Korean artificial intelligence (AI) technology has successfully opened doors to Singapore's public sector, marking a significant turning point for its overseas expansion. The National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Science and ICT, announced on June 5th the successful conclusion of the 'Korea-Singapore AI Innovation Technology Exchange' held on May 30th at the Home Team Science and Technology Agency's (HTX) HATCH Centre in Singapore. This event, commemorating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Singapore, was jointly organized with Singaporean government agencies HTX and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), playing a pivotal role in establishing a foothold for excellent Korean AI companies in the Singaporean market.

High Interest from the Singaporean Government in Korean AI Technology

The exchange brought together 10 carefully selected Korean AI companies by NIPA and Singaporean government agencies, who presented their innovative technologies and discussed potential collaborations with representatives from Singaporean government bodies. Notably, approximately 80 officials from various government agencies, including the Singapore Police Force (SPF), Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), Singapore Prison Service (SPS), Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Housing & Development Board (HDB), and Ministry of Education (MoE), attended the event, demonstrating the significant interest of the Singaporean government in Korean AI technology. This high participation rate attests to the Singaporean government's proactive adoption of AI technology for public service innovation and its high regard for Korea's technological capabilities.

Participating companies showcased and presented cutting-edge technologies across a wide range of fields, including AI-based drone video analysis, advanced healthcare solutions, extended reality (XR) technology, intelligent video analysis systems, sophisticated information security technology, and efficient document analysis solutions. These technologies sufficiently demonstrated their potential to contribute to Singapore's "Smart Nation" vision.

 
Tangible Outcomes from Local Government Support Programs and 1:1 Consultations

Prior to the company presentations, HTX provided detailed information on its Proof-of-Concept (POC) projects for innovative technologies in public safety. These projects offer opportunities to test and verify AI technologies in real public safety environments, serving as a crucial stepping stone for technology commercialization and market expansion. Additionally, IMDA introduced local government support programs designed to help Korean companies successfully establish themselves in the Singaporean market, such as Challenge Statements and startup incubation programs. This information proved to be of practical assistance to Korean companies in understanding the characteristics of the Singaporean market and formulating their local entry strategies.

In the latter part of the event, dedicated 1:1 consultation sessions were arranged between Singaporean government agencies and Korean AI companies. Promotion and consultation booths were set up for each company, providing an opportunity for in-depth discussions on mutually desired technologies and collaboration models. These customized consultations contributed to creating concrete touchpoints that could lead to practical business collaborations, going beyond mere technology introductions.

 
Successful Collaboration Cases and Future Outlook

Visible achievements have already emerged from this exchange. Mr. Yeom Chang-yeol, Head of NIPA Singapore IT Support Center, stated, "Since last year, two Korean AI companies, 'Deeply' and 'CLIKA,' have been selected for public safety innovation technology POC projects through collaboration with HTX." Deeply provides an AI-based drone video analysis solution for real-time disaster situation monitoring and analysis, while CLIKA is developing an AI-based intelligent video analysis system that detects and reports anomalies by analyzing CCTV footage. The successful selection of these companies for POC projects clearly demonstrates the excellence of Korean AI technology and its potential to meet the actual demands of Singapore's public sector.

Mr. Yeom Chang-yeol further emphasized, "We will do our utmost to help more Korean IT companies successfully enter the Singaporean and Southeast Asian markets by expanding our cooperation with Singaporean government agencies." Singapore serves as the economic hub and an advanced technology testbed for Southeast Asia, making success here an important stepping stone for expansion throughout the region. This exchange is expected to provide practical opportunities for Korean AI companies to leap forward into the global market and serve as a crucial occasion to further solidify relations between the two countries through technological cooperation.

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