Floating Button
Home Digitaledge Artificial Intelligence

Singapore sharpens its national AI strategy around sectors, talent and hub ambition

Nurdianah Md Nur
Nurdianah Md Nur • 4 min read
Singapore sharpens its national AI strategy around sectors, talent and hub ambition
Singapore’s updated AI agenda puts more weight on sector missions, workforce skills, compute capacity and trusted access to data. Photo: Pexels
Font Resizer
Share to Whatsapp
Share to Facebook
Share to LinkedIn
Scroll to top
Follow us on Facebook and join our Telegram channel for the latest updates.

Singapore is sharpening the next phase of its national artificial intelligence (AI) strategy around three focus areas. It will deepen AI use across sectors and government, widen adoption across enterprises and the workforce, and strengthen the country's role as an AI hub.

Announced by Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo at the ATxSummit event, the refreshed priorities build on the National AI Strategy 2.0 launched in December 2023. They also follow the creation of the National AI Council in February 2026, chaired by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, to provide strategic direction for Singapore's AI agenda.

The update sets out 10 priorities across industry, government, research, talent, workforce capabilities, ecosystem integration, compute, data, trust and international partnerships. These priorities are meant to reflect what the next phase of AI development requires.

A central part of the plan is the launch of National AI missions in advanced manufacturing, financial services, connectivity and healthcare. The four sectors contributed about 40% of Singapore's GDP in 2025, according to the Economic Survey of Singapore 2025.

The AI missions will be paired with broader industry adoption efforts. The National AI Impact Programme will support 10,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) over the next three years to move from experimentation to operational integration, while a separate Champions of AI programme will target leading Singapore-based companies. Singapore will also develop ready-to-use AI solutions through Catalytic AI Projects in sectors such as logistics, manufacturing and wholesale trade.

The AI missions aim to attract world-leading companies to develop, test and scale solutions in Singapore. "What makes us compelling is the global network we are connected to and our track record for trusted technology adoption," says Teo.

See also: OpenAI commits over $300 mil to help Singapore build applied AI base

The government also plans to make AI a routine part of public sector work. Central tools such as Pair, SmartCompose, Transcribe and AIBots will remain a common base for officers, while all public officers will complete an AI literacy course. The government will also refresh guidance on generative AI, with stronger expectations around data security, accountability and oversight for higher-risk uses.

Governance sits alongside these operational changes. However, Teo notes that global consensus on AI rules remains elusive. "Although AI has developed at a breathless pace, governance approaches are far from settled. The stakes are getting higher, as AI becomes more deeply embedded in areas affecting people's lives," she says.

Singapore has therefore developed Model AI Governance Framework guidelines for agentic AI systems, and the next phase will deepen sector-specific risk management, strengthen AI testing and assurance capabilities, and build societal confidence in AI.

See also: Google expands its frontier AI partnership with Singapore across healthcare, scientific research, enterprise and safety

Workers get clearer targets

Singapore will support 100,000 workers over three years to become "AI bilingual", wherein they have both domain expertise and AI capability. The effort will start with accountancy and legal professions before extending to fields such as marketing and human resources.

Moreover, the government aims to upskill 40,000 tech professionals over three years, moving them up the value chain from writing code to orchestrating systems powered by AI agents. It will also continue efforts to attract top-tier AI talent and cultivate AI practitioners.

Research funding committed earlier this year remains a key input to the refreshed strategy. Singapore committed more than $1 billion to public AI research and talent development from 2025 to 2030 through the updated National AI R&D Plan, announced by Teo at Singapore AI Research Week in January 2026. The funding supports fundamental AI research, applied AI research and talent development.

Compute and data underpin the hub push

The update gives more weight to the infrastructure needed for broader AI use. Singapore will expand local research compute capacity from 2026 through the National Supercomputing Centre Singapore's ASPIRE 2B supercomputer, as part of a planned national advanced compute, AI and scientific computing platform.

The government will also continue work on energy-efficient data centres. A Digital Infrastructure Act, to be tabled in Parliament, will seek to raise baseline sustainability standards for data centres in Singapore.

To stay ahead of the latest tech trends, click here for DigitalEdge Section

Data access is another refreshed priority. The government says the issue is not simply making more datasets available. The National AI missions will need the right datasets for specific use cases, with safeguards for privacy, security and commercial interests.

Singapore will also establish Kampong AI at One-North, its first dedicated AI park, building on the Lorong AI pilot. The site is meant to bring together AI enterprises, researchers and founders, while strengthening links with Singapore-linked AI talent overseas through platforms such as RAISE.SG.

Internationally, Singapore will work to strengthen its position as a trusted hub for open exchange and partnerships, contributing to global and regional AI efforts, including through its role as Asean Chair in 2027.

(Updated at 12pm with quotes from Teo)

×
The Edge Singapore
Download The Edge Singapore App
Google playApple store play
Keep updated
Follow our social media
© 2026 The Edge Publishing Pte Ltd. All rights reserved.