On 21 May, the
Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA)
introduced the Digital Economy Framework for Action to build Singapore’s
competitive edge in the digital era through promoting collaboration and
building vibrant ecosystems.
The Digital Economy Framework for Action seeks to enable
businesses to transform to digital businesses, empower workers with technology,
and create connected citizens. It encourages collaboration and partnership to
strengthen digital capabilities across the nation.
The Framework for Action comprises three thrusts:
1.
Accelerate
digitalisation journeys of industries and companies
To accelerate the digitalisation of existing sectors, IMDA
is introducing three major programmes. They are the launch of:
(1) A
nationwide e-invoicing standard as a first step to get all businesses to start
their digitalisation journey. Singapore will adopt the Pan-European Public
Procurement On-Line (PEPPOL) e-invoicing standard and will become the first
national authority in Asia to do so.
(2) A
Federated Lockers and Collection Points Network to boost Singapore’s e-commerce
sector. BluPort and SingPost have been awarded the Federated Locker operators
for the pilots at Bukit Panjang and Punngol respectively. A tender has been
awarded to Parcel Perform to develop and run an open, interoperable nationwide
platform that allows different parcel operators to deliver to the federated
lockers, thus benefiting e-commerce businesses and consumers.
(3)
the Digital Project Management Services to enhance the SMEs Go Digital
programme to help SMEs with the implementation of their digital plans through a
pool of digital project managers. The Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF)
has been appointed as the first operator of these services.
2.
Strengthen
Singapore’s ability to compete internationally
To grow Singapore’s competitiveness by integrating
ecosystems and fostering new ecosystems, the IMDA will launch the Open
Innovation Platform, a virtual crowd-sourcing platform to connect and match
problem owners and solution providers, in June 2018.
3.
Transform
the infocomm and media (ICM) sector
To deepen capabilities in frontier technologies and nurture
the next generation of globally competitive digital champions, IMDA seeks to
help local media enterprises and professionals acquire new capabilities, and
partner new digital content platforms and integrated ecosystem players through
the Future of Media programme.
One of the frontier technologies that have been identified
to transform Singapore’s ICM sector is immersive media. As such, IMDA will
support the construction sector’s first pilot digital shared platform
incorporating multi-user VR environment. This is expected to improve
communications across the construction value chain resulting in cost saving and
shortened project delivery.
IMDA also launches the GoSecure initiative to
offer 200 ICT companies Security by Design Consultation and Vulnerability
Assessment at a nominal fee.