready-to-use digital tools, and embark on short-term digital trials before deciding on full-scale deployment.

The DLP has shown good results so far, which has given IMDA the confidence to expand it, said Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo on Sept 19 at the iHub Solutions warehouse in West Coast.

The logistics firm joined the programme in 2021 and used the funding to hire an in-house team of AI/machine learning engineers and a digital product manager.

“All businesses would like to increase their revenue and reduce costs, but the question is how to do it,” said Mrs Teo.

“Can digital technologies help, and do bosses have the answers?

“The idea is that we will help them to think about the opportunities for applying digital technologies in a way to improve their businesses.”

The programme also seeks to help companies identify how employees can work with AI instead of being replaced by the technology, said Mrs Teo.

“By encouraging them to think of AI as a teammate to the workers, that is how I think we want to see AI adoption proliferate in Singapore.”

Some of the tools iHub developed under the DLP include a digital warehouse tracking system, delivery route optimisation technology and an AI virtual assistant.

With more than 200,000 unique products in the 140,000 sq ft warehouse, the tracking system helps to monitor the movement of all workers and assets within.

Data collected helps the company make better decisions such as developing more efficient routes for workers to pick products off shelves, said the firm’s AI and machine learning engineer Yang Jieshen.

And while the company’s delivery drivers used to manually plot delivery routes, such a task can now be done automatically at the press of a button, with route optimisation technology.

By using the programme as a jumping off point, the firm has also begun using robotic arms to perform repetitive actions such as picking up items from the conveyor belt, stacking them and folding cardboard boxes.

As a result, the company is at least 50 per cent more productive, said iHub Solutions’ founder and chief executive Koh San Joo.

“Being part of IMDA’s initiatives gave us the confidence and capabilities to integrate AI into the heart of our business – transforming our warehouses into intelligent hubs and our fleets into data-driven networks,” said Mr Koh.

“Now, we are not just keeping pace with change, but shaping the future of logistics in Singapore and beyond.”