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The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning techniques is changing the world dramatically with novel applications such as the internet of things, autonomous vehicles, real-time imaging processing and big data analytics in healthcare.
In 2020, the global data volume is estimated to reach 44 Zettabytes and will continue to grow beyond the current capacity of computing and storage devices. At the same time, the related electricity consumption will increase 15 times by 2030, swallowing 8% of the global energy demand. Therefore, the need to reduce energy consumption and increase the speed of information storage technology is urgent.
Berkeley researchers led by the HKU President (when he was in Berkeley), in collaboration with a team at Stanford University, announced that they have invented a new data storage method: They make odd-numbered layers slide relative to even-number layers in tungsten ditelluride, which is only 3nm thick. The arrangement of these atomic layers represents 0 and 1 for data storage.
The researchers creatively make use of quantum geometry: Berry curvature, to read information out. Therefore, this material platform works ideally for memory, with independent ‘write’ and ‘read’ operation. The energy consumption using this novel data storage method can be over 100 times less than the traditional method.
This work is a conceptual innovation for non-volatile storage types and can potentially bring technological revolution. For the first time, the researchers prove that two-dimensional semi-metals, going beyond traditional silicon material, can be used for information storage and reading. The team’s work was published in the latest issue of the journal Nature Physics.
Compared with the existing non-volatile (NVW) memory, this new material platform is expected to increase storage speed by two orders and decrease energy cost by three orders, and it can greatly facilitate the realization of emerging in-memory computing and neural network computing.
The research was inspired by the research of the HKU Professor’s team on “Structural phase transition of single-layer MoTe2 driven by electrostatic doping”, published in Nature in 2017; and the lead of the Stanford team’s Lab research on “Use of light to control the switch of material properties in topological materials”, published in Nature in 2019.
Previously, researchers found that in the two-dimensional material-tungsten ditelluride, when the material is in a topological state, the special arrangement of atoms in these layers can produce so-called “Weyl nodes”, which will exhibit unique electronic properties, such as zero resistance conduction. These points are considered to have wormhole-like characteristics, where electrons tunnel between opposite surfaces of the material.
In previous experiments, the researchers found that the material structure can be adjusted by terahertz radiation pulse, thereby quickly switching between the topological and non-topological states of the material, effectively turning the zero-resistance state off and then on again.
The team led by the HKU President has proved that the atomic-level thickness of two-dimensional materials greatly reduces the screening effect of the electric field, and its structure is easily affected by the electron concentration or electric field. Therefore, topological materials at the two-dimensional limit can allow the turning of optical manipulation into electrical control, paving towards electronic devices.
In this work, the researchers stacked three atomic layers of tungsten ditelluride metal layers, like a nanoscale deck of cards. By injecting a small number of carriers into the stack or applying a vertical electric field, they caused each odd-numbered layer to slide laterally relative to the even-numbered layers above and below it. Through the corresponding optical and electrical characterizations, they observed that this slip is permanent until another electrical excitation triggers layers to rearrange. Furthermore, to read the data and information stored between these moving atomic layers, the researchers used the extremely large “Berry curvature” in the semi-metallic material. This quantum characteristic is like a magnetic field, which can steer electrons’ propagation and result in nonlinear Hall effect. Through such an effect, the arrangement of the atomic layer can be read without disturbing the stacking.
Using this quantum characteristic, different stacks and metal polarization states can be distinguished well. This discovery solves the long-term reading difficulty in ferroelectric metals due to their weak polarization. This makes ferroelectric metals not only interesting in basic physical exploration but also proves that such materials may have applicational prospects comparable to conventional semiconductors and ferroelectric insulators. Changing the stacking orders only involves the breaking of the Van der Waals bond.
Therefore, the energy consumption is theoretically two orders of magnitude lower than the energy consumed by breaking the covalent bond in traditional phase change materials and provides a new platform for the development of more energy-efficient storage devices and helps us move towards a sustainable and smart future.


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Kemajuan teknologi dan sains telah membawa efektivitas dan efisiensi industri kesehatan sehingga bisa menjangkau lebih banyak orang di pelosok wilayah. Kemudahan akses pada layanan perawatan kesehatan ini diharapkan bisa meningkatkan kualitas hidup dan umur warga.
Telemedicine menjadi salah satu perkembangan terbaru di industri ini yang populer imbas pandemi COVID-19. Saat itu, telemedicine berhasil membantu pasien untuk berkonsultasi dengan dokter, melakukan diagnosis, dan pengobatan dari jarak jauh.
Perkembangan kecerdasan buatan (AI) ikut berkontribusi memodernisasi layanan kesehatan. AI berpotensi membantu dokter untuk membuat diagnosis yang lebih cepat dan akurat, memprediksi hasil kesehatan, dan melakukan asistensi rencana perawatan. Layanan berbasis AI seperti chatbots dan asisten virtual, juga bisa dimanfaatkan untuk menjembatani komunikasi layanan kesehatan dengan pasien.
Pengobatan yang efektif, teknik diagnostik yang lebih akurat, dan sistem pemberian obat yang lebih baik diarahkan untuk memperbaiki sistem perawatan, pengobatan, dan prognosis pasien. Selain itu, kemajuan teknologi juga diharapkan bisa mengurangi biaya perawatan kesehatan lantaran operasional yang makin efisien.
Menggali potensi dari celah di teknologi kesehatan
“Jika Anda menggunakan konsultasi video, Anda hanya dapat melihat tapi Anda tidak dapat memeriksa. Tentu saja pemeriksaan adalah hal yang penting. Semestinya kita bisa memiliki kemampuan yang sama serupa dengan pertemuan tatap muka. Menurut saya, alat pengujian untuk melakukan diagnosa masih kurang pada layanan telemedicine,” jelas Lawrence dalam wawancara dengan CEO & Pemimpin Redaksi OpenGov Asia, Mohit Sagar.
Kedua, layanan telemedicine masih harus mematangkan ekosistem pendukung, salah satunya terkait dengan pengantaran obat. Di Singapura, layanan pengantaran obat bisa dikirim dalam satu minggu. Hal ini tentu akan menghambat proses pengobatan ketimbang langsung datang dan diberi obat ketika melakukan kunjungan tatap muka.
Meski demikian, Lawrence menyebut layanan telemedicine masih dilakukan di masa setelah COVID-19 untuk pasien yang kondisinya sudah cukup stabil di rumah. Sementara sebagian besar pasien sudah kembali melakukan kunjungan tatap muka seperti biasa.
Selain itu, penjelasan yang bisa dilakukan lewat telemedicine menurut Lawrence masih terbatas. Ia merasa kesulitan jika harus melakukan penjelasan dengan tambahan gambar yang dengan mudah dilakukan dalam pertemuan tatap muka secara langsung.
Selain itu, ia pun menaruh perhatian pada kesulitan akses teknologi yang dialami oleh pasien lanjut usia. Telemedicine sulit untuk membaca dan menyampaikan aspek nonverbal dan emosional dari interaksi langsung.
Ia menekankan industri medis perlu mengembangkan dan meningkatkan metode untuk mendiagnosis dan merawat pasien. Ia berharap telemedicine bisa mendukung diagnosis dengan memanfaatkan sejumlah panca indera untuk memeriksa gejala. Dalam pertemuan tatap muka, dokter bisa langsung mengukur detak jantung dengan stetoskop, merasakan dengan sentuhan jari, pendengaran, atau diagnosis sensoris lain untuk mendapat data dari pasien. Kesamaan proses diagnosis seperti inilah yang perlu dikembangkan untuk layanan telemedicine ke depan.
Untuk memperbaiki layanan perawatan medis jarak jauh, semua kekurangan itu perlu ditambal. Tambahan sensor, metaverse dan kecerdasan buatan (AI) dapat dimungkinkan untuk melakukan hal ini dan membantu menganalisa data pasien yang lebih akurat dan komprehensif. Ia optimis kemajuan teknologi bisa mengatasi semua kelemahan itu karena saat ini kita sedang berevolusi untuk meningkatkan layanan telemedicine secara bertahap.
Sebagai seorang investor, menurut Lawrence, inovasi itu menjadi pendorong inovasi yang cukup besar. Namun, agar bisa lebih berdampak, menurutnya baik inovator, akademisi, dan startup mesti benar-benar menyentuh permasalahan di akar rumput. Selama ini, penelitian-penelitian yang dilakukan para edukator kurang peka dengan kebutuhan masyarakat. Mereka melupakan mengapa mereka ada di institusi akademis yang semestinya menelurkan solusi bagi masyarakat. Begitupula dengan para investor. Mereka pun mesti memiliki visi untuk melayani dan menyelesaikan masalah di masyarakat terlebih dulu sebelum menajamkan sasaran ke ceruk pasar yang lebih sempit.
LKYGBPC untuk majukan entrepreneurship
Bagi Lawrence, inovasi berangkat dari inisiatif untuk menyelesaikan masalah dan mengeksekusi ide solusi itu dengan kedisiplinan. Disiplin dalam memperbaiki produk, mengelola konsumen, membangun tim dan organisasi, serta mengelola keuangan. Lawrence menganggap kompetisi bisnis internasional seperti LKYGBPC bisa memberikan kesempatan bagi para pebisnis muda untuk melakukan ekspansi pasar ke negara lain.
Prof Lawrence menjadi investor di tiga startup. Pertama adalah Master and Slave Transluminal Endoscopic Robot (MASTER). MASTER kini telah diintegrasikan menjadi Endomaster, startup MedTech yang paling banyak mendapat kucuran dana di Asia pada 2017. Ia pun mendanai startup di bidang fotonik dan bioteknologi yang mengembangkan peringatan dini dibidang kesehatan.
Berdasarkan pengalaman memiliki tiga startup teknologi kesehatan, Lawrance menyarankan agar startup perlu fleksibel dan membuka diri. Mereka mesti bersedia menerima masukan dari konsumen, tim, dan mereka yang lebih ahli. “Saya merasa bahwa beberapa inovator sangat protektif terhadap produk mereka sendiri, mereka pikir ini adalah bayi mereka.”
Sebab, dari berbagai masukan itu, founder dan tim bisa memetakan dengan cepat berbagai tantangan yang mungkin mereka hadapi di sepanjang jalan. Setelah itu, mereka mesti menemukan orang yang tepat untuk memecahkan tantangan tersebut.
Mereka pun harus berjuang untuk mewujudkan apa yang mereka janjikan dari konsep yang diajukan. Menurut Lawrence, beberapa orang lebih jago menuliskan ide mereka di kertas dan Power Point ketimbang terjun langsung ke lapangan.
“Para pejuang kertas dan Power Point sangat sulit untuk berhasil. Anda harus benar-benar melakukannya hingga berdarah-darah, hingga Anda menguasai dan memenangkan pertempuran,” tegasnya.
Tantangan berikutnya untuk startup kesehatan adalah soal regulasi. Startup perlu menemukan ahli untuk membantu merancang uji klinis agar lolos berbagai uji klinis dan regulasi.
Tantangan yang terakhir adalah masalah komersialisasi produk. Bagaimana menghasilkan pendapatan dari produk yang akan dijual.
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To increase efficiency and productivity, leverage better insights for decision-making and provide seamless digital services for citizens, Singapore’s government is investing in digital technologies such as robotic process automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and data analytics.
The government is prioritising modernisation, transformation and digitalisation of its corporate shared services to improve service quality and efficiency and the overall customer experience. By reducing manual workloads and eliminating errors, these technologies will enable the development of new skills in its employees and create capacity for new priorities.
OpenGov Asia is pleased to recognise VITAL for its innovative and disruptive use of technology in the public sector through the optimisation of government processes and the pushing of new limits.
Providing common services in human resource, payroll, finance and procurement to over 100 public service agencies, VITAL, a department under the Ministry of Finance and the central agency for corporate shared services, has earned a stellar reputation over the years as an organisation that actively leverages digitalisation and automation at the enterprise level. Through the use of digital technology and robotic automation, the agency has successfully managed and transformed corporate service delivery for the Whole-of-Government (WoG).
VITAL has worked to expand and propagate its digital and automation capabilities internally and among Whole-of-Government (WoG) agencies. This is aimed at achieving economies of scale, enhancing efficiency, strengthening governance, and improving the quality of service.
All these endeavours have led VITAL to being awarded the prestigious OpenGov Asia’s Recognition of Excellence Award which will be conferred during the 8th Annual Singapore OpenGov Leadership Forum 2023.
VITAL’s Digitalisation Strategy for Enhanced Service Delivery
“To encourage greater adoption of these tools, we developed an in-house ‘Digital First’ microsite to share use cases, tips, and resources with VITAL officers and conducted frequent brown-bag sessions to generate greater awareness of digital tools,” Alex explains.
VITAL has dedicated significant efforts to upskilling its officers in automation. In addition to training 28 officers in Robotics Process Automation (RPA) developer software to automate complex tasks, they have trained and provided low-code RPA developer software training to over 140 officers. This approach enables a broader group of individuals to use automation to improve processes effectively.
As the Robotics and Automation lead in Whole-of-Government (WoG) for corporate services, VITAL has also developed a service-wide microsite called “Robotics and Automation Hub (R&A Hub)”. This platform provides WoG Agencies with access to RPA resources, common automation scripts and other offerings to promote the use of RPA.
As of February 2023, more than 2,300 different people had visited the hub’s site since it opened. As part of its citizen development initiatives, VITAL has taken the lead in WoG efforts in trialling low-code RPA tools.
Their automation journey included tabletop research, learning journeys, consultations, solution identification, proof of concept followed by a pilot, and gradual scaling up of implementation across multiple processes over the initial 2 to 3 years.
“In the early phase of our automation journey, we visited organisations to learn from them, consulted our advisory panel and industry experts and performed extensive research. Throughout our journey, we continually learned and adapted as we implemented RPA,” Alex recalls.
To reap the most benefits and ensure the long-term viability of the automation initiative, it was critical for process owners and developers to align their understanding to ensure robust process selection – focusing on those that were manual, tedious, repetitive and rule-driven to reduce abortive work and building scripts that do not meet business needs.
The VITAL Innovation Hub is made up of a group of specialists who conduct technology exploration and agile experimentation to source, test and scale up innovative solutions that improve VITAL’s efficiency and effectiveness. This team drives the digitalisation and automation agenda, collaborating with operations functions to identify appropriate processes for testing, scaling up and spreading automation adoption throughout the organisation.
Initially, the Innovation Hub led by Jessica Ong, Deputy Director (Innovation Hub) has played a critical role in the early stages of the project as the developer, working closely with process experts in operations to collect business requirements, develop scripts, and deploy them. However, as the RPA developer capability within Operations grew, the Ops-Tech specialists in the line functions took over this role.
At the same time, the Innovation Hub shifted to a governance and advisory role, responsible for reviewing and deploying scripts, upgrading applications, troubleshooting incidents, providing guidance, and building capabilities.
Alex summarises the top five crucial points for successfully integrating and streamlining digitalisation and automation projects as follows:
- Speak with industry early adopters to determine the benefits and drawbacks of a solution, determine if it meets the organisation’s needs, start small and validate efficacy before scaling up.
- Deploy solid policy-operations-technology integration. Collaborate with central teams to review policy and system requirements to use technology tools.
- To reap greater benefits across the entire government, processes must be standardised and consolidated through the use of shared services and common central systems.
- Verify software and solution compatibility with key internal and external systems and applications, as well as the hosting environment.
- Avoid automating inefficiencies. Before developing a script, examine the selected process and streamline it by eliminating unnecessary steps.
Alex and his team discovered that RPA is extremely sensitive to changes in system or application performance – the more applications and systems a script integrates, the more complex it becomes. Deploying patches can have an impact on performance, including success rate, and may require more script changes.
“We found it useful to plan early and assess the complexity of the integration scope during script development,” Alex explains.
Although automation is often touted as a means to increase efficiency, it can also cause anxiety and uptake-hesitancy among employees. To overcome stress and resistance, effective communication is necessary.
VITAL took a different approach and presented Robotic Process Automation (RPA) as an enabler, freeing its people from manual and tedious tasks. This allowed them to focus on more valuable work, professional growth, and innovation.
“Currently, we are upskilling more officers to be Citizen Developers who can tap on low-code RPA tools to automate simple, manual tasks,” Alex reveals.
Key Factors That Lead to Success
In addition to the innovation structure, Alex identifies two crucial factors for success: effective change management and a robust ecosystem that encourages bottom-up innovation.
“As a shared services outfit, we aggregate and process many transactions across WoG, which makes VITAL a fitting target for automation,” Alex states.
There are abundant automation opportunities in Operations functions, as these teams are often eager to ease their daily workload through tech solutions. To meet this immediate need, VITAL invites successful automation projects to apply for its annual innovation project awards, which recognise credible innovation efforts and successful use cases.
VITAL had also created a dashboard to track RPA script success rates and time savings – useful metrics that validate the efforts and serve as “fuel” for further automation adoption and growth.
The automation initiative is continuously monitoring the external environment for potential changes in the technology industry that could impact the solutions they use, the systems landscape and the corporate services space in WoG as part of future-proofing. This allows them to anticipate the impact of the automation programme and adjust their strategy accordingly.
“We are moving up the value chain in our automation journey by exploring the integration of RPA with the use of other intelligent tools,” Alex concludes.
He is confident that VITAL is vital to Whole-of-Government (WoG), as their efforts are intended to future-proof automation strategies across the public sector. Ultimately, they want to work more intelligently, smarter and safer to provide the best service experience they can.
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Sebagai Badan Pusat Layanan Publik di Singapura, VITAL memiliki sejumlah inisiatif digital yang mendapat sorotan dari OpenGov Asia. Berbagai inovasi yang dilakukan organisasi ini memberikan transformasi layanan pemerintah Singapura yang dapat memberi manfaat bagi warga.
Saat ini VITAL, memiliki pusat layanan yang mengakomodasi lebih dari 100 lembaga. VITAL secara aktif mendorong digitalisasi dan automasi di tingkat enterprise sejak didirikan pada 2006. Lembaga yang ada di bawah Kementerian Keuangan ini terus melakukan disrupsi digital untuk mendorong transformasi di berbagai layanan pemerintah Singapura.
Berbagai inisiatif digitisasi, digitalisasi, dan automasi dengan robot gencar dilakukan untuk mengubah standar layanan pemerintah. Saat ini, inisiatif digital dan automasi terus ditingkatkan agar bisa lebih ekonomis, efisien, memperkuat pemerintahan, dan menigkatkan kualitas layanan.
Seluruh upaya tersebut telah membawa VITAL memenangkan Recognition of Excellence Award OpenGov Asia yang akan diserahkan bersamaan dengan diadakannya acara tahunan ke-8 OpenGov Leadership Forum 2023 Singapura.
Strategi VITAL terapkan automasi
Dalam wawancara khusus dengan Mohit Sagar, CEO dan Pemimpin Redaksi OpenGov Asia; Alex Tang, Direktur Layanan, Inovasi & Kepatuhan VITAL menjelaskan sejumlah kerumitan yang menjadi tantangan untuk melakukan automasi. Mulai dari manajemen perubahan ketika mengembangkan skrip, komunikasi dengan pengguna untuk mengurangi penolakan dan ketidakpastian, serta hal-hal yang berkaitan dengan kemampuan para developer dalam mengembangkan skrip untuk automasi.
Perencanaan dan manajemen perubahan diperlukan untuk mengurangi kerumitan yang terjadi ketika terjadi perubahan dalam sistem atau aplikasi. Semakin banyak aplikasi dan sistem yang diintegrasikan, akan meningkatkan kompleksitas proses automasi. Makin tinggi kompleksitas akan berpengaruh pada tingkat keberhasilan sistem otomatis yang sudah diterapkan. Pada sistem yang kompleks, perubahan skrip juga akan menambah tingkat kesulitan ketika melakukan tambalan sistem keamanan.
“Kami merasa perencanaan lebih awal berguna dalam menilai kompleksitas cakupan integrasi di tahap pengembangan,” ujarnya.
Selain itu, pengembang juga perlu mengintensifkan komunikasi dengan pengguna. Hal ini diperlukan untuk mengatasi ketidakpastian dan penolakan. Mereka mengubah persepsi automasi dari ‘ancaman’ menjadi ‘bantuan’.
Automatisasi sering disebut-sebut sebagai ancaman posisi kerja bagi manusia dan menimbulkan kecemasan bagi para pegawai. Tapi, VITAL mempromosikan automasi sebagai alat bantu untuk menghilangkan pekerjaan manual dan repetitif. Sehingga, pegawai lebih produktif, memberikan nilai tambah pada pekerjaan mereka, melakukan pengembangan profesional, dan inovasi.
Tantangan berikutnya terkait dengan kemampuan dan pengalaman pengembang menulis skrip untuk automasi. Untuk mengatasi masalah ini, VITAL memanfaatkan software automasi tanpa coding atau low coding. Pengembang ahli di pusat akan tetap menangani kebutuhan coding automasi yang rumit. Tapi di hilir, para pengguna bisa memanfaatkan software RPA kode rendah dan tanpa kode untuk melakukan automasi sederhana.
Alex lantas membeberkan lima langkah yang mereka lakukan untuk memastikan inisiatif automasi yang mereka jalankan agar dapat menjawab kebutuhan ratusan agensi yang terhubung dengan VITAL.
- Belajar dari orang lain
Pada tahap ini, VITAL mempelajari berbagai riset, mengambil pelajaran dari pengalaman sebelumnya, dan berkonsultasi dengan pakar dan analis industri sambil melakukan penelitian ekstensif. Untuk menentukan proses mana yang perlu automasi dan digitalisasi, Alex memberi tips agar melakukan penyelarasan pemahaman dengan pengguna. Hal ini bisa dilakukan ketika berdiskusi dengan calon pengguna di tahap awal. Proses digitalisasi bisa diutamakan pada proses yang masih manual dan repetitif.
“Bicaralah dengan para pengguna awal di industri untuk menentukan manfaat dan kekurangan solusi yang ditawarkan. Mereka bisa membantu untuk menilai apakah solusi itu sudah memenuhi kebutuhan organisasi,” jelasnya.
Penyelarasan dengan pengguna tersebut dapat menjadi konsep yang memandu VITAL untuk memulai segala ide dan inisiatif mulai dari yang kecil, seperti proof-of-concept. Dari titik ini, pengembang bisa mendapat validasi seberapa efektif inovasi yang ditawarkan. Sehingga, perbaikan lebih mudah dan lebih murah untuk dilakukan sebelum memperbesar skala solusi tersebut untuk pengguna yang lebih banyak.
“Kami lantas mengidentifikasi solusi, menguji coba bukti konsep dan melakukan penyesuaian dan peningkatan fitur selama 2 hingga 3 tahun ke depan,” tutur Alex.
- Integrasi kebijakan-operasi-teknologi
VITAL bekerja sama dengan tim pusat untuk meninjau kebijakan dan persyaratan sistem ketika mereka akan mengaktifkan penggunaan suatu alat teknologi.
- Standardisasi dan konsolidasi
Alex juga menyarankan agar memiliki layanan bersama dan terpusat untuk proses standardisasi dan konsolidasi yang menjadi rujukan dari seluruh organisasi kepemerintahan.
- Uji kompatibilitas
Perlu dilakukan uji kompatibilitas antara software dan solusi yang akan dipasang ke sistem utama dan lingkungan hosting, baik berupa aplikasi internal dan eksternal.
- Memilih proses yang diautomasi
“Terakhir, jangan mengotomatiskan inefisiensi. Tinjau proses yang dipilih, sederhanakan terlebih dahulu dengan menghilangkan langkah-langkah yang tidak perlu sebelum membuat skrip,” seru Alex.
Ke depan, untuk menghadapi kebutuhan dan tantangan yang terus berubah, Alex dan tim di VITAL terus mengamati berbagai perubahan yang terjadi. Baik perubahan di industri teknologi, lanskap sistem, dan ruang layanan korporat di WoG yang bisa berpengaruh pada solusi yang mereka gunakan. Pengawasan dilakukan agar mereka bisa mengantisipasi perubahan itu dan melakukan penyesuaian.
Mendorong tim yang inovatif
Untuk mendorong inovasi dan digitalisasi, VITAL menciptakan ekosistem tim inovasi pusat yang didukung oleh tim spesialis Ops-Tech dan pakar proses fungsi operasi.
Tim pusat inovasi melakukan eksplorasi teknologi dan eksperimen untuk mencari, menguji, dan meningkatkan solusi inovatif untuk menghasilkan efisiensi dan efektivitas di VITAL. Mereka bekerja sama dengan pakar proses fungsi operasi untuk mengidentifikasi proses yang sesuai dalam menguji dan meningkatkan serta menyebarkan adopsi otomasi di seluruh organisasi. Mereka juga mengumpulkan persyaratan bisnis, mengembangkan skrip, dan menerapkannya. Secara parallel, hal ini mengembangkan kemampuan pengembang Proses Automasi dengan Robot (PAR).
Sementara itu, tim spesialis Ops-Tech mengambil peran sebagai pengatur tata kelola dan penasihat untuk meninjau dan menerapkan skrip, memutakhirkan aplikasi, memecahkan masalah insiden, memberikan panduan, dan membangun keterampilan dalam berinovasi.
Selain membentuk struktur tim yang kuat, VITAL juga melakukan manajemen perubahan dan menciptakan ekosistem yang memberi stimuli untuk terus berinovasi. Hal ini dilakukan dengan mengundang proyek-proyek yang sudah berhasil ditangani oleh VITAL.
Mereka juga menggelar penghargaan proyek inovasi tahunan untuk terus menjaga kebanggaan tim atas hasil dan perubahan yang mereka lakukan. Hal ini diakui sukses dalam menjaga minat tim agar terus mencari hal yang bisa ditingkatkan secara bersama.
“Kami juga telah mengembangkan dasbor untuk memantau tingkat keberhasilan skrip PAR dan melihat penghematan waktu yang telah dilakukan. Metrik ini berguna untuk memvalidasi upaya kami dalam menyediakan ‘bahan bakar’ untuk adopsi dan memantau pertumbuhan lebih lanjut dalam penggunaan otomasi,” papar Alex.
Selain itu, untuk transfer informasi dan pengetahuan antar tim di VITAL dan luar VITAL, Alex berbicara sejumlah hal yang sudah mereka lakukan secara efektif.
- Microsite
VITAL kerap memanfaatkan microsite sebagai pusat informasi untuk semua inisiatif digital yang dilakukan.
- Digital First
Microsite ‘inhouse’ ini digunakan untuk berbagi contoh kasus, tips, dan sumber daya bagi sesama pegawai VITAL. Mereka juga kerap mengadakan pertemuan santai untuk membahas dan memperkenalkan solusi digital baru.
- Pusat Robotik dan Otomasi
Microsite ini digunakan untuk menyediakan segala informasi terkait dengan robotik dan skrip automasi.
Situs mini ini digunakan sebagai referensi internal untuk berbagai agensi yang terhubung dengan layanan korporasi pemerintah. Sejak diluncurkan, layanan ini sudah mendapat 16 ribu kunjungan oleh sekitar 2.300 pengunjung unik per Februari 2023.
- Pelatihan
VITAL telah melakukan pelatihan internal bagi 28 karyawan dan melatih lebih dari 140 petugas VITAL lain. Pelatihan yang diberikan adalah penggunaan Proses Automasi dengan Robot (PAR). PAR diperlukan untuk mengotomatiskan proses yang kompleks. Pelatihan difokuskan untuk meningkatkan kemampuan menggunakan software automasi low-code PAR. Saat ini, sudah ada 12 lembaga pemerintah Singapura yang telah mengikuti pelatihan ini.
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Singapore’s Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) is growing its network of partners and areas of collaboration to give Singapore’s defence and security a strategic technological edge against future threats. At the recent Singapore Defence and Technology Summit 2023, DSTA signed more than nine partnerships with military partners, commercial companies, and academic institutions.
Mervyn Tan, the DSTA’s Chief Executive stated that the changing nature of asymmetrical threats and the rise of new, disruptive technologies have made it even more important for DSTA to prepare the agency for these new paradigms and stay on the cutting edge of the latest technology trends.
He added that they brought together hundreds of top government leaders, innovators, and engineers from around the world at the Singapore Defence Technology Summit so they could share their thoughts and ideas.
Given the new threats and opportunities, the agency wanted to adopt a very different collaboration strategy. They are pushing beyond traditional areas such as platform design to share data and leveraging smart and digital technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Data Analytics, and Machine Learning (ML) with their defence sector partners to optimise efficiencies, improve system performance, and achieve sustainability.
To meet Singapore’s defence needs, DSTA will also look into ways to accelerate the adoption of suitable commercial dual-use innovations, such as collaborations with digital tech start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises. Also, the collaborations with top-tier academia will allow DSTA to delve deeper into research on emerging technologies.
More than nine partners from a wide range of fields came together to make the new partnerships. DSTA will work more closely with businesses to build data-driven analysis and diagnostic tools that will help it build its Fleet Management System.
DSTA will also work with a Swedish aerospace and defence company to make a Multi-Role Combat Vessel that is advanced, digitalised, and data driven. This will not only help DSTA engineers get better at designing surface ships, but it will also help them get better at analysing data.
The partnership between DSTA and a technology company will be expanded to include the co-development of new radar waveforms and the training of local radar experts so that the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) can be better supported.
DSTA has also teamed up with other institutions and firms to use digital technologies to improve the full range of defence capabilities, from cyber security to making traditional weapon systems and platforms more available. To promote sustainability, DSTA will also work with one of the world’s largest publicly traded international oil and gas companies to get a fleet of ships run by the Republic of Singapore Navy to use Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil.
DSTA will work with an international high-technology group, operating in aviation and Carnegie Mellon University to develop its talent pool through internships, co-development of executive education programmes and courses, and the exchange of academic publications and research information. This is in addition to enhancing the technical capabilities of existing platforms.
DSTA also actively solicits innovative solutions from small and medium-sized businesses, start-ups, and even individuals through initiatives such as the International Data Engineering Prize Challenge, a global competition that called for an innovative data ingestion and curation solution for counter-terrorism intelligence analysis.
These partnerships put DSTA in a much stronger position to constantly innovate and be prepared to leverage the most cutting-edge technologies to enhance Singapore’s future-proofing capabilities.
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The Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways (MoPSW) has launched a real-time performance monitoring dashboard called Sagar Manthan. The digital platform includes integrated data related to the Ministry and its subsidiaries. It was virtually launched by the MoPWS Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
The dashboard is expected to enhance the efficiency of various departments by providing well-coordinated real-time information. According to a press release, it was developed completely in-house in less than two months.
At the inauguration ceremony, Sonowal stated that the Sagar Manthan dashboard is a positive step towards realising the Digital India vision. The platform will significantly impact the overall performance of organisations as effective project monitoring can facilitate the timely completion of projects, improve decision-making, and increase productivity. He further added that the platform promotes real-time project tracking, risk management, resource allocation, and progress reporting.
Apart from enabling users to track progress and performance in real-time, the dashboard offers data visualisation, which provides clear and concise displays of data in the form of charts, graphs, and maps.
The platform will enhance communication within organisations by providing a single platform for data and information sharing. The dashboard promotes data-driven decision-making, allowing officials to make informed decisions based on accurate and up-to-date information. The dashboard also increases accountability by providing transparent and accessible data, making it easier to track performance and identify areas for improvement.
In the future, the Sagar Manthan dashboard will be advanced through the integration of input from CCTV cameras, live streams from drones, AI-based algorithms to map actual progress and a digital twin feature on board. Additionally, a mobile app will be introduced to improve access and usability for all stakeholders.
The launch of this dashboard is a significant step towards digitalisation and transparency in the maritime transport sector. The Ministry has said it is committed to supporting the growth of this sector in India, and they claim that this platform will play a crucial role in achieving this goal.
Dashboards have become a vital tool in the government’s efforts to improve governance by enabling officials to make data-driven decisions and ensuring transparency and accountability in their operations. Dashboards have been implemented in various sectors, including healthcare, education, and transportation. The government uses dashboards to collect and analyse data, track progress, and monitor performance.
The Swachh Bharat Mission Dashboard monitors the progress of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Clean India Mission), a national campaign aimed at cleaning up India’s streets, roads, and infrastructure. The dashboard provides information on the number of toilets built, the amount of waste collected, and other metrics related to the cleanliness of different areas.
The government also launched the Digital India Dashboard. The Digital India initiative is aimed at transforming India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. The dashboard provides information on the progress of various initiatives under the Digital India programme, such as digital payments, BPO promotion schemes, DigiLocker, Aadhaar, Digital Literacy, Common Service Centres, eProcurement, eTaal, eHospital, UMANG, Project MeghRaj, and the EMC Electronics Manufacturing Cluster.
Last year, the Minister of Science and Technology, Jitendra Singh, announced plans to set up a dashboard to share best technology practices among the centre and states. Through the dashboard, states can emulate initiatives and achievements related to science and technology. The government will also create a mobile application for the dashboard.
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Goals, objectives, and indicators have been refined in the Bureaucratic Reform (RB) Road Map 2020–2024. The government honed the focus from “Good and clean government” to “Clean, effective and competitive bureaucracy to encourage national development and public services” resulting in the Road Map RB 2020-2024.
The overarching purpose is to improve areas of governance that have not materially aided in the progress of national development thus far. Corruption remains a severe problem, public services are subpar, and the government is falling behind other countries.
“The strategy that will be used to address this issue is to encourage the creation of a digital bureaucracy that is agile, collaborative, and accountable, supported by a performance-oriented and service-oriented bureaucratic culture, as well as more professional ASN individuals,” said Erwan Agus Purwanto, the Deputy for Bureaucratic Reform, Apparatus Accountability and Oversight at the Ministry of Administrative Reform and Bureaucratic Reform (PANRB) in Jakarta.
After being refined, the strategic aims of RB are broken down into hard elements and soft elements in the 2020-2024 RB Road Map. Developing efficient, adaptable, and cooperative digital governance is the hard component. While the bureaucratic culture of the AKHLAK (Service Oriented, Accountable, Competent, Harmonious, Loyal, Adaptable, and Collaborative) public employees (ASNs) is the soft factor.
Erwan explained that the sharpened 2020-2024 RB Road Map also regulates the main activities of the RB. Therefore, we are no longer associated with the eight areas of change but will focus on implementing acceleration activities to accelerate the digital bureaucracy’s realisation.
According to PANRB Ministerial Regulation No. 3/2023, “Amendments to PANRB Ministerial Regulation No. 25/2020, “Bureaucratic Reform Road Map for 2020–2024”, “double track” is introduced to sharpen the 2020–2024 RB Road Map. Upstream problem-solving is referred to as RB General, whereas downstream problem-solving is referred to as RB Thematic.
The RB’s ‘double track’ approach is meant to speed up the settlement of upstream (governance difficulties inside the internal bureaucracy) and downstream (societal, non-agency-related, national development priority agenda) concerns.
After being fine-tuned, the 2020-2024 RB Road Map should be able to respond to future bureaucratic difficulties like Covid-19 and the global economic crisis. The impending emergency calls on the government to immediately and radically alter the structure and operation of the bureaucracy. Achieving national development goals would be a top priority for the new bureaucratic reform road plan, he promised.
Indonesia’s digitalisation efforts have been better. The satisfaction growth with government-run platforms is a sign of this. For instance, 73.7% of those who use the National Public Service Complaint Management System (SP4N-LAPOR!) are happy with the service they receive. In 2022, when the research was done, 1,123 persons participated.
According to data collected nationwide, the average response time for an ‘SP4N-LAPOR!’ complaint is 6.1 days. Surabaya’s municipal administration is one of the quickest in Indonesia at responding to complaints, requiring only 0.6 business days, or about 2 hours. The provincial administration of East Java processed 6,160 reports in 2022, with 97% receiving follow-up. More than 90% (35 out of 39) of districts/cities in East Java have some action plan, and the SP4N-LAPOR Administration has issued a Decree to all East Javan provinces and municipalities.
On the other hand, Ismail, the Ministry of Communication and Informatics’ Director General of Resources and Equipment of Post and Information Technology (SDPPI) revealed that Indonesia is maximising technology by guaranteeing an adequate digital connection and cooperating with the private sector and the community. The government of the Republic of Indonesia is dedicating significant resources to advancing this technology so that its inhabitants might benefit from it.
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As China continues to prioritise high-quality development and accelerate industrialisation, it intends to advance green and low-carbon cooperation with Africa.
According to Zhang Jianhua, Deputy Director of the Department of Foreign Investment at China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), green cooperation has become a new focal point of China and Africa’s collaboration. China will encourage domestic enterprises to invest in wind, photovoltaic, and biomass energy projects in Africa and enhance the training of local talent.
As agricultural transformation is essential for sustained economic growth, the government also encourages Chinese businesses to invest in agriculture in Africa and expand technological cooperation. In Cote d’Ivoire, for instance, China has helped a region more than double its rice yield.
China has been Africa’s largest trading partner for fourteen consecutive years. For seven years in a row, China’s imports of agricultural products from Africa have increased. The Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation reports that China has become the second-largest importer of agricultural products from Africa.
In addition, the government will encourage Chinese companies to expand their cooperation with Africa in the mining, home appliance, automobile, metallurgical, and chemical industries. In Africa, Chinese companies may invest more in e-commerce and mobile payments.
According to Yu Jia, a professor at Peking University, the digital economy serves as a new engine for China-Africa economic development. Cooperation in e-commerce can facilitate the entry of high-quality African goods into the Chinese market and help small and medium-sized businesses in Africa innovate their products, services, and business models.
Currently, more than 3,500 Chinese companies are operating in Africa, and their total direct investment in the continent has surpassed $56 billion. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China and Africa have jointly constructed over 20 industrial parks.
Due to the instability of the global economy and supply chain, Sino-African cooperation faces a critical period as it attempts to advance. Promotion of the transformation and upgrade of cooperation and high-quality development has become the responsibility of the two parties in the new era.
Africa has played an important role in the BRI. Among the 53 African countries that have established diplomatic relations with China, 52 have signed cooperation agreements with China to contribute to the BRI.
China Civil Engineering Construction Corp (CCECC), a subsidiary of the state-owned China Railway Construction Corp Ltd, intends to invest more resources this year to increase its market share in new types of infrastructure in Africa.
Early this year, the company began operations on the first phase of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit Blue Line project in Nigeria, the first electrified light rail in West Africa. It stated that the Lagos light rail is a flagship project under the BRI framework.
CCECC plans to seize new business opportunities emerging in the transformation of the global industrial chain and market revitalisation in Africa as part of building ‘new infrastructure’ such as 5G towers, big data centres, internet of things (IoT) facilities, and digital hubs in the coming years, in addition to traditional infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, and railroads.
Following that, the company’s priorities in Nigeria and other West African countries will include the construction of 5G base stations, new energy businesses such as wind power and photovoltaic power generation, as well as electrified urban railway projects.