Page 30 - Enhancing innovation and participation in smart sustainable cities
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United for Smart Sustainable Cities
Enhancing Innovation and Participation
(b) affects economic and social transformation; and
(c) creates enriching and compelling content.
This masterplan is developed by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA). Projects in the
economic sector focus on data analytics, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, Internet of Things and
immersive media.
Smart-city management: In the future, most of the data collected from the sensors and cameras will be
embedded in Singapore’s public infrastructure, and will be fed to repositories known as Virtual Singapore
(for 3D data) and the Smart Nation Platform (for other sensor data). These repositories will be controlled
by the government. The data from these repositories can be used to analyse and predict different
behaviours people exhibit in reaction to different occurrences. It would also be possible to estimate the
spread of a disease by analysing data collected through these sensors.
These platforms are expected to help public agencies with the following:
(a) satisfying sensor deployment needs;
(b) sharing of collected data;
(c) conducting data analytics;
(d) supporting needs like urban planning and incident responses.
The development of the Smart Nation Platform is being led by the Government Technology Agency
(GovTech), which will play the role of the lead central agency in collecting the data from across the
government that would have otherwise been managed by individual agencies.
Energy efficiency at the household and business level: Singapore’s energy policy is to diversify its energy
sources and reduce the demand for energy. Possible sources that are being explored are waste-to-
energy, biofuels, solar energy and possibly nuclear energy. Singapore also focuses on the research and
development (R&D) of renewable energy options and presents itself as an R&D Centre and ‘living lab’ for
new energy technology in Asia. One key example is Singapore’s first large-scale electric vehicle (EV) car-
sharing programme, which will see the deployment of an island-wide fleet of 1 000 shared EVs and the
installation of 2 000 charging points across Singapore, and lay the foundation for a national EV charging
network to support the greater use of EVs.
Green buildings: HDB plans and design towns, precincts and buildings using smart technologies to meet
sustainability goals. These include smart planning tools that stimulate wind flows, shading effects of
buildings and solar irradiance. These simulations help planners to harness breezes that cool and improve
air quality and to locate greenery in the right places for reducing the urban heat island effect. In addition,
the Building Energy Efficiency Master Plan (BEEMP) also contains programmes and measures that span
the whole life cycle of a building.
Water challenges: Over the last 50 years, Singapore has built a robust and diversified supply of water
known as the "Four National Taps". Singapore has tackled its water scarcity through the application of
advanced membrane technologies to purify treated waste water for reuse and desalinate seawater for
drinking. In addition, two-thirds of Singapore is water catchment, capturing rainwater and channelling
them into 17 reservoirs. One of these, the Marina Reservoir, showcases Singapore’s ability to capture
and treat urban storm water for drinking purposes. Despite the use of unconventional water sources,
Singapore’s tap water is well within the World Health Organization (WHO) drinking water guidelines and
is suitable for drinking without any further filtration.
Smart education: Education plays an important role in preparing its citizens to contribute and thrive in
the future workplace. Meaningful use of technology for learning can help to nurture 21st century
dispositions and imbibe in students the joy and enthusiasm to collaborate and learn new skills. The
Ministry of Education’s (MoE) ICT Masterplan in Education continues to ensure "Quality Learning in the
hands of Every Learner - Empowered with Technology". EduLab, a key initiative under MoE’s ICT
Masterplan, is a joint MOE-NIE ICT innovation programme seeded by the National Research Foundation
(NRF) that bring together teachers, researchers, developers and MoE HQ officers to collaborate and
jointly develop ICT innovations for quality learning. Through the EduLab ecosystem, successful ICT
innovations in learning are adopted and adapted by different schools across the system.
28 U4SSC series
