The new Siemens Digitalization Hub has launched in Singapore with a simultaneous ceremony at Siemens headquarters in Munich.
At the ceremony, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that the hub will aid the country’s Smart Nation initiative, in addition to producing innovative digitalization solutions for the global market.
The new Digitalization Hub was created by Siemens to bring together data scientists, software engineers, and subject-matter experts for different projects. These teams will work to develop smart solutions for projects in the government, like the Smart Nation initiative, as well as for businesses across many different industries in Singapore.
Through the Hub, Siemens will develop and commercialize products in urbanization and digital industrialization, partnering with the government, companies and universities in Singapore. Areas of focus will include urban infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, and healthcare.
Experts at Siemens are already at work with Singapore Power to develop smart micro-grids for the local power supply, using technology to monitor energy usage and maximize efficiency based on supply and demand.
The company is also working with ST Electronics to develop transportation applications for roads, shipping, air travel and mass transit. A deal has been signed with Nanyang Technological University to work with Siemens on self-driving vehicle technology and green building performance.
Future projects for the Digitalization Hub will include teams working on developing technological solutions for infrastructure sectors such as oil and gas, transportation and healthcare.
Joe Kaeser, Chief Executive of Siemens, said that supporting the digital transformation of government and industry will affect society as a whole, and requires long-term planning as exemplified by the Smart Nation initiative in Singapore.
In order to support digitalization and the Smart Nation, Prime Minister Lee pointed out that citizens are required to make an effort as well. The workforce must have the correct skills and capabilities to support advanced technologies, which is why, he said, schools are introducing basic coding skills and universities now require compulsory digital literacy.
In addition, the government has introduced a SkillsFuture program that aims to improve the digital skills of the existing workforce with study awards and training in data science and computer programming.
