Speech by SMS(DDI)(H) Tan Kiat How at the Opening Ceremony of World Smart Industry Expo 2025

尊敬的袁家军书记，

胡衡华市长，

女士们，先生们，朋友们，

大家上午好!

1. 很荣幸受邀参加今年的国际智能产业博览会。今年是中新（重庆）战略性互联互通示范项目十周年的里程碑。十年来，在双方领导的关心和支持下，项目不断深化和拓展，特别是在数字互联互通领域，已成为新中合作的重要支柱。在此，我谨代表新加坡政府，对重庆市政府长期以来的支持表示衷心感谢。接下来，我将用英语继续发言。

2. I would like to thank Chongqing for inviting Singapore as the Country-of-Honour at this year’s World Smart Industry Expo, or WSIE. This honour underscores the strong and enduring partnership between Singapore and Chongqing, under the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity, or CCI. Over the past decade, the CCI has strengthened physical, financial, and digital links, making the flow of goods, services and data more seamless. It is fitting that we meet today to explore how technology and digitalisation, especially AI, will drive the next decade of connectivity and growth.

3. Today, Chongqing plays an even more important role as a strategic hub for Western China’s development, and as a pioneer of modern megacity governance and high-quality growth. We see these ambitions reflected in the city’s drive to develop advanced manufacturing clusters, grow the new energy vehicles sector, and build high-tech industries such as advanced materials and the digital economy. Chongqing is also applying AI to smart governance and public services, from urban operations to emergency responses, creating city-scale use cases that address real public needs. These priorities resonate strongly with Singapore’s own digital transformation journey. Under our National AI Strategy, for example, we have launched initiatives such as the AI Centre of Excellence for Manufacturing, which helps companies adopt AI in quality assurance, predictive maintenance, and industrial automation. We are also focusing on healthcare, finance, education and logistics. I see tremendous scope for Singapore and Chongqing to deepen practical collaboration in AI applications, smart urban solutions and talent development.

4. This year, we have brought companies with cutting-edge technologies and solutions to introduce and connect to the Chinese market. A good example is FathomX, a spin-off from the National University of Singapore, which is working with the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University (重庆医科大学附属第一医院) to develop an AI-powered breast ultrasound system tailored to Chinese women, providing more accurate readings for the earlier detection of breast cancer. Such human-centred, high impact AI projects contribute to smart healthcare development and benefit society.

5. Another example is JM Vistec System, a Singapore company specialising in machine vision solutions. Through Singapore’s and Chongqing’s Joint Innovation Development Fund, or JIDF, JM Vistec partnered Chongqing’s CISDI (中治赛迪) to develop an advanced vision system with high precision detection that enables safer automation in steelworks, and potentially other industrial settings as well. The JIDF acts as a valuable platform for Singapore and Chongqing companies to co-develop and deploy digital solutions that are transferable across sectors.

6. These collaborations show how governments and businesses can come together to deliver innovation and impact. Crucially, these solutions can also be replicated and scaled across our two cities and, over time, the broader region, including Southeast Asia and Western China. They also reflect the spirit of this year’s WSIE – harnessing AI to transform economies and improve lives.

7. In today’s complex global environment, the CCI’s focus on connectivity is more important than ever and is a testament to the mutual trust and friendship between Singapore and Chongqing. As we celebrate 10 years of the CCI, Singapore remains committed to working alongside Chongqing, and with all our partners here today, to chart the next chapter of digital transformation and create new opportunities for our peoples and the wider region.

8. 我再次感谢重庆市政府的邀请，并预祝本届智博会圆满成功。谢谢！