This is Part 1 of a four-part series. See Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4 here.
Over 500 government officials and senior technology executives from across the Singaporean government, banks, academic institutions and healthcare sector convened at the 5th Singapore OpenGov Leadership Forum 2019 on 16th May 2019 at Marina Bay Sands.
The OpenGov Recognition of Excellence (RoE) Awards ceremony was held in conjunction with the OpenGov Leadership Forum.
An integral part of the OpenGov vision, Recognition of Excellence Awards are a commendation for agencies that establish new benchmarks for government ICT innovation in the ASEAN and ANZ regions. An Advisory Board, made up of former and current Chief Executives, select and vet these projects and initiatives. There have been over 200 recipients of these prestigious awards since 2016.
Though small, Singapore has one of the most technologically advanced infrastructures in the world and is expected to further expand its influence in not only Asia, but the global landscape. The work and contributions that these agencies have done to the technological development of Singapore as a Smart Nation is commendable.
This year, OpenGov is recognising and celebrating 14 agencies from the public and FSI sectors for initiatives that have achieved excellence in the use of ICT.
The award winners for Singapore OpenGov Recognition of Excellence 2019 are:
A*STAR
A*STAR’s development of new technologies, applications and capabilities in the offshore, marine and energy sectors that will advance the adoption of LNG as a globally preferred fuel has won itself the award.
Partnered with Sembcorp Marine and American Bureau of Shipping, the three organisations aim to make Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) a more accessible, reliable and safe option when it comes to industry and domestic consumption.
OpenGov recognized Citibank for their contribution to Singapore’s Sustainable Future goals by supporting and implementing green initiatives to combat climate change.
Citi has committed to lending, investing and facilitating US$100 billion over 10 years from 2014 to 2023 to activities focused on environmental solutions and reducing the impacts of climate change globally. In addition, Citi has earmarked 2020 as the year for its global operations to be 100 percent powered or be carbon neutral by renewable energy.
One of its most notable projects was the replacement of the lighted signage logo at the top of Asia Square Tower building with more energy efficient LEDs, which allows the bank to save approximately 15,000 kilowatt hours every year.
DBS was recognised for their initiative – Startup Xchange. A programme matching the bank and its enterprise clients with start-ups and their new technologies in order to find solutions to business problems, it focuses on four areas of “frontier technology” that will help businesses stay relevant in the long run, said DBS.
They are artificial intelligence (AI), data science, immersive media and the Internet of Things.
Since its pilot launch several months ago, Startup Xchange has matched 21 start-ups with DBS and its clients, resulting in the successful rollout of 10 emerging technology solutions to-date, said DBS. Another ten solutions are expected to be launched over the next 12 months.
