6 Ways Singapore leads as the world’s smartest city

Let’s explore six ways Singapore is redefining the smart city experience…

Singapore is the smartest city in the world, according to the IMD’s inaugural Smart City Index.  Its Smart Nation initiative launched in 2014 with SGD$2.4 billion (then equivalent to US$1.73 billion) has created a city powered by digital innovation and technology that responds to citizens’ evolving needs.

Let's dig in.
 

#1. Mobility as a shared community experience

With land at a premium, Singapore utilizes sensor technology and an autonomous fleet for elderly and disabled mobility. The city also features an electronic road pricing system to manage traffic congestion. At the same time, students at the National University of Singapore can be ferried around campus on a self-driving shuttle.

To help with transport optimization, public data – or ‘open data’ – is being used in a trial to facilitate transport planning. Data from fare cards to sensors in more than 5,000 vehicles, and the real-time tracking of busses, is analyzed. The result? The trial has reduced the rate of over-crowded buses by 92%. Contactless payment technology is being used to streamline the movements and payments of the 7.5 million passengers who use public transport each day.. 

Meanwhile, the Travel Smart Programme aims to more evenly distribute morning peak hour travel demand on the rail network in three ways: encouraging citizens to re-think

• when they travel
• how they travel (for example, switching to bicycles)
• reducing the amount they travel (encouraging working remotely).

These are just some of the many transport projects in Singapore.
 

#2. Healthier citizens

With 47% of Singapore’s population projected to be over 65 by 2050, the city has digitized healthcare to manage this aging demographic. Singapore's e-health initiative is a comprehensive digital platform that aims to improve the quality and accessibility of healthcare services in the country. The initiative is driven by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), and it involves various stakeholders in the healthcare industry, including healthcare providers, technology companies, and patients. Some of the e-health platform key components include:

HealthHub: HealthHub is an online portal that allows patients to manage their health and wellness. It provides features such as appointment booking, prescription refills, and access to medical records.

Telemedicine: Telemedicine enables patients to consult with doctors remotely through video conferencing or messaging. This can be especially useful for patients who live far from healthcare facilities or have mobility issues.

TeleRehab: TeleRehab allows patients to undergo exercises in their own home – wearable Internet of Things (IoT) devices monitor patients’ progress and transmit the data to their therapist over a wireless network.

Robotics in Singapore is helping to reduce loneliness in an aging population.
How is that possible?

• Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered ‘chatbots’ talk to the elderly, tell them about community activities, and integrate messages that promote healthy living.
• The AI-powered  Smart Elderly Alert System monitors and learns people’s regular movements, alerting a caregiver when something out of the ordinary occurs, and urgent care might be required.

#3. "There's an app for that"

With a forecast of 99.4 percent of the population owning smartphones by 2026, The Smart Nation app easily offers Singaporeans a one-stop platform for accessing government services and information, simplifying interactions with the government. Some of the app features include:

• Digital Identity: The app allows users to create a digital identity, which can be used to access a range of government services, such as applying for permits and licenses.
• Government Services: The app provides access to a wide range of government services, including payment of fines, renewal of passports, and booking of government facilities.
• Feedback and Reporting: The app allows citizens to provide feedback and report issues such as broken public facilities or incidents of littering.
• Personalized Information: The app provides personalized information based on the user's location and interests, such as news and events happening in the user's vicinity.
• Emergency Information: The app provides real-time updates on emergencies and incidents happening in the user's area, such as traffic accidents or natural disasters.

Overall, the Smart Nation app is an important tool for citizens of Singapore to stay connected with their government and access important services and information.

#4. Supporting business

Singapore’s Punggol Digital District merges the Singapore Institute of Technology with a business park. This district aims to foster development in cybersecurity and IoT technologies by enabling better integration between industry and academia. A data-sharing collaborative, the Data Innovation Programme Office, has also been established, to encourage transparent business interactions. And businesses that transact directly with the government can now do so through CorpPass, an online hub that enhances what the city calls “cyber hygiene”.

#5. Learning to be smart

Singapore is educating using artificial intelligence, under its TechSkills Accelerator programme, Two initiatives – AI for Everyone and AI for Industry – led by AI Singapore – will support the upskilling of 12,000 professionals and students in AI.

#6. Singapore’s Virtual Twin

One of the most groundbreaking innovations in the creation of Virtual Singapore, the world’s first national-scale digital twin. This high-resolution, data-rich 3D model of the city integrates real-time data on buildings, infrastructure, population movements, and environmental factors, providing a powerful tool for urban planning and management. Virtual Singapore enables simulations for sustainable development, emergency response, and infrastructure optimization, allowing government agencies, urban planners, and researchers to test various scenarios and make data-driven decisions.

The platform also fosters collaboration across public and private sectors, improving infrastructure management, disaster preparedness, and urban growth strategies. With continuous updates, Virtual Singapore is set to remain a dynamic resource for managing the city’s evolution, ensuring that Singapore stays at the forefront of smart city innovation.

The city also has a digital national identity system, a Smart National Sensor Platform. These initiatives encourage citizens to be part of the change towards the city becoming “digitally ready”, and proactively spearhead this movement.