To create a pro-consumer and pro-business infocomm environment, IDA formulates infocomm-related policies, standards, codes of practice and advisory guidelines aimed at leveling the playing field for infocomm service providers and empowering consumers and businesses with more choices.

IDA plays an active role in developing Singapore’s pool of globally-competitive infocomm talent and an infocomm-savvy workforce. We are also focused on driving consumer education initiatives, ensuring digital inclusion and supporting the effective use of infocomm in community outreach efforts.

Overview

IDA drives the growth, competitiveness and innovation of Singapore’s infocomm industry by nurturing local infocomm enterprises and supporting them in their internationalisation efforts. We also seek to inject greater vibrancy into the infocomm ecosystem by attracting world-class global infocomm MNCs and startups to hub in Singapore.

Smart Cities Programme Office

Introduction

Worldwide interest in Smart Cities has grown in recent years, spurred by technology developers and systems integrators around the world. On the demand side, the concept has found traction with developed cities looking to retool themselves as they balance the drive for global competitiveness with sustainable development, and with newly urbanising aspirants to the global stage.

Smart Cities is not a totally new concept but more of an increasing recognition of info-comm technologies as the key differentiator in addressing complex and inter-related city challenges. IDA has been working on initiatives directly or indirectly related to Smart Cities through the ongoing iN2015 masterplan with the vision of building an Intelligent Nation, Global City powered by Infocomm, together with various sectoral leads. Supported by fundamental infocomm infrastructure such as the Next Generation Nationwide Broadband Network and Wireless@SG, sectoral initiatives in the vertical sectors have been put in place, such as TradeExchange, National Electronic Health Record, FutureSchools, and Near-Field Communications (NFC) for payment through NFC-enabled mobile phones.

Smart city initiatives can enhance a city’s liveability and hence attractiveness for its residents. They can also enable optimisation in the use of key national resources for sustainable urban development through demand aggregation and better matching of supply to demand.

Smart Cities Programme Office

Given the opportunities and developments in Smart Cities, IDA established a Smart Cities Programme Office (SCPO) in 2011 to lead the Smart Cities thrust in IDA. SCPO focuses on the development of infocomm-based integrated networks, capabilities and solutions for urban environments with a systems-of-systems approach that enables Whole-of-Government synergies and integrated insights, which will contribute to the optimisation of key national resources across interdependent and inter-related city systems. It is not limited to technology but more encompassing of other aspects such as governance, procedures and business policies issues (e.g. sharing of data, insights, infrastructure and resources).