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Image: Ms. Pia Waugh on the big screen at the Inspire Centre, University of Canberra during GovHack event (cropped from photo by Gavin Tapp)
The Service Innovation Team in the Department of Internal Affairs(DIA) in New Zealand government has embarked on an exciting three-month experiment, called Lab+, for testing a new model of government services based on the concept of “government as a platform.”
It is a part of the New Zealand government’s Better Public Services Result 10 agenda (“New Zealanders can complete their transactions with government easily in a digital environment”).
OpenGov contacted Ms. Pia Waugh1, who is leading Lab+ to learn more about the experiment.
Can you give us an introduction to Lab+ and the idea and drivers behind it?
Life is about people, not agencies. When people contact government they usually want to do something broader than the agency’s scope, but often services reflect agency priorities and silos. As we move to a digital-by-default model of service provision we need to place customers at the centre of service design but we also need a model for agencies to enable cross-agency, cross-government and cross-sector service delivery.
Lab+ is an experiment to explore how we can do this in a sustainable, scalable and effective way, that taps into the needs and natural motivations of individuals, agencies, private/community sectors, and the system as a whole.
We are not simply looking to digitise government, but rather we are exploring "government as a platform", how it was always supposed to be. An ecosystem of service delivery where government provides the authoritative data, content, transaction services and business rules for not just improving its own service delivery, but also enabling others to build on top.
Lab+ is also an “innovation lab” for government providing a mechanism to bring together design, technology, information management and agile development for more rapid and targeted service design and development. Lab+ is one of the cross-agency teams based in the Service Innovation Lab, which is itself an experiment in providing collaborative spaces, coaching and tools for service delivery teams to work differently. Lab+ relies on and could not work without the Lab environment.
How was the team formed, bringing in representatives from across government? How is the private sector participating?
At this stage, it is a small experiment involving some highly skilled public servants from several agencies as well as private sector companies providing a collaborative space, additional expertise and capacity where required. It is a perfect blend of the best of both worlds, with the strategy and vision being driven, co-designed and implemented by a diverse range of skills, experience and perspectives that span the private and public sectors. We have also made the effort to build a team of creative thinkers from different disciplines including design, technology and dev, information, policy and data science.
But our team extends a lot further. We are taking an open approach by making all our thinking, design, research, development and code available as it is done. In this way, our "team" is not limited to the people in the room, but rather we can draw on clever and motivated individuals all over the world to contribute their ideas, provide peer review on our work, and test our assumptions and prototyping. We consider openness a key tenet to developing the kinds of government services and policies that people need in the 21st century.
What would you describe as the key characteristics of the approach being used for this experiment?
Open, co-designed, inclusive, scientifically approached, multi-disciplinary, empowering, and big picture.
We are not just building a new service. We are testing a fundamental model change for government. We are not just applying future thinking design, information and technology principles, we are considering how the system as a whole needs to work if government is to be a sustainable enabler of a better society and the digital economy,
What kind of life events the team might be looking at? What would be the process for the discovery of the two candidate life events?
We will talk about which life events in the coming weeks, but our process is both quite straightforward, and quite innovative. We are, of course, following a service design approach to determine the user needs, journey mapping, pain points and to inform a user centred design. However, we are also treating the broader system (agencies, non-government service providers, and developers) as users, and mapping their needs as well. We are also looking at the system as a whole which naturally traverses agencies and sectors, and analysing user research and other service design work done by individual agencies to date to inform, validate and test our assumptions about the user needs.
We are taking our discovery work above and using it to build a mockup future state "service" from the users’ perspective. This future state will purposefully not be constrained by sector, agency, technology, legislation or any other form of limitation, but rather will imagine what "good" could look like from a user’s perspective. Usually, user centred design results in a minimal viable product (MVP) that tries to simply solve one problem for the user, or to improve existing services, but our hypothesis is that this approach is actually reinforcing the status quo with shiny new user interfaces, which doesn't fundamentally change very much.
This future state mockup then allows us to extrapolate two things. Firstly, a true MVP can be built that has 5-15% of the functionality of the future state, meaning you can both improve the users experience straight away whilst also being able to then iterate your way towards something transformative.
The second thing the future state provides is a vision for what good looks like, which we can test with users and use to understand what is needed. We can effectively reverse engineer this mockup to identify the functional requirements for government to deliver such services. It will help us identify the common capabilities we need as well as what is needed from individual agencies in how they expose their data, content, transaction services and business rules for their own consumption, and for non-government reuse. We intend to also document examples of good that already exist across government and how they can contribute to a broader systemic change.
Can you tell us more about the concept of ‘verifiable claims’?
This concept is one of my favourites for government. The context is that a lot of "digital government" initiatives just assume the underpinning process should be automated, but what if we could do things fundamentally better.
Many processes in government were established before computers, in the analog days of paper (or possibly stone tablets) and other physical artefacts. Oftentimes we have built digital processes that mimic these ideas. Consider the plague of electronic documents generated in government, and how much money has been spent in trying to manage, version control and archive these "digital assets" when we often don't need a document at all. We can communicate through myriad means including messaging, wikis, data and many more. But fundamentally, we have duplicated analog communications by continually transferring knowledge through human communications rather than machine to machine.
Why do we develop government budgets and then publish them in a PDF? Why do we develop regulations and legislation (arguably the business logic of government and the economy) and then publish them in lawyer speak, from which a lawyer has to translate into a business logic for consumption and use in the business? The answer is that we have not yet recognised the efficiency and benefits of digital communications of ideas, rules and processes.
New technologies enable us, and the incredible machines we build, to work in completely new ways. Why would you ask someone to send you 10 pieces of information that you can then use to validate their claim of eligibility when you could make the rules of eligibility available, and simply ask them (or an agent on their behalf, like an employer or bank) whether they meet the eligibility test? Why not differentiate between information we need to share for its own sake (a name perhaps, to establish a customer record), and information that we currently just use to validate a claim?
If we were to adopt a verifiable claims approach to the business of government, two key benefits emerge. Firstly, the citizen has improved control and privacy because they don't need to have bits of their information being copied and pasted to systems all over government. Citizens also don't have to share personal information, like how much they earn, to verify they meet the criteria, for example a means test. Similarly, you shouldn't have to share your name, date of birth and address to buy alcohol if you can prove you are over 18.
The benefit for government in this approach is the significant reduction in processing, data transfer, storage and other systems. When combined with user consent based information sharing government can also get rid of the need to validate paper artefacts as authentic, because the user would be able to either share a verified claim condition, or authorise the sharing of digital information from the authoritative source.
Can you give us some example of how verifiable claims might be implemented in practice?
Blockchain would be an appropriate technology to deploy for the implementation of verifiable claims. A means test is a good example of how that would work. Here are the business rules of the means test. Let’s publish the business rules and then let’s have a blockchain transaction that says if you agree for us to speak to the taxation department or your bank or your employer then we can effectively do another transaction with them and ask the questions to decide if the person meets the means test based on these rules. It would then verify that claim and produce an immutable record that captures the rules of that transaction at that point of time and the result is of that transaction.
As I mentioned earlier, this would enable us to differentiate between sharing information because it needs to be shared and verifying claims based on conditional questions where you don’t actually need to share the information.
What are the expected outcomes of this experiment? What would success look like?
We intend to show what good could look like, both in the future and today. We will deliver a first iteration service based on a life event that can then be iterated towards a genuinely transformative future state.
We will provide demonstrator reusable services for existing services to consume. Success will be in testing our design and technical assumptions, in understanding what a true user centric service could look like, in understanding what government needs to do to move in this direction, in testing whether the innovation lab model delivers better services, in validating with the broader community and industry their needs and potential role in this model of service delivery, and in understanding the broader benefits of new approaches to government services.
We will also measure success through the improvements for the user in the MVP service. Ideally, should this experiment be successful, measuring and monitoring success would require all of a government services analytics capability, but we will do our best to approach this experiment as scientifically as we can.
What are the biggest challenges foreseen?
We don't actually expect any major challenges, apart from charting new ground. The time is right, the conditions are favourable, the people and agencies are supportive, and New Zealand has some of the most mature thinking and effort I have personally encountered in this space. It is such a pleasure and privilege to work with such innovative and forward thinking people, not just in our team, but across all the public sector and broader community. This is a short, sharp 3-month experiment that we have designed intentionally to not rely on any one factor, so that every new collaboration, function or opportunity is sugar on top. Every lesson learned will be a step forward for New Zealand, and this is an opportunity to do something quite remarkable. The DIA’s Service Innovation team, wlook forward to sharing with you our progress and success in a couple of months time. Please follow along at @NZLifeEvents or the Service Innovation Lab posts at https://webtoolkit.govt.nz/blog/tag/service-innovation-lab/
1Ms. Pia Waugh has extensive experience working in the public sector to enable greater transparency, democratic engagement, citizen-centric design and real, pragmatic actual innovation in the public sector and beyond. In September 2016, Ms. Waugh started working at Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) the Australian financial intelligence and regulation agency, looking at international engagement, open data and APIs, and introducing hackathons for the financial sector. Her previous positions include Director for Data Infrastructure and Government Engagement in the Australian Government Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and prior to that, Director for Gov 2.0 and Coordination, Technology and Procurement Division at the Department of Finance in Australia.
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The Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) recently unveiled the pivotal insights gleaned from its inaugural Singapore Cybersecurity Health Report 2023. Conducted between May and August of the previous year, the survey canvassed the opinions of 2,036 organisations spanning various sises and sectors.
The objective was to gauge the landscape of cybersecurity readiness across local entities and inform CSA’s strategic initiatives. The importance of bolstering cybersecurity resilience within these organisations cannot be overstated, as they play a critical role in shaping the digital experiences of Singaporeans through their services and products.
The findings unveiled a mixed landscape: while the majority of organisations demonstrated an awareness of cybersecurity imperatives, there remains substantial room for improvement in adoption rates. On average, organisations reported implementing around 70% of essential cybersecurity measures across various categories. Additionally, a significant proportion, approximately 75%, acknowledged CSA’s cybersecurity certification programmes, Cyber Essentials and Cyber Trust, which serve as national standards for prioritising cybersecurity measures.
Despite these positive indicators, CSA sounded a cautionary note, emphasising the inadequacy of partial adoption. Without the full spectrum of essential measures, organisations remain vulnerable to unnecessary cyber risks. Alarmingly, only a third of organisations had fully implemented at least three of the five categories outlined in Cyber Essentials. This underscores the urgency for comprehensive adoption to fortify cybersecurity posture effectively.
A prevalent challenge cited by organisations hindering full adoption was a lack of knowledge and experience, echoed by 59% of businesses and 56% of non-profits. This is compounded by the rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape, exacerbated by a shortage of skilled cyber professionals. Moreover, a prevailing perception of being unlikely targets of cyber-attacks and resource constraints further impedes progress in bolstering defences.
The consequences of inadequate cybersecurity measures were starkly evident, with over 80% of organisations reporting encountering cybersecurity incidents annually, including prevalent threats like ransomware and social engineering scams. These incidents invariably inflicted a negative business impact, with disruptions, data loss, and reputational damage among the most commonly cited consequences.
While the cost of implementing cyber hygiene measures may seem daunting, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), it pales in comparison to the potential financial ramifications of cyber incidents. CSA emphasises the importance of viewing cybersecurity investment as essential insurance against potentially catastrophic losses.
In response to these challenges, CSA has rolled out a comprehensive suite of initiatives aimed at bolstering organisational cybersecurity resilience. These include cybersecurity resources to raise awareness, tailored health plans delivered by cybersecurity consultants, and certification programmes such as Cyber Essentials and Cyber Trust. Additionally, the collaboration with the Infocomm Media Development Authority has led to the introduction of the Cybersecurity Health Check, providing organisations with a self-assessment tool to benchmark their cyber hygiene and access remedial resources.
Mr. David Koh, Chief Executive of CSA, stressed the imperative for organisations to prioritise cybersecurity and leverage available resources and funding support. Delaying proactive measures until after an incident occurs, he cautioned, would prove significantly more costly in the long run.
The release of the Singapore Cybersecurity Health Report underscores the urgent need for organisations to fortify their cybersecurity posture comprehensively. By embracing a holistic approach to cybersecurity and leveraging available resources and support, organisations can mitigate risks and safeguard against the increasingly sophisticated cyber threats of the digital age.
The Singapore Cybersecurity Health Report 2023 is available at www.csa.gov.sg/cyberhealthreport and the Cybersecurity Health Check can be accessed at https://www.csa.gov.sg/cyberhealthchecktool.
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In a remarkable leap forward in the field of neuroscience, researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati (IIT Guwahati) have introduced a groundbreaking algorithm known as the Unique Brain Network Identification Number (UBNIN). This innovative algorithm is poised to revolutionise the analysis of brain connectivity patterns, offering profound insights into both healthy brain function and neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease (PD).
The human brain, with its intricate network of neural connections, is a marvel of complexity. Each individual possesses a unique pattern of brain connectivity, akin to a fingerprint of the mind. Recognising the significance of these individualised brain networks, the researchers at IIT Guwahati set out to develop a method capable of decoding and quantifying these intricate patterns.
The UBNIN algorithm represents a paradigm shift in how we understand and analyse brain connectivity. Drawing upon data from structural MRI scans, the algorithm constructs a network model of the brain, with each region of the brain represented as a node. These nodes are interconnected by edges, reflecting the strength of connectivity between different brain regions.
What sets UBNIN apart is its ability to distil this complex network into a single numerical identifier. This unique identifier, akin to a digital signature for the brain, encapsulates the individualised connectivity patterns of each person. By quantifying these patterns into numerical values, UBNIN offers a powerful tool for understanding the structural organisation of the brain.
The implications of UBNIN are far-reaching. One potential application lies in the realm of brainprinting, where individual brain signatures could be used for identification purposes. Much like a fingerprint uniquely identifies an individual, UBNIN could serve as a digital identifier for the brain, with applications in personalised medicine, biometrics, and cognitive neuroscience.
Moreover, UBNIN holds promise as a biomarker for neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterised by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the brain. Early detection of Parkinson’s is crucial for initiating timely interventions and improving patient outcomes. By analysing changes in UBNIN values over time, researchers may be able to identify subtle alterations in brain connectivity associated with the onset and progression of Parkinson’s disease.
To validate the utility of UBNIN as a biomarker for Parkinson’s disease, researchers conducted a comprehensive study involving structural MRI scans from both PD patients and healthy individuals. The results were promising, with UBNIN values exhibiting distinct patterns in PD patients compared to healthy controls. This suggests that UBNIN has the potential to serve as a sensitive and specific biomarker for Parkinson’s disease, offering new avenues for early diagnosis and disease monitoring.
Furthermore, the researchers explored the impact of age on brain connectivity patterns. Aging is associated with changes in brain structure and function, which may contribute to the development of neurological disorders. By analysing structural MRI data from individuals across different age groups, the researchers found that brain connectivity patterns indeed change with age. Specifically, they observed a decrease in the clustering coefficient—a measure of network connectivity—with increasing age. These findings provide valuable insights into the dynamic nature of brain plasticity and aging.
Dr. Cota Navin Gupta, Assistant Professor at the Neural Engineering Lab, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Guwahati, commented on the significance of these findings. “UBNIN offers a unique window into the structural organisation of the brain,” he remarked. “By quantifying individualised brain connectivity patterns, UBNIN has the potential to transform our understanding of brain function and dysfunction.”
Looking ahead, the researchers envision further applications of UBNIN in diverse fields, ranging from personalised medicine to cognitive neuroscience. By harnessing the power of UBNIN, researchers may unlock the mysteries of the human brain, paving the way for new insights into neurological disorders and brain health.
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Bushfires represent one of the most formidable challenges faced by firefighters worldwide. With their unpredictable behaviour and rapid spread, combating these blazes demands innovative solutions to ensure the safety of both responders and communities at risk. In a groundbreaking initiative, researchers are harnessing the power of robotics to revolutionise bushfire response, paving the way for more effective firefighting strategies and enhanced situational awareness.
At the heart of this endeavour lies the Silvanus Project, an ambitious international collaboration aimed at developing ground robots capable of navigating fire fronts and gathering crucial data in real-time. Led by researchers from Data61’s Queensland Centre for Advanced Technologies, this project represents a pioneering effort to address the inherent dangers associated with traditional firefighting methods.
Bushfires, fueled by factors such as vegetation density and weather conditions, can escalate rapidly, outpacing conventional firefighting techniques. To stay ahead of the inferno, firefighters require accurate information about fire location, direction of spread, and potential hazards. However, obtaining such data often entails placing personnel in hazardous environments, risking their safety in the process.
Drones have emerged as a promising tool for aerial reconnaissance, offering valuable insights into fire behaviour from above. However, their effectiveness is limited by factors such as smoke interference, high winds, and restricted flight times. Recognising these limitations, researchers turned their focus to ground-based solutions, envisioning robots capable of operating in the most challenging of conditions.
The ground robots developed as part of the Silvanus Project are equipped with advanced sensors and navigation systems, allowing them to traverse rugged terrain and navigate through smoke and debris. Some robots are designed to move on legs, mimicking the mobility of insects, while others utilise tracks for increased stability and manoeuvrability. These robots venture into the heart of the fire, gathering critical data such as fire intensity, fuel availability, and environmental conditions.
During a demonstration conducted for fire service representatives and researchers, the capabilities of these ground robots were showcased, highlighting their potential to transform firefighting operations. With the ability to transmit data in real-time to a cloud-based platform, these robots provide firefighters with unprecedented situational awareness, enabling more informed decision-making and proactive firefighting strategies.
Senior experimental scientist Tom Lowe emphasises the significance of these ground robots in enhancing firefighter safety and operational effectiveness. By deploying robots into areas deemed too hazardous for human intervention, firefighters can access vital information without exposing themselves to unnecessary risks. Furthermore, the integration of remote sensing technologies allows robots to assess vegetation density and predict fuel availability, further aiding in fire suppression efforts.
While the technology is still in the developmental stage, researchers are optimistic about its potential impact on future firefighting practices. Navinda Kottege, Cyber-Physical Systems Research Director, underscores the life-saving potential of ground robots, particularly in high-risk firefighting scenarios where human intervention may be impractical or unsafe.
The Silvanus Project represents a collaborative effort involving researchers from across Europe, Australia, Indonesia, and Brazil, united in their mission to develop innovative solutions for forest management and fire prevention. By harnessing the power of robotics and cutting-edge technologies, this initiative aims to bolster preparedness and response capabilities, ultimately saving lives and protecting communities from the devastating impact of bushfires.
As ground robots continue to evolve and mature, fueled by ongoing research and international collaboration, the vision of leveraging technology to mitigate the impact of bushfires grows ever closer to reality. With each technological advancement, firefighters gain new tools and capabilities to confront one of nature’s most formidable adversaries, ensuring a safer and more resilient future for all.
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Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has called upon the youth to take the lead in propelling Vietnam’s digital transformation, emphasising their crucial role in shaping the nation’s future amidst the burgeoning digital economy. The Prime Minister made these remarks during a dialogue held in Hanoi on March 26, where he engaged with 300 outstanding young individuals from various regions of the country.
With the digital economy projected to contribute 30% to the gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030, PM Chinh underscored the urgency for Vietnam to embrace digitalisation as an indispensable global trend. He highlighted digital transformation as a cornerstone alongside the green economy, circular economy, sharing economy, and intellectual economy, essential for realising the nation’s development objectives of transitioning into a modern, upper-middle-income country by 2030 and achieving developed, high-income status by 2045.
In his address, PM Chinh urged the youth to champion digitalisation by raising public awareness, advocating for policy reforms, driving administrative modernisation through digital technologies, and advancing research and development efforts in the digital domain. Emphasising their role as pioneers, he expressed confidence in the youth’s ability to contribute, innovate, integrate into society, and pursue personal growth.
Moreover, PM Chinh called upon the youth to collaborate with the government in establishing a digital government, digital economy, digital society, and nurturing digital citisenship. This collaborative approach is deemed essential for harnessing the full potential of digital technologies to address societal challenges and drive inclusive growth.
Responding to the Prime Minister’s call, the youth presented recommendations to the government, emphasising the need to refine the legal framework governing digital platforms and establish effective communication channels to engage citisens in the digital transformation process. They stressed the importance of inclusivity and transparency in policymaking to ensure the successful implementation of digital initiatives.
During the dialogue, PM Chinh addressed queries from the youth regarding data protection, cybersecurity measures, integration of public services with the national population database, and strategies to preserve cultural identity in the digital age. Acknowledging these concerns, the Prime Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to safeguarding data privacy, enhancing cybersecurity, and promoting cultural heritage preservation in the digital era.
Furthermore, PM Chinh instructed relevant ministries, authorities, and localities to expedite the implementation of the National Digital Transformation Programme, refine existing mechanisms and policies, and create an enabling environment for youth-led initiatives. This concerted effort aims to foster innovation, entrepreneurship, and digital literacy among the younger generation, thereby ensuring their active participation in shaping Vietnam’s digital future.
The dialogue served as a platform for meaningful exchanges between the government and the youth, highlighting the importance of collaborative efforts in driving Vietnam’s digital transformation agenda. With the youth at the forefront, Vietnam is poised to harness the opportunities offered by digital technologies to achieve sustainable development and prosperity for all.
As reported by openGov Asia, Vietnam is undergoing a digital revolution, characterised by concerted endeavours to advance the country’s digital transformation. With aspirations to attain high-income status by 2045, Vietnam’s digital technology sector focuses on mastering technology, fostering innovation, and developing domestic manufacturing capacities.
In this context, inclusivity and collaboration are essential, serving as key drivers to unleash the transformative power of technology and foster economic expansion, ensuring broad societal participation and contribution to the nation’s advancement.
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Artificial Intelligence (AI) stands at the forefront of technological innovation, promising transformative solutions to complex challenges across various domains. Recognising its potential to revolutionise industries and improve societal well-being, the National University of Singapore (NUS) has inaugurated the NUS AI Institute (NAII). Led by Professor Mohan Kankanhalli, NAII aims to accelerate AI research and its practical applications, fostering collaboration, innovation, and societal impact.
In an era marked by rapid technological advancements, AI has emerged as a powerful tool with the capacity to reshape diverse sectors, ranging from healthcare to finance, education, logistics, and beyond. The establishment of NAII underscores NUS’s commitment to harnessing AI for the greater good, addressing critical issues facing Singapore and the global community.
At the core of NAII’s mission is the advancement of fundamental AI research, aimed at pushing the boundaries of AI capabilities and exploring novel applications across various domains. Through foundational research initiatives, scientists at NAII will tackle complex AI problems, spanning hardware and software systems, AI theory, responsible AI, reasoning AI, and resource-efficient AI. By delving into these areas, the institute seeks to develop cutting-edge AI technologies that address real-world challenges and drive innovation.
Moreover, NAII will prioritise research into the ethical and societal implications of AI, aiming to develop robust governance frameworks that ensure responsible AI development and deployment. This includes examining issues related to transparency, accountability, and ethical decision-making in AI systems. By fostering dialogue and research on AI ethics and governance, NAII aims to guide the responsible use of AI technology and mitigate potential risks.
In addition to foundational research, NAII will spearhead applied research initiatives, focusing on developing AI-driven solutions for specific application domains. Collaborating with experts from diverse fields, including healthcare, logistics, manufacturing, finance, urban sustainability, and education, the institute will tackle pressing challenges and explore opportunities for AI-driven innovation. From optimising supply chains to improving healthcare outcomes and enhancing urban infrastructure, NAII’s applied research efforts aim to deliver tangible benefits to society.
Furthermore, NAII will serve as a hub for AI talent development, providing comprehensive education and training programs for students, professionals, and policymakers. By offering hands-on learning experiences and internships, the institute seeks to nurture the next generation of AI leaders and entrepreneurs, equipping them with the skills and knowledge needed to drive innovation in AI.
To support its research and educational endeavours, NUS has allocated significant resources to NAII, including external research grants and institutional funding. Moreover, the institute will collaborate closely with government agencies and industry partners to amplify its impact and drive innovation. Strategic partnerships with leading companies such as IBM and Google Cloud will enable NAII to leverage industry expertise and resources, accelerating the translation of research outcomes into real-world applications.
In alignment with Singapore’s Research, Innovation, and Enterprise (RIE) strategy, NAII aims to contribute to the nation’s AI ecosystem by fostering collaboration, innovation, and talent development. By positioning NUS as a global leader in AI research and application, the institute seeks to drive positive societal change and economic growth.
The establishment of NAII represents a significant milestone in NUS’s journey towards harnessing the power of AI for societal benefit. Through cutting-edge research, education, and collaboration, the institute aims to unlock the full potential of AI and pave the way for a more innovative, sustainable, and inclusive future. With its interdisciplinary approach and commitment to excellence, NAII is poised to make a lasting impact on Singapore and the global AI landscape.
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The Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) has reached a significant milestone with its artificial intelligence (AI) platform, VNPT eKYC, logging over 1 billion user authentication requests. This accomplishment solidifies VNPT’s position as a pioneer in electronic identification and verification solutions within Vietnam.
Since its inception, VNPT eKYC has been at the forefront of electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) services for over five years, serving a diverse range of clients including banks, financial institutions, telecommunications companies, and e-commerce entities. With over 100 organisations utilising its services, VNPT eKYC has facilitated electronic identification for more than 40 million individuals across the country.
On average, the VNPT eKYC system processes an impressive 600,000 requests daily, with peak days witnessing over a million requests being handled seamlessly. This demonstrates the platform’s robustness and reliability in managing high volumes of authentication transactions efficiently.
The significance of VNPT eKYC extends beyond its technological capabilities, particularly in the context of evolving regulatory requirements. The State Bank of Vietnam’s decision mandating biometric authentication for transactions exceeding 10 million VND (approximately 416 USD) and other significant transactions from July 1, 2024, underscores the critical role of advanced authentication solutions like VNPT eKYC in ensuring compliance and security in financial transactions.
Moreover, the platform’s success highlights the increasing importance of domestically developed solutions in the banking and financial sector. Domestic solutions such as VNPT eKYC offer several advantages, including rapid implementation, cost-effectiveness, adherence to global technology standards, scalability, and high readiness to meet evolving regulatory requirements.
Central to the effectiveness of VNPT eKYC is its advanced AI models, which enable the verification of facial biometric data with an impressive accuracy rate of up to 99.99%. This high level of accuracy not only enhances the security of authentication processes but also contributes to building trust and confidence among users and regulatory authorities.
As Vietnam’s digital economy continues to grow and evolve, the role of advanced authentication and verification solutions like VNPT eKYC becomes increasingly indispensable. Beyond facilitating seamless and secure electronic transactions, these solutions contribute to enhancing the overall digital infrastructure and ecosystem of the country, paving the way for further innovation and economic growth.
Looking ahead, VNPT remains committed to advancing its AI platform and expanding its capabilities to meet the evolving needs of its clients and the regulatory landscape. With a strong focus on innovation, reliability, and security, VNPT eKYC is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of electronic identification and verification in Vietnam’s dynamic digital economy.
VNPT’s achievement of logging over 1 billion authentication requests with its AI platform, VNPT eKYC, marks a significant milestone in Vietnam’s journey towards digital transformation.
Amid a swiftly changing global landscape, Vietnam emerges as a frontrunner in a digital revolution, strategically positioned to harness technology’s transformative power for economic progress and societal development.
It is embracing its digital transformation journey, highlighting collaborative efforts to drive the nation’s digital transformation. The nation’s digital technology industry aims to propel Vietnam towards high-income status by 2045 through technology mastery, innovation, and indigenous manufacturing capabilities.
Moreover, the nation is working to harmonise its regulations, streamline laws, and promote consistency in its legal framework to foster a more favourable and appealing cyber environment.
As the country continues to embrace technology-driven solutions to address emerging challenges, VNPT eKYC stands as a testament to the potential of domestic innovation in driving progress and excellence in the digital era.
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In a significant scientific breakthrough in a space sector, Dr Sarah Kessans has developed hardware designed to operate autonomously in orbit, transforming the study of protein crystallisation in microgravity. This technology provides scientists on Earth with unprecedented insights into protein behaviour, with far-reaching implications for developing more effective medicines and vaccines, among other applications.
Minister for Space Dr Megan Collins lauds Dr Kessans’ research as an inspiring example of how space technology can drive innovation on Earth. This achievement follows the recent successful launch of MethaneSAT, a satellite designed to track and monitor global emissions from space, highlighting the significant potential of space technology in addressing some of the world’s most pressing challenges while bolstering our globally competitive space sector.
The MethaneSAT satellite will be equipped with a highly sensitive spectrometre that can detect concentrations as low as two parts per billion, and it will have high-spatial resolution coupled with a broad, 200-kilometre view path, allowing it to quantify even small emission sources over large areas.
Dr Kessans’ research culminated in successfully launching her hardware on a rocket from the Kennedy Space Centre at Cape Canaveral, USA. This mission also included protein experiments from leading New Zealand universities, including Canterbury, Otago, Victoria, and Waikato, showcasing the collaborative efforts of the country’s academic institutions in advancing space science and technology.
The launch of Dr Kessans’ project results from a strategic agreement between the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and the US commercial space company Axiom Space. This partnership aims to facilitate New Zealand researchers’ advancement in space science and technology, fostering innovation and driving collaboration between academia, government, and private enterprise.
Dr Kessans’ project has also received government funding for further development through the MBIE-administered Endeavour Fund, highlighting the government’s commitment to supporting cutting-edge research and innovation in the space sector. This collaborative effort between academia, government, and private enterprise is a testament to New Zealand’s growing presence in the global space economy, positioning the country as a key player in space research and technology development.
Previously, New Zealand had collaborated with several countries, including Australia, to advance space research, as reported by OpenGov. The collaboration between SmartSat and the New Zealand Space Agency (NZSA) is an important development. The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two entities aims to accelerate the growth and technological advancement of the Australian and New Zealand space industries, marking a pivotal moment in the evolution of space exploration and innovation in the Australasian region.
This partnership is underpinned by a shared commitment to fostering innovation, driving research and development (R&D), and nurturing a skilled workforce capable of propelling technological breakthroughs in the space sector. The MoU, ceremoniously signed at the NZSA headquarters in Wellington, signifies a strategic alignment between SmartSat and NZSA to leverage their combined resources and expertise.
At the core of this collaboration, it is designated to support joint research initiatives in three key technological domains: Earth Observation, Space Situational Awareness, and Optical Communications. These areas represent the forefront of space exploration, offering immense potential to revolutionise humanity’s perception and interaction with the cosmos.
Minister Judith Collins, New Zealand’s Minister for Space, praised the new agreement as a testament to the enduring collaboration between Australia and New Zealand in space exploration. In a statement on her official website, she reiterated her commitment to fostering innovation and collaboration, recognising the transformative potential of space technology in addressing global challenges.
Minister Collins reaffirmed the government’s dedication to developing the country’s space sector, promoting innovation, and strengthening partnerships with the New Zealand research community, international space agencies, and commercial collaborators. These collaborative approaches underscore New Zealand’s commitment to advancing space science and technology to benefit society and the economy, paving the way for future breakthroughs in the field.