Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Heng Swee Keat, has announced an investment of nearly S$300 million into the country’s National Quantum Strategy (NQS) to boost its quantum industry. The NQS will focus on initiatives including the elevation of the Centre for Quantum Technologies to a national research center and the creation of a National Quantum Processor Initiative. Additionally, Singapore has launched a Green Data Centre Roadmap for sustainable digital growth and is collaborating with Rwanda on an AI Governance Playbook for Small States.
Singapore’s National Quantum Strategy and Green Data Centre Roadmap
Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the National Research Foundation (NRF), Mr Heng Swee Keat, has announced an investment of nearly S$300 million into the National Quantum Strategy (NQS). This investment aims to bolster Singapore’s burgeoning Quantum industry and position the nation as a significant player in the development and deployment of quantum technologies over the next five years. Alongside this, the Green Data Centre (DC) Roadmap was launched to guide digital sustainability and chart green growth pathways for DCs, supporting AI and compute developments.
Key Initiatives of the National Quantum Strategy
The NQS will concentrate on four funding initiatives. Firstly, the Centre for Quantum Technologies (CQT), a research centre of excellence hosted by the National University of Singapore, will be elevated to a flagship national research centre. Secondly, a new National Quantum Sensor Programme will be established under Quantum Engineering Programme 3.0 (QEP 3.0), while existing national-level quantum programmes will enhance their current suite of capabilities to meet industry needs. Thirdly, a new National Quantum Processor Initiative (NQPI) will be set up to enable Singapore to design and build its own practical quantum processor. Lastly, the National Quantum Scholarships Scheme (NQSS) will be launched to develop Singapore’s talent pipeline in quantum research & development (R&D).
Green Data Centre Roadmap for Sustainable Growth
Dr Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information, shared Singapore’s strategy for the long-term sustainable growth of DCs with the Green DC Roadmap. The Roadmap aims to provide at least 300 megawatts of additional capacity in the near term, with much more through green energy deployments. The additional capacity is aimed at seeding innovative ways to accelerate energy efficiency, as well as hybrid ways to unlock further capacity through green energy.
Accelerating Data Centre Sustainability
The Green DC Roadmap also outlines the Infocomm Media Development Authority’s (IMDA) plans to partner with the industry to push boundaries and accelerate DC sustainability on two fronts. Firstly, it aims to accelerate DC’s energy efficiency at hardware and software levels and allow industry and end-users to put in place best-in-class technologies to maximise efficiency, capacity and economic potential. Secondly, it aims to accelerate DCs’ use of green energy to expand capacity, and explore how we can deploy this at scale over time to maximise space for continued DCs’ growth.
Singapore’s Contribution to Global AI Safety
Singapore has been actively contributing to global AI safety discussions through initiatives like the Model AI Governance Framework (Generative AI) and the Digital Forum of Small States (DFOSS). The Model AI Governance Framework (Gen AI) is the first comprehensive framework that consolidates global conversation AI governance. The finalised framework, released today, will be mapped to international AI principles such as the G7 Hiroshima Principles for interoperability.
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