Singapore – In a concerted effort to advance Singapore’s AI strategy, government and industry-led bodies including the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI), Digital Industry Singapore, Smart Nation Group, and Enterprise Singapore have recently launched an expanded partnership with Google Cloud, targeting more than one hundred organisations in the country to increase the development and adoption of general AI among country-based companies.
Through this endeavour, the AI Trailblazers 2.0, featuring enhanced innovation sandboxes, will offer participating organisations complimentary access to Google Cloud’s integrated AI stack. These organisations will receive assistance from Google Cloud engineers at no cost for 10 weeks.
For this edition, Google Cloud will enable organisations to utilise Google’s Gemini and Duet AI for developers to assist in the accelerated development, deployment, and operation of applications.
In addition, Google Cloud and EnterpriseSG have also introduced the Google for Startups Accelerator to foster and assist globally oriented innovators who use AI as a core in their product development. This startup programme aims to provide eligible startups with financial support through the said programme.
This partnership is also set to leverage Google Cloud’s proficiency to evaluate top-tier AI startups, enabling them to access startup SG Tech funding for technology development and business expansion.
Addressing the increasing demand for AI skills, on the other hand, Google also revealed an additional 3,000 Google Career Certificate scholarships to local distribution partners. These career certificates cover fields such as cybersecurity, data analytics, and IT support and can be completed in three to six months through flexible, self-paced online training with no relevant experience required.
The training also provides free introductory microlearning courses in generative AI, accessible to all learners. These courses are designed to assist individuals in understanding the basics of generative AI, its distinctions from other AI types, and how to responsibly apply AI principles.
Commenting on the initiative, Philbert Gomez, vice president and head at DISG, remarked, “We are glad to learn that the AI Trailblazers initiative has increased the development and adoption of gen AI among companies based in Singapore. Through this programme, participants capitalised on the transformative impact of gen AI and developed applications to improve their business.”
“These efforts will contribute to Singapore’s ambition of becoming a hub for AI innovation. With the success of the first AI Trailblazers initiative, we look forward to continuing this partnership with Google Cloud and will announce further details on AI Trailblazers 2.0 soon,” added Gomez.
Soh Leng Wan, assistant chief executive officer at EnterpriseSG, also added, “As the adoption of AI technologies gains momentum, it is important for Singapore to nurture a thriving AI ecosystem with startups that can push the boundaries in this field with new innovations. Our AI ecosystem can also serve to offer their AI expertise to uplift the growth and capabilities of wider industries.”
“Through this partnership with Google Cloud, we aim to give promising startups a boost as they look to pursue AI-related innovation and commercialise their solutions. We look forward to deepening our partnership with Google Cloud to support our local players in enhancing their AI capabilities and unlocking new growth opportunities,” he further emphasised.
Meanwhile, Mark Micallef, managing director for Southeast Asia at Google Cloud, said, “The variety of enterprise-grade Gen AI solutions that have been successfully built through AI Trailblazers demonstrate this technology’s ability to help individuals make sense of vast amounts of information and perform daily tasks in ways never before possible, thereby amplifying human talent and acting as a catalyst for human productivity.”
“Our continued collaboration with the Singapore Government on AI Trailblazers 2.0, Google for Startups Accelerator: AI First Singapore, various skilling programmes, and the AI Verify Foundation will help organisations access best-in-class resources, tools, and talent to innovate with AI boldly and responsibly. As part of our four-pronged strategic collaboration, these initiatives will help advance the government’s goal of uplifting people and businesses and unlocking the country’s next frontier of economic growth,” he concluded.
