Speech by SPS Low Yen Ling at the Official Opening of NEC’s advanced Centre for Experimentation

SPEECH BY MS. LOW YEN LING, SENIOR PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF NEC’S ADVANCED CENTRE FOR EXPERIMENTATION ON 3 AUGUST 2017, 3.30PM, NUCLEOS BUILDING, NORTH TOWER

​Your Excellency, Mr. Kenji Shinoda, Ambassador of Japan to Singapore

Mr. Tetsuro Akagi, Senior Vice President NEC Corporation and Chief Executive Officer of NEC Asia Pacific

Mr. Motoo Nishihara, Senior Vice President NEC Corporation and Head of NEC Central Research Laboratories

Mr. Mervyn Cheah, Head of NEC Laboratories Singapore

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

Good afternoon.

INTRODUCTION

1.         I am pleased to join you today at the official opening of NEC’s Advanced Centre for Experimentation, the first of its kind for NEC globally.  This Centre will serve as a “living lab”, and enable the company to undertake experimentation and prototyping of new and innovative digital solutions with its partners and customers.

NEC AND SINGAPORE ENJOY A STRONG PARTNERSHIP

2.         NEC and Singapore have enjoyed a strong partnership.  NEC first deployed satellite earth stations in Sentosa in 1971, and established its corporate presence in Singapore in 1977.  NEC has also supported our efforts to introduce novel services for Singaporeans, including the provision of the biometrics technology for Singapore’s National Registration Identity Card (NRIC) project in 1991. 

3.         Over the years, NEC has continued to undertake innovative projects in Singapore.  In 2013, NEC opened its 5th research centre, NEC Laboratories Singapore (NLS), to engage in joint research projects with partners in Singapore.  NEC also worked on Singapore’s first Safe City Test Bed initiative with the Safety and Security Industry Programme Office (SSIPO), a strategic alliance between the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Economic Development Board (EDB).  Using Orchard Road as a test bed, the initiative successfully tested innovative solutions, including facial recognition video analytics and cross-site monitoring capabilities.

WE WILL CONTINUE TO PARTNER THE INDUSTRY TO PREPARE OUR COMPANIES AND PEOPLE FOR THE DIGITAL ECONOMY, WHICH IS A KEY GROWTH DRIVER FOR SINGAPORE

4.         Digital transformation is taking place globally.  Digital technologies are disrupting existing products and services, while bringing about new possibilities and opportunities.  For instance, manufacturing firms can leverage real time data to optimise their operations and raise productivity.  Pervasive connectivity and autonomous technologies can also enable new urban mobility solutions.  Singapore, with its robust digital infrastructure and capabilities, is well-positioned to capture these opportunities. 

5.         The Committee on the Future Economy (CFE) has also identified the digital economy as a key growth driver for Singapore.  We will continue to partner the industry to prepare our companies and people for the digital economy.

SINGAPORE WILL ENABLE INNOVATION FOR THE DIGITAL ECONOMY BY ENCOURAGING PARTNERSHIPS 

6.         We will enable innovation for the digital economy by encouraging partnerships in our ecosystem.  This Centre is a good example of how our industry partners can collaborate to develop new digital solutions.  Through this Centre, NLS will be able to create new solutions together with its partners and customers, in areas such as public safety, transportation and healthcare.  These solutions can be tested in a real world environment before commercial deployment and operation.   

7.         Our local companies can also benefit from partnering leading technology firms, like NEC, and leveraging each other’s strengths.  For example, NLS is partnering Xcellink Pte Ltd, a local IT services SME, to deliver user-friendly proof-of-concepts (POCs) for one of NLS’s key clients.  

SINGAPORE WILL ALSO PARTNER THE INDUSTRY TO DEVELOP DIGITAL TALENT

8.         One of our key priorities is to equip our people with digital skills, so that they can participate in and benefit from the digital economy.

9.         To this end, Singapore has been partnering leading technology companies to develop digital talent through on-the-job training.  The NEC Talent Development Program (TDP) is an example of such efforts. Launched last year, TDP is a partnership between EDB and NEC. This four-year flagship talent programme aims to identify 26 high-potential fresh graduates from local universities, and equip them with the necessary technical and soft skills to become future managers at NEC.  This is the first time that NEC has embarked on such a talent training initiative for fresh graduates.  Interest in the programme has been strong.  Till date, 11 trainees have been hired, with another 15 more to join within the next two years.

10.       Fathi Al Kamil, Shafi’e Sharin and Adeline Chong are young Singaporeans who are benefitting from the TDP.  Through the programme, Fathi, Shafi’e and Adeline will have the opportunity to rotate across different technical roles and projects, as well as participate in a three-month overseas training stint in one of NEC’s offices or laboratories.

11.       I am also pleased to share that NEC will be scaling up its talent development efforts in Singapore.  NLS has plans to train more than 50 individuals in research, data science, and engineering roles over the next three years.  These individuals will be tasked to work with end-user clients to architect new solutions, or to further enhance NEC’s cutting-edge technologies.

CONCLUSION

12.       While the digital economy will disrupt existing business models, it will also bring about significant new opportunities for our companies and people.  By partnering closely with the industry, I am confident that we can adapt and seize these opportunities. 

13.       Let me again congratulate the NEC team on the opening of this Centre.  I wish you the very best. Thank you.