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The vision seeks to achieve three goals of trust, growth, and community, which will guide Singapore's responses to digital developments.
Singapore has announced a refreshed vision for a society that enables everyone to "thrive in the digital age". Entitled Smart Nation 2.0, this vision will focus on three goals of trust, growth, and community to guide efforts to improve citizens’ lives and respond to digital trends and developments.
Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong made the announcement on Tuesday (1 October 2024), at an event held at the Punggol Digital Distric. The event was attended by around 200 guests, including partners from the industry, academia, community, and volunteers; and special guests Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean.
The Smart Nation initiative was initially announced by former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in 2014 as a vision to "build better, more meaningful, and fulfilled lives for Singapore", enabled by technology.
Since then, Singapore has invested heavily in its digital economy, society, government, and security. It has also used digital technologies to raise citizens’ quality of life across domains, ranging healthcare, education, and infrastructure. These efforts have helped establish the foundations which Smart Nation 2.0 is built upon.
As the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) established: "Digital technologies have now become an integral and pervasive part of our lives, influencing how we live, work, and play.
"Technology holds tremendous promise for Singapore and we must maximise opportunities for our citizens. At the same time, we must continuously address emerging challenges that have arisen, such as threats to social cohesion, livelihoods, safety, and wellbeing."
Ten years on, Singapore has refreshed its Smart Nation aspirations, recognising the need to go beyond a narrow focus on digitalisation.
In this regard, Smart Nation 2.0 therefore seeks to achieve three key goals: trust, growth, and community. These goals will serve as a compass, shaping how Singapore will use technology to improve citizens’ lives and create a thriving digital future for all. It will also reflect key areas of feedback and concern that have been raised over the years, gathered through the government’s feedback channels, surveys, research, and engagements.
The key moves under each goal are highlighted below.
Trust
While digital technologies can enrich lives, issues such as disruptions to digital services and the proliferation of online harms like scams can cause distress and exacerbate risks to citizen's financial, mental, and even physical wellbeing. To build a Smart Nation that Singaporeans can trust, the Smart Nation 2.0 aims to:
- enhance the security and resilience of Singapore's digital infrastructure
- strengthen its fight against harmful online activities
- expand its trusted digital spaces together as a society
While efforts over the years were aimed at building a Smart Nation that is safe, reliable, and secure, the next bound of the Smart Nation journey will bolster efforts to improve the reliability of digital infrastructure and services. Singapore intends to introduce a new Digital Infrastructure Act in 2025 to address a broader set of resilience and security risks.
There will also be a new agency for online safety and assurance, backed by a new law to improve protection for victims of online harms, to enhance online safety and provide stronger assurance to victims of online harms.
The agency will act on behalf of victims to direct perpetrators and online service providers to put a stop to the online harm quickly, complementing existing regulatory levers and court-based processes available today. It will focus on the most serious and prevalent online harms affecting victims in Singapore, such as cyberbullying and the non-consensual sharing of intimate images.
Growth
To build a Smart Nation that helps Singapore grow, the Smart Nation 2.0 will:
- power the digital economy
- empower enterprises and workers
- prepare the next generation for life in a digital future.
In light of growing AI adoption and innovation across the government, economy, and society, Singapore will add to its investments in using AI to push the limits of scientific discovery, with an additional S$120mn investment in “AI for Science”.
To prepare the next generation to become confident users of technology, Singapore will also enhance programmes, increase resources for schools, and strengthen support for educators to design effective learning experiences that develop students’ digital proficiency.
Smart Nation Educator Fellowship
Singapore will launch a new Smart Nation Educator Fellowship in 2025. The six-month Fellowship programme will help senior specialists and teacher leaders better understand the latest digital issues, by offering practical insights on the real-world applications of technology.
Educators will be able to translate the knowledge and skills they acquired from the Fellowship into curriculum design or effective teaching and learning strategies, which can be shared with other educators.
AI for Fun
Starting from 2025, Singapore will introduce new “AI for Fun” modules. This will comprise of five to 10-hour elective modules that will be available under the Code for Fun programme, which all Ministry of Education primary and secondary schools can offer. These new modules will provide students further opportunities for hands-on exploration and tinkering with technology.
Community
As Singapore navigates the digital age, MDDI recognises the need to ensure that Smart Nation efforts benefit and uplift all segments of society.
Thus, to build a Smart Nation that keeps Singapore together, the Smart Nation 2.0 will:
- strengthen digital inclusion, leaving no one behind
- use technology to help strengthen the unity of the people
- use technology to strengthen the government’s partnerships with citizens.
As some Singaporeans may still find technology daunting, Singapore will strengthen its outreach efforts and partnerships to reach more citizens and help them learn digital skills with confidence. For example, it will develop more courses on digital skills for everyday living and reach more citizens at their workplaces. For those who are unable to use digital channels, it will continue to keep key physical services available.
Lastly, Singapore will continue to launch and support more initiatives that reimagine and reinvigorate how Singaporeans connect with one another and their culture through technology.
According to MDDI, the goals of trust, growth, and community will guide Singapore's responses to digital developments, even as its strategies evolve. Singapore will refine and adapt its strategies and approaches in close consultation with citizens and businesses, responding to advancements in technology and emerging challenges.
Lead image / SGPC
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