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Since the advent of the pandemic, the public sector has had to rapidly embrace digital technologies. Yet, governments still have some way to go in meeting citizens’ expectations for a seamless, personalised, equitable and intuitive digital service delivery.
The crisis has forced governments to rethink how to best serve citizens through proactive, transparent communication and citizen-centric digital offerings with always-on service. Indeed, citizens now expect more digitally-enabled public services and many want to have more of a say in how they should be delivered. At the same time, a segment of citizens lacks the skills or means to access digital services.
The Singapore government successfully pivoted and was able to respond decisively and swiftly to the COVID-19 outbreak with a suite of digital tools to help disseminate timely and accurate information to Singaporeans.
As the nation moves out of the pandemic, the question is: How can organisations harness technology to shape a stronger future in Singapore?
The 7th Annual Singapore OpenGov Leadership Forum 2022, Day 2, was held on 18 May 2022 at Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel. It convened digital leaders from the Singapore public sector and financial services industry to discuss, deliberate, share and plan for the next phase of transformation.
Humanising the digital transformation


Mohit Sagar, Group Managing Director, and Editor-in-Chief, OpenGov Asia, kicked off the session with his opening address.
“We’re running up against the metaverse,” Mohit claims, pointing out the growing trend of the metaverse and how the public sector is going to utilise that space to enhance public services. The metaverse is the new direction that people are heading towards and data is catalysing the public services and the future.
While digital development is necessary it has to be inclusive and comprehensive. For example, with a population that has increased longevity, Singapore is using technology to take care of the elderly. In the same manner, it needs to cater to diverse segments and communities within the total population.
For Mohit, innovation needs to be pervasive, and the public sector needs to stay abreast. People must be afraid of technology. A case in point is cryptocurrencies which can be the next game-changer irrespective of the dangers they could pose – know the issues and mitigate the risk.
“We have been coping the past two years with ‘band-aid’ technology,” Mohit feels. “These ad hoc solutions and platforms that were used during the pandemic need to be scaled up, taken forward and mainstreamed.”
Technology has the potential to elevate the quality of life, improve healthcare and benefit everyone in all spheres and stages of life. Zendesk, TIBCO, Intel, Adobe, WalkMe and SAS are all in the business of improving services.
The world is changing rapidly and the ways people are utilising technology to solve problems need to keep pace. “These trends are here to stay,” Mohit states emphatically.
To cope with the new demands of the citizens, organisations need to leverage data, embrace AI and pivot towards automation.
In conclusion, he encourages delegates to look for partners who are experts in their field of work who can help organisations keep their glass full so that they can focus on their business objectives.
Fireside Chat: Role of High-Performance Computing – Advancing Singapore’s Plans for a Digitally Transformed Smart Nation
Tin Wee shares that NSCC originated from a decade of computerisation. While it is a petaflop system, the whole world is on the edge of digitally clocked Exa scaled systems. In that regard, Singapore is behind. Developed countries have understood that to drive the frontiers of technology, one needs to be at the cutting edge of technology.
“To outcompete other nations you need to out-compute,” he opines. “The government understands it and wants to move towards super computerisation of the public sector and industries.”
Mohit was curious to know where the use cases for supercomputers are. Tin Wee shares that there are projects to help people in the AI industry. Besides the traditional modelling and simulation in the engineering and manufacturing industries, AI communities are actively going on board.
They have made inroads with the weather community who have started to use it for climate modelling and predicting sea level. Most recently, they have launched the HPC Innovation challenge for the environment and urban design. The healthcare sector, namely NUHS and SingHealth, has also deployed two edge supercomputers.
In conclusion, Mohit believes that supercomputers remind people of the need to push the frontiers of technology and take a serious look at how technology can help lubricate their existing business.
Smart data in smart cities


Christopher Tan, Partner Revenue Acceleration, Director, APJ, Intel spoke next about smart data analytics for smart cities and intelligent transportation.
Setting the tone of where the world is at, Christopher asserts the need to tackle problems that are still there: Congestion and pollution, Dangerous roads, Public health concerns and Decaying infrastructure
However, there are other pressing challenges: Budget prioritisation, Reduced time to market, Market fragmentation and Targeted spending
IoT Devices are rapidly increasing smart cities data and public service and transportation are a big part of it. Smart Cities are one of the key sectors within the IoT space. IoT enables Smart Cities data. However, the value will be created based on how well cities deploy technologies to capture and utilise data.
Christopher shared Intel’s data-centric vision for IoT
- Open Data Platforms with Intelligence from EDGE to cloud
- Intel Advantage with Proven solutions built for IoT
- Edge Workload Convergence for Greater efficiency and value
Through investments in AI, 5G, and Edge solutions, Intel is helping technology providers put data to work – At the edge and in the cloud – To help cities make data-backed decisions to optimise efficiency, streamline mobility, and create more value for agencies and citizens.
He adds that Intel Smart Edge Open and reference solutions like the Converged Edge Reference Architecture (CERA) provide an easy button for connectivity and deployments at the Edge.
Intel provides the hardware building blocks but also reference designs that provide a starting point. Software are tools that allow people to build their own applications before deployment.


Momentum is building and cities around the world are crossing the chasm. Leadership around the world are taking notice and have new incentives to push harder than before – they are in a better position to innovate.
In conclusion, IoT ties Ai, 5G and Cloud together. These supporting technologies, when combined with intelligence everywhere, make smart cities a reality. He emphasises that IoT is the next big thing that will pave the way to major change.
Transforming user experience to meet changing demands


Andy Pang, Director, Solution Engineering, ASEAN spoke next on ways to improve the user experience through technology.
“Almost 50% of employees will continue to work remotely post COVID-19,” Andy quotes. “Remote work was already becoming more popular before the COVID-19 pandemic and the trend is now accelerating.”
A larger remote workforce will challenge HR leaders to rethink their approaches to recruiting and managing talent. It is against that backdrop that Andy believes that citizen experience is more important than ever.
Data and connectivity will become more important, Andy claims. There are some implications of that fact on how data can be used to improve citizen experience:
Leveraging IoT / unstructured data to enrich actionable insights: Transforming “data-lake” to become “data-fabric” – ability to use both structured and unstructured data in the same way
Add “Agility” to the data-lake / data-fabric: Everyone in the enterprise should be able to access trustworthy data – with their preference – instantly
Operational AI at-scale for real-life citizen experience, such as saving lives: AI at the edge – with IoT and unstructured data
There were several use cases which Andy shared:
- COVID Vx PGS Digital Programme
IoT data was deployed to optimise the distribution of vaccines through real-time GPS Temperature Tracking, automate BOH Protocol and create a work centre performance management.
- NUHS
TIBCO helped to improve cancer detection rates by predicting risks and automating test referrals with AI-driven modelling and decision-making. It helped to set up an Integrated Health Systems to seamlessly exchange information between other medical authorities and to leverage their existing AI assets so that MUHS could improve patient experience, using the new smart integration hub to achieve360 visibility of the life-dependent information between critical medical systems.


In conclusion, Andy believes that TIBCO helps to unlock the potential of real-time data for making faster, smarter decisions. Their Connected Intelligence Platform seamlessly connects any application or data source; intelligently unifies data for greater access, trust, and control; and confidently predicts outcomes in real-time and at scale.
He encouraged delegates to reach out to him if they would like to find out how they can leverage the technology of TIBCO to improve the experience of citizens.
Polling results for the morning session
Throughout the morning session, delegates were polled on different topics.
The first poll inquired about key business initiatives for the next 12-18 months. Most (46%) were focused on improving agility and delivery through Cloud Migration. Over a third (34%) are
Delegates were then asked about what would have the bulk of their budget allocation in 2022 –2023. Over a third (38%) indicated that the bulk of their budget allocation would go to digitalisation of processes to deliver better or ‘Smart’ services, followed by embracing cloud technology, be it public or private (19%), enhancing or adopting AI and Analytics for improving outcomes through forecasting, prediction and optimisation (15%), and improving integrity and governance whilst reducing inefficiency (12%). The rest were equally divided between leveraging IoT to improve processes and productivity (8%) and data-driven initiatives such as Big Data/Data Lake (8%).
On the main challenge in their data strategy journey, most (37%) found the lack of data governance, data privacy and security concerns challenging. Others found the missing an overall strategy that crosses departments and teams (27%) challenge, followed by the data culture/literacy/skill across employees (20%) and the lack of a centralised tool for sharing and collaboration (17%).
Regarding key fears in moving to cloud, well over half (58%) were concerned about security and governance. The other delegates were split between the need to re-skill talent (33%) and operational costs (8%), while the rest were concerned about vendor lock-in (3%).
The subsequent poll asked delegates what they saw as the biggest challenge in digitalisation and cloud migration. Most (30%) found security and compliance risks the biggest challenge. The rest of the delegates found people and skillset (23%), legacy infrastructure (20%), data classification/data sovereignty/data residency concern (10%), executive support/top management strategy (10%), and budget (7%) challenging.
On their key priorities to enhance the service experience of citizens/ customers, delegates were evenly split between making it easy and convenient for people to reach out (34%) and personalised interactions (34%), faster time resolution (23%), 24/7 always-on support (6%), and the ability to serve multiple customers at one time (3%).
When asked about the top analytic adoption challenge in their organisation, most (48%) expressed that data quality and accuracy concerns were the top challenges. This was followed by a lack of talent and training (31%), limited access to analytics (14%) and tools being too complex and difficult (7%).
The next poll asked delegates about the requirement that is shaping their landscape to be agile with the business needs. Most (42%) felt that adapting to changing citizens/customer demands was a requirement. The rest of the delegates were split between the speed of change for applications, data and building/removing core business systems (35%), operational cost savings (12%) and complying with new government regulations (12%).
The final poll for the day asked delegates about the main motivator that is driving digital transformation. Most (38%) are motivated by the desire to speed up their time-to-market to fully capitalise on business opportunities or to serve citizens better. The rest of the delegates see a growing need to maximise value/insights from an increasing amount of data assets as a motivator (25%). Others are motivated to provide a consistent and seamless cloud-everywhere experience across a distributed organisation (25%) and improve their capability to manage the increasing amount of data at the edge locations while ensuring security and compliance (13%).
Deploying data in motion in government service


John Mackenney, Principal Digital Strategist, APAC, Adobe who followed, elaborated on the use of data in motion to transform service delivery as they strive to meet new citizen expectations.
John observes that there is a growing sense of urgency to get the digital experience right and strengthen public service delivery for the benefit of citizens and government. The building blocks can be put in place now to achieve the future state – a single government platform supporting modern content delivery, a deep understanding of citizen life journeys and tailored and contextual experience across all channels.
There are several pain points for citizens and businesses interacting with the government:
- Being required to provide information multiple times
- No single source of truth across government information
- Inconsistent and inaccessible content
- Difficulty finding the right information, at the right time, in the right context
The events over the past 18 months have also clearly demonstrated the need for consistent, rapid communication during a crisis, and that is not expected to abate. Governments need the ability to rapidly send consistent, immediate public information during a crisis, he asserts.
Today, citizens expect smooth, personalised, and “always-on” experiences. For John, there are 4 key expectations:
- Trust and empathy: Citizens today expect more transparent, consistent, accessible, and responsive services. The relationship people have with services and governments has changed.
- Personalised and proactive updates: Governments are focused on delivering a greater level of satisfaction while reducing servicing costs.
- Journeys and segments: Citizens expect their digital journeys to be tailored to their needs.
- Respect privacy and preferences: Empowering citizens on how their information will be used and their right to be forgotten.
John notes that the challenge for governments now is in providing inclusive services for all. Some trends in the way leading governments are responding to support citizens and businesses during hardship:
- Citizen-Centric: Design services based on journeys
- Data-Driven: Making available data that can improve experiences and economic outcomes
- No one is left behind: Government services are inclusive and accessible to everyone
- Proactive & Responsive: Using real-time feedback to improve services.
- Connected and Collaborate: Ensuring citizens receive consistent and easy to understand information.
- Tailored on citizens’ terms: Citizens only need to tell the government once and consent to the government anticipating their needs.
According to John, understanding the demands and needs has been a challenging task that some governments and agencies are currently undergoing. Data in motion is the building block of success. It can enable governments to capture data and events from multiple channels and sources into a single solution to understand citizen life events and journeys; provide secure and compliant data exchange between agencies and across domains; and prepare for the cookieless future ensuring effective outreach on government programs.
Harnessing AI and automation to improve customer experiences


Shirley Poh, Senior Director, Enterprise Sales – ASEAN, Zendesk spoke next on the trends in customer service experience in the public sector.
“The rules of customer service have changed,” which has resulted in pressure on different fronts:
Rising customer expectations: Customers expect easy and accessible ways to connect that are personalised and engaging. They also want a more conversational, personalised experience.
Expanding the role of support: Internally, the role of customer support faces pressure to constantly do more with less. They are asked to reduce costs while driving incremental revenue growth by increasing customers’ Lifetime Value.
Market & workplace changes: While disruptive competitors are eating away market share, there are staffing and skill shortages and trying to navigate this hybrid work environment
The need to transform is imminent. Based on a study that Zendesk has done, they discovered that the most successful companies: Tailor to meet their business needs, Build experiences as unique as their customers, Integrate for a complete view of their customers and Scale with confidence
Among the most prominent public sector use case was the use of Zendesk in Tracetogether and Safe Entry, as well as IRAS live chat. Zendesk also worked with Fairprice to incorporate a self-service help centre. It resulted in a reduction in hotline calls, availability of tickets to provide tracking and performance measurement to improve response and resolution time.
In the latest report, Shirley observes that 86% of APAC customers believe that a positive customer experience makes them more likely to purchase again. That is a large percentage and can fuel business growth and expansion. With such demand for high-quality customer experiences comes its own set of challenges.
From Zendesk’s perspective, there are two areas of focus:
- AI/Automation
Shirley highlights the changing attitude to AI or automation – incorporating AIs and Chatbots into the workflow can help to make teams more efficient
- Conversational Customer Service
More organisations are building conversational experiences as end-to-end experience is important. In the case of chatbots, customers must have the opportunity to move from the bot to a live agent, with the agent already having all the context without the customer needing to repeat themselves.
In conclusion, Shirley believes that building on the CX experience has a tremendous impact on business outcomes, service excellence, agent experience and business operations. She encouraged the delegates to reach out to her to find out more about ways Zendesk can help in their organisation’s processes.
Fireside Chat: Innovation during the crisis – How digitalisation is transforming organisations
Crises present us with unique conditions that allow innovators to think and create rapid, impactful change. For leaders, these conditions provide fertile grounds for transformation, with the opportunity to do our best to help, and for our teams to do their most innovative work in the service of our organisations and communities.
OneNUHS mobile application is one such example. The vision of OneNUHS was a seamless and paperless journey for the patients electronically. They wanted to release the features in a phased approach. The application is now 1 year old but in the partnership, they got the application went live earlier in December.
Moving forward, they are starting to bring in a clinical function such as an evidence-based screening approach where people provide information about their vaccination status, blood pressure, BMI etc. and it recommends a series of screenings that is individualised.
Singapore’s healthcare industry is held to high expectations and digital technology is seen as a way to deliver services more efficiently. There have been many healthtech-related innovations in recent years including technologies such as Telemedicine and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Mohit was curious about what Peter has observed regarding Telemedicine and Artificial Intelligence.
Telemedicine was incredibly important, felt Peter. They were running phone and video consults. Zoom was not integrated with their appointment system. They built the video consult journey within the app – from registration to seeing queue numbers and eventually having their consultation before receiving their medication.
From innovation out of necessity to innovation with purpose; transformation has become key to unlocking future growth and digitisation is catalysing these efforts. Mohit was keen to know how NUHS is leveraging digital technologies, specifically RPA, to gain a competitive advantage and become a future-ready organisation.
Peter shared that they adopted RPA to enter information for the dormitory swab operations. They took RPA into five core finance operations and made savings in FTEs (Full Time Equivalent). The equivalent of 8 FTE of human processing time was transferred to Robotic Process Automation. Freeing the staff from mundane repetitive tasks allows them to work on higher value-adding tasks.
While they started with a service-driven transformation vision, they are now moving into the clinical functions. They are currently looking at a digital health plan that is enabled by automation and AI, which empowers patients and residents and GPs with data that can improve healthy behaviour.
Peter concluded that innovation is required in a fast-changing world – technology is what will help to help organisations deliver better services in a short period.
Polling Results for the afternoon session
Throughout the afternoon session, delegates were polled on different topics.
The first poll inquired about key business initiatives for the next 12-18 months. Over a third (35%) are focused on improving employee productivity through digital technology, followed by
Delegates were then asked about what would have the bulk of their budget allocation in 2022 –2023. Over a third (36%) indicated that the bulk of their budget allocation would go to enhancing or adopting AI and Analytics for improving outcomes through forecasting, prediction and optimisation. Other delegates allocated the bulk of their budget to digitalisation of processes to deliver better or ‘Smart’ services (32%) and data-driven initiatives such as Big Data/Data Lake (18%). The remaining selected improving integrity and governance whilst reducing inefficiency (7%), embracing cloud technology, be it public or private (4%), leveraging IoT to improve processes and productivity (4%)
Inquiring about the main challenge in their data strategy journey, most (43%) found the lack of data culture/literacy/skill across employees challenging. The other remaining delegates selected the lack of data governance, data privacy and security concerns (24%), followed by the lack of a centralised tool for sharing and collaboration (19%) and missing an overall strategy that crosses departments and teams (14%).
On the key concern in the consideration to move to cloud, just over half (62%) were concerned about security and governance. Other delegates were evenly split between the need to re-skill talent (14%) and operational costs (14%), while the rest were concerned about vendor lock-in (10%).
The subsequent poll asked delegates what they saw as the biggest challenge in digitalisation and cloud migration. Just under a third (32%) found people and skillset the biggest issue. The rest of the delegates found security and compliance risk (28%) and data classification/data sovereignty/data residency (20%) problematic. The remaining delegates found executive support/top management strategy (12%), legacy infrastructure (4%), and budget (4%) to be of concern.
On their key priorities to enhance the service experience of citizens/ customers, 39% of delegates prioritised making it easy and convenient for people to reach out. The other delegates concentrate on providing personalised interactions (28%), faster time resolution (22%), the ability to serve multiple customers at one time (6%) and 24/7 always-on support (6%).
When asked about the top analytic adoption challenge in their organisation, most (60%) expressed that data quality and accuracy concerns were the top challenges. This is followed by a lack of talent and training (35%) and tools being too complex and difficult (5%).
The next poll asked delegates about the requirement that is shaping their landscape to be agile with the business needs. Delegates were split between the speed of change for applications, data and building/removing core business systems (45%) and adapting to changing citizens/customer demands (45%). The rest of the delegates were split between operational cost savings (5%), complying with new government regulations (5%)
The final poll for the day asked delegates about the main motivator that is driving digital transformation. Most (61%) are influenced by the desire to speed up their time-to-market to fully capitalise on business opportunities or to serve citizens better. The rest of the delegates see a growing need to maximise value/insights from an increasing amount of data assets as a motivator (26%). Others are driven by improved capability to manage an increasing amount of data at the edge locations while ensuring security and compliance (9%), and providing a consistent and seamless cloud-everywhere experience across a distributed organisation (4%).
Closing
In conclusion, Mohit thanked all the delegates for their active participation and emphasised the criticality of digital transformation in the age of COVID-19. Staying abreast of the technologies that can enable business outcomes, adapting to shifting cultures and providing improved experiences for citizens.


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Digital innovation empowers ageing individuals by promoting better health management, social engagement, cognitive stimulation, safety, and access to resources, ultimately improving their overall quality of life.
While ageing is frequently accompanied by a deterioration in functional mobility, loss of muscle strength, and an increase in body fat, this trend could be reversed thanks to a novel magnetic muscle therapy developed by researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS).
Weekly exposure to very low levels of proprietary pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) using the BIXEPS device invented by NUS researchers in 2019 is associated with significant improvements in mobility and body composition after 12 weeks, particularly in older people, according to a recent community study conducted in Singapore involving 101 participants aged 38 to 91 years old. After three months of magnetic muscle therapy, participants reported reduced pain perception.
Associate Professor Alfredo Franco-Obregón, who led the research team and is a Principal Investigator with NUS iHealthtech and co-founder of QuantumTX, says that the BIXEPS device uses a specific magnetic signature to target the muscles in a user’s leg and create metabolic activity in the cells, just like when a person exercises.
Studies from the past showed that when magnetic muscle treatment was used on one leg after knee surgery, the whole body’s metabolism improved. This was mostly seen as changes in the blood lipid profiles. That is, the effect went beyond just the leg that was treated and led to changes throughout the whole body.
After eight weeks of treatment, 72% of individuals reported improved skeletal muscle maintenance along with reductions in total and visceral fats, with 85% of subjects reporting improvements in functional mobility after 12 weeks, most notably among the elderly.
These encouraging findings suggest that this PEMF-based technology could be a beneficial adjunct to traditional geriatric therapies aimed at lowering the prevalence of frailty and metabolic diseases in the elderly population.
Importantly, visceral fat is an inflammatory fat that has been linked to a variety of metabolic diseases, including diabetes. Previous research has found that people in Southeast Asia retain visceral fat more persistently than persons in other regions of the world, despite exercise.
As a result, people in Southeast Asia get diabetes at a lower BMI than persons of other ethnicities. This has created a significant challenge for the Southeast Asian health business. Researchers finally have a solution to this local healthcare dilemma in the form of magnetic field therapy.
Based on the promising findings of the community study, the team has collaborated with research groups in the United States and Hong Kong to perform randomised controlled clinical studies to further validate the advantages of frailty across various ageing groups.
Since 2022, the team has also begun a senior-focused study with 200 elders across four Singapore community care centres to assess how the technology can improve function and ease chronic problems. This research is projected to be completed in 2023.
Real-world pilot data from current community programmes have also shown promise of improved HbA1c control – the most common measure for diabetes progression – after beginning weekly BIXEPS sessions.
The research team is currently collaborating with the Singapore General Hospital to perform a clinical trial to evaluate further the therapeutic potential of PEMF-based therapies for diabetes progression management.
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The consultative committee of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs was briefed by Hardeep S. Puri, the Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, about the progress made in the Smart Cities Mission. Minister Puri highlighted the significant advancements taking place within the 100 smart cities and their positive impact on India’s urban future. He underscored the vital role played by Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV) in effectively managing and implementing the mission at the city level, thus maximising its potential.
The Smart Cities Mission, launched in June 2015, seeks to enhance the lives of citizens by implementing “smart solutions” that focus on core infrastructure, a clean and sustainable environment, and a high quality of life. Under the initiative, 100 cities were selected through a two-stage competition to be developed as Smart Cities. According to the government, the regions are showcasing satisfactory advancements.
The Smart Cities Mission is overseen by an Apex Committee led by the Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. They regularly provide updates on the implementation status of projects through the Real-Time Geographical Management Information System (GMIS). According to the Smart Cities Mission Statement and Guidelines, each city establishes a Smart City Advisory Forum (SCAF) at the local level to facilitate collaboration and provide guidance. The SCAF comprises various stakeholders such as Members of Parliament, Members of the Legislative Assembly, the Mayor, the District Collector, local youth, technical experts, and other relevant parties. So far, the Smart Cities have convened more than 756 SCAF meetings.
In addition, at the state level, a High Powered Steering Committee (HPSC) chaired by the Chief Secretary has been established. This committee plays a crucial role in overseeing the Smart Cities Mission within the state. Furthermore, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs appoints Nominee Directors to the Boards of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) who actively monitor the progress of projects in their respective cities.
The Committee conducted visits to various project sites in Goa, including the ‘Mandovi Riverfront Promenade’, ‘Flood Mitigation Works’, and the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC). During these visits, the status and progress of the projects were discussed as of 1 May 2023. It was highlighted that the Smart Cities Mission comprises approximately 7,800 projects with a total value of INR 1.8 trillion (US$ 21 billion). Out of these, more than 5,700 projects (73% by number) worth INR 1.1 trillion (US$ 13.3 billion) (60% by value) have already been completed. The remaining projects are expected to be completed by June 2024. Also, INR 38,400 crores (US$ 4.6 billion) have been released under the Smart Cities Mission as of 1 May, out of which INR 35,261 crores (US$ 4.2 billion) has been used.
The Ministry maintains regular communication and engagement with the states and Smart Cities through video conferences, review meetings, field visits, regional workshops, and more. These interactions occur at different levels and serve multiple purposes, including assessing the performance of cities and providing necessary support and guidance for their improvement.
An official said that ICCCs play a crucial role in enhancing situational awareness through the utilisation of advanced technologies. These centres provide comprehensive visualisations that enable civic officials to effectively address various urban functions and handle daily tasks, issues, and emergencies following detailed standard operating procedures. ICCCs have evolved into the central hubs of these smart cities, showcasing the effective application of technology in fortifying urban management.
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The Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) and the LKS Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), have jointly announced the introduction of the HKU-HKSTP Collaborative Programme and the inauguration of the HKUMed Laboratory of Cellular Therapeutics.
The state-of-the-art Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) laboratory serves the purpose of protecting public health and facilitating the advancement of advanced therapy products (ATPs). With this significant development, new avenues of research and the production of ATPs, such as stem cell therapy for cardiac diseases led by Professor Tse Hung-fat and CAR-T cell therapy for blood cancers led by Professor Eric Tse Wai-choi, are now made possible. The products manufactured in this facility will benefit a wide range of patients, and the acquired clinical experience will further drive the progress of innovative therapies.
The HKUMed GMP Lab has a primary objective of producing clinical-grade advanced therapy products (ATPs) as investigational medicinal products (IMPs) specifically for use in clinical trials. Additionally, it serves as an innovative training platform for scientists and clinicians, offering unique opportunities for skill development.
Notably, this facility holds the distinction of being Hong Kong’s first GMP multi-products establishment with provisional approval from the HKSAR Department of Health for an ATP manufacturing license. Moreover, it functions as a training centre aligned with the standards of the Pharmaceutical Inspection Convention and Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme (PIC/S), ensuring compliance with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) guidelines. The centre caters to the training needs of key personnel involved in ATP manufacturing, quality control, and quality assurance processes.
To establish Hong Kong as a prominent hub for the development of advanced therapy products (ATPs), two crucial factors are emphasised: talent training and international collaboration. The HKUMed GMP Lab has successfully implemented a joint training program with the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) and University College London (UCL), resulting in a skilled workforce capable of effectively operating the facility.
Additionally, HKU is actively engaged in the development of ATP translational training at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, in collaboration with esteemed international partners such as UCL and Cell Therapies Pty Ltd in Melbourne.
This collaborative effort aims to equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills in gene and cell therapies. The establishment of the HKUMed GMP Lab not only provides unparalleled learning opportunities but also serves as a crucial bridge in transforming research discoveries made by HKUMed into tangible products that can benefit patients.
To facilitate the commercialisation of local research breakthroughs, the HKUMed GMP Lab will engage in collaborations with biotechnology companies to undertake Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) projects and pilot trials. The focus will be on establishing clinical trials for CAR-T and stem cell therapies within the next five years, with the goal of benefiting not only cancer patients but also those with non-cancer conditions.
This progress sets the stage for future product development at the Jockey Club Centre for Clinical Innovation and Discovery, located at Grantham Hospital. The upcoming centre will feature a GMP laboratory for gene and cell therapy on a significantly larger scale, enabling the HKUMed GMP Lab to collaborate with pharmaceutical companies in the localised manufacturing of cellular products, particularly for CAR-T therapies. This concerted effort aims to accelerate the translation of innovative therapies into practical solutions that can positively impact patient care.
Dr Grace Lau, the Head of the Institute for Translational Research at HKSTP, emphasised the significance of the GMP facility in facilitating the translation of promising research from local universities and biotech companies into clinical applications. HKSTP is dedicated to solidifying Hong Kong’s position as a leading hub for biomedical technology in Asia. This commitment involves providing essential infrastructure, securing international recognition, attracting investments, and fostering strategic partnerships. The HKU-HKSTP Collaborative Programme plays a vital role in strengthening Hong Kong’s ecosystem for advanced therapy products (ATPs) and significantly enhancing the city’s global competitiveness in the research and commercialization of next-generation cell and gene therapies.
Professor Tse Hung-fat, the academic lead of the HKUMed Laboratory of Cellular Therapeutics, expressed confidence in HKU’s efforts to gather top industry talents and establish itself as a premier ATP training hub in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area.
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Bernard Widjayam, the Head of the Market Conduct Department at the Financial Services Authority (OJK), underscored the significance of incorporating technology into the oversight of financial service businesses. In his statement, he highlighted the limitations of manual analysis when it comes to efficiently and effectively analysing data on behaviour within the industry.
Manually analysing vast amounts of data related to financial service business behaviour can be a time-consuming task. Furthermore, relying solely on manual analysis can introduce the risk of inefficiencies, inaccuracies, and inconsistencies in the data analysis process. It may lead to a lack of coherence and potentially misleading information.
By leveraging technology in the supervision and monitoring of financial service businesses, the aim is to enhance data analysis’s efficiency, accuracy, and reliability. Automation and advanced algorithms can streamline the process, enabling faster and more comprehensive analysis of behaviour-related information. In turn, facilitates timely and informed decision-making for regulatory authorities and promotes a more transparent and compliant financial services sector.
Implementing technology-driven solutions allows for data collection, processing, and analysis automation. By harnessing advanced analytical tools and techniques, regulatory bodies can uncover patterns, trends, and anomalies in behaviour data that may otherwise be overlooked in manual analysis. This comprehensive and data-driven approach enables a deeper understanding of the industry, identifies potential risks or misconduct, and supports proactive regulatory interventions.
Moreover, using technology to supervise financial service businesses helps establish a consistent and standardised framework for data analysis. It ensures that the analysis is conducted systematically and unbiasedly, reducing the potential for human errors and subjective interpretations. It promotes transparency, fairness, and accountability in assessing behaviour within the financial services industry.
Bernard Widjayam also highlighted the potential use of AI and machine learning technologies in monitoring the offerings of financial products and services through various media channels. By harnessing the power of AI and machine learning, regulatory authorities can enhance their ability to detect and assess potentially misleading or non-compliant advertisements and promotions in the financial services sector.
AI and machine learning algorithms can analyse enormous amounts of data from different sources, such as websites, social media platforms, and online advertisements, to identify patterns and anomalies in the marketing practices of financial service providers. It enables authorities to swiftly identify misleading claims, hidden fees, or unfair marketing tactics that misguide consumers or violate regulatory standards.
Using AI and machine learning technologies can significantly augment the effectiveness and efficiency of regulatory oversight in the digital age. These technologies can automate the monitoring process, flagging suspicious advertisements or promotions for further investigation and reducing the burden of manual monitoring on regulatory authorities.
To promote the digitalisation of activities in BPR/BPRS as outlined in pillar 2 of the Indonesian Banking Development Roadmap, CBI, as the Credit Insurance Management Institution (LPIP), has implemented Artificial Intelligence (AI) and utilised credit scoring for credit application analysis.
Implementing AI in credit application analysis is expected to provide higher efficiency and accuracy. By leveraging AI technology, CBI can process customer data quickly and accurately, identify credit risks, and make more precise credit decisions. Moreover, CBI can evaluate the credit profiles of prospective borrowers based on factors such as credit history, income, and assets. It enables CBI to make objective and fair credit decisions.
With the implementation of AI and the utilisation of credit scoring, CBI can accelerate the credit application process, reduce undesirable credit risks, and improve the overall operational efficiency of BPR/BPRS. This step aligns with the vision of the Indonesian Banking Development Roadmap, which emphasises the importance of digitalisation in enhancing the competitiveness of the banking sector.
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The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) invites all stakeholders, advocates, and concerned individuals to submit feedback, comments, and suggestions on the drafted National Cybersecurity Plan (NCSP) 2023-2028 to provide a safe and reliable cyberspace for all Filipinos.
The goal of the public consultation on the draught of the NCSP 2023-2028 is to improve the final document, which is expected to be released by the end of 2023. All parties interested may offer their suggestions and comments to the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Cybersecurity and Upskilling via email at oascu@dict.gov.ph. The outline NCSP 2023-2028 is organised around six (6) pillars, including:
- Enactment of the “Cybersecurity Act” to strengthen the policy framework;
- Secure and protect Critical Information Infrastructures (CII);
- Proactively defend the government and people in cyberspace;
- Operational and well-coordinated network of Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) and SOC;
- Capacitate workforce in cybersecurity; and
- Enhancing international cooperation.
Ivan John E. Uy, secretary of the DICT, emphasised the importance of concerted action from all interested parties to create a trusted, dependable, and safe online environment for Filipinos.
“The NCSP 2023-2028 shows the importance of convergence among all government agencies in delivering our mission. It outlines steps on how each government agency can coordinate all their cybersecurity initiatives through the National Cybersecurity Inter-Agency Committee (NCIAC). It also harmonises all organisation CERT and defined two national-level CERTs,” said Secretary Ivan.
He also stated that there was a steady increase in internet-based transactions during and after the COVID-19 outbreak. The country gradually evolved to cashless transactions as electronic commerce and e-banking became commonplace, mostly because of inventions from the private sector. Cybercrime incidences rose as these advanced.
Cyberthreat actors took use of flaws and vulnerabilities in processes, technology, and human behaviour. In response to these changes, the National Cybersecurity Plan 2023–2028 (NCSP 2023–2028) was created.
The goal of DICT is to give every Filipino access to a trusted, secure, and reliable online environment. This demonstrates the necessity of protecting the government and the public online, as well as the significance of fostering the kind of trust required for online commerce to flourish.
The NCSP’s second iteration drew on the preceding strategy’s results while also demonstrating a policy shift. DICT is now attempting to establish a Cybersecurity Act to balance the economic linkages impacting noncompliance with cybersecurity legislation.
The new strategy also promotes policy based on standards and risk-based methods. Individual organisations, rather than entire sectors, are designated as CIIs if they fail, depending on their size and influence. A renewed emphasis on developing the cyber workforce, as well as the significance of improving international collaboration in cybersecurity, was also emphasised.
Most particularly, the NCSP 2023-2028 demonstrates the importance of collaboration among all government departments in carrying out its mandate. It details how each government agency can use the National Cybersecurity Inter-Agency Committee (NCIAC) to coordinate all their cybersecurity initiatives. It also unifies all organisation CERTs and establishes two national-level CERTs.
Though the NCSP 2023-2028 has a sublime goal, DICT thinks this strategy can be successful with the assistance of all government agencies, the private sector, and all departments of government.
The National Cybersecurity Plan must be developed by DICT in accordance with RA 10844, hence, the National Cybersecurity Plan 2028 (NCSP 2028) draft is meant to serve as a guide for consultations, with the goal of using comments to improve the final version of the NCSP, which is scheduled to be released before the end of 2023.
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CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, is spearheading a ground-breaking initiative aimed at reshaping the country’s energy landscape and assisting in achieving its net zero emissions target by 2050. This transformative project entails the development of a portable device capable of generating hydrogen on-site, a pioneering approach in Australia.
Dr Vicky Au, Deputy Hydrogen Industry Mission Lead at CSIRO, emphasised that the forthcoming project would be the first of its kind in Australia, employing domestic technology to produce hydrogen from a liquid carrier. This initiative directly addresses significant hurdles currently impeding the growth of the hydrogen sector.
The immense potential for Australia to emerge as an energy powerhouse through hydrogen was highlighted, underscoring the need to develop improved methods for the safe transportation and storage of hydrogen on a large scale.
The portable generator unit being developed will play a pivotal role in advancing the hydrogen industry by facilitating the efficient delivery of hydrogen to end consumers. Its compact design will enable it to be easily transported and deployed in various locations, such as farms, festivals, industrial facilities, and mine sites. The critical collaboration between industry and research in delivering the necessary solutions for a sustainable future.
Dr John Chiefari, a researcher at CSIRO, highlighted the pivotal role of CSIRO’s patented catalytic static mixers in the development of the innovative hydrogen generator. These catalytic static mixers are specialised tools that efficiently blend fluids, accelerating and enhancing chemical reactions without the need for any moving parts. This exceptional level of control ensures high scalability without the typical technical complexities associated with such processes, providing a distinct advantage over conventional packed bed reactor technology.
It was further explained that the technology for incorporating hydrogen into a carrier fluid is already established. The new hydrogen generation system being developed will enable localised and on-demand production of hydrogen from the carrier fluid while benefiting from the safe storage capabilities comparable to conventional fuels like diesel or petrol. This advancement represents a significant leap forward, aiming to store hydrogen fuel in standard tanks and use existing infrastructure designed for diesel or petrol management.
The CEO of Advanced Carbon Engineering, expressed the company’s commitment to fostering national capabilities through crucial research, enabling ground-breaking discoveries, and nurturing emerging industries. He noted that innovation plays a crucial role in shaping the future of humanity. It drives progress, fuels economic growth, addresses challenges, unlocks new opportunities, and ensures a sustainable future for generations to come.
The project forms a crucial component of CSIRO’s Hydrogen Industry Mission, which aims to contribute to global decarbonisation efforts by establishing a commercially viable hydrogen industry within Australia.
Australia’s National Hydrogen Strategy outlines the significant economic and environmental benefits associated with a clean hydrogen industry. By 2050, the strategy envisions the creation of 16,000 jobs related to the hydrogen sector, alongside an additional 13,000 jobs stemming from the construction of renewable energy infrastructure that supports hydrogen production.
The development of Australian hydrogen production, both for domestic use and export purposes, has the potential to generate over $50 billion in additional GDP by 2050. Moreover, it could lead to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to one-third of Australia’s current fossil fuel emissions by the same year. These figures underscore the immense potential and positive impact of a thriving hydrogen industry in Australia.
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The Privacy Commissioner, Michael Webster, has issued warnings regarding safeguarding personal information while utilising artificial intelligence (AI), addressing the private and public sectors. In releasing his expectations, Webster emphasised the need for adaptability as technological advancements in AI continue to evolve rapidly.
Webster’s emphasis on organisations exercising caution in handling personal information within the realm of AI highlights the critical need to balance the potential gains in productivity with the inherent privacy risks involved. With the increasing reliance on AI systems like ChatGPT, it becomes crucial to address the challenges associated with managing and controlling the information fed into these systems.
One key concern lies in the difficulty of retrieving information once it has been input into AI systems. Unlike traditional data storage methods, where retrieval is relatively straightforward, AI systems often lack easily accessible mechanisms to retrieve specific information. This poses significant challenges in ensuring the accuracy, integrity, and privacy of the data that has been processed.
Furthermore, the controls governing the usage of personal information within AI systems are often limited in scope. As AI technologies rapidly advance, it becomes imperative to establish robust frameworks and mechanisms to regulate and govern the use of personal data. Without adequate controls, there is a risk of unauthorised access, misuse, or inappropriate handling of sensitive information, leading to privacy breaches and potential harm to individuals.
Webster’s warning reminds organisations to carefully evaluate and address these concerns before implementing AI solutions. Organisations must thoroughly assess AI’s potential risks and implications, especially when handling personal or confidential information. This includes considering the AI system’s privacy impact, security measures, and ethical considerations.
In light of these concerns, Webster emphasised that agencies should conduct comprehensive due diligence and privacy analyses to ensure compliance with the law before venturing into the realm of generative AI. He advised against incorporating personal or confidential information into AI systems unless explicit confirmation is obtained that such data will not be retained or reused. One alternative approach could involve removing any re-identifiable information from input data.
Considering the potential privacy implications, staff members were encouraged to evaluate the necessity and proportionality of using AI and to explore alternative methods if available. Seeking approval from supervisors and privacy officers and transparently informing customers about the use of AI were recommended practices. Additionally, Webster emphasised the importance of human review of any AI-generated information before taking any consequential actions based on it.
Webster further outlined the steps agencies should undertake when considering the implementation of AI. These include conducting due diligence, performing a privacy analysis, and carrying out a Privacy Impact Assessment. Seeking feedback from impacted communities, including Māori, and requesting clarification from AI providers regarding privacy protections designed into their systems were identified as critical components of the evaluation process.
Before this, the commissioner had communicated his concerns to government agencies, cautioning against the hasty adoption of AI without proper assessment. He underscored the need for a holistic, government-wide response to address the emerging challenges posed by this technology.
The Privacy Commissioner’s warnings emphasise the imperative of preserving privacy rights when utilising AI. Organisations must exercise caution, conduct thorough assessments, and implement adequate safeguards to protect personal information in the face of AI’s evolving landscape.