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Huawei’s inaugural Innovation Day Asia which was held in partnership with the National University of Singapore (NUS), attracted over 150 regional government officials, media members as well as experts from universities and research institutions. Themed “Building Innovation Ecosystems for a Better Connected Asia”, the event served as a relevant forum for various parties to discuss how ICT technologies can make Asian cities smarter.
During his opening address at the event, Minister of Trade and Industry, S. Iswaran acknowledged that the forum came at a timely juncture given Asia’s rapid urbanisation, growing urban population and Singapore’s focus on innovation as basis for a value-creation economy.
“Technological innovation will have a profound impact on the nature of jobs, as the viability of business models, and the structure of economies. Smart cities have the potential to transform cities, improve the living environment for citizens and create new and fulfilling jobs,” he also said.
S. Iswaran
For Singapore, which officially announced their smart nation ambitions over a year ago, Iswaran noted that every country must assess and ensure an environment that can nurture and foster open innovation. “These are some issues that countries must consider in the months ahead.
“Singapore can consider this from a position of strength, building upon our past effort,” Iswaran said.
Overall, the minister stressed the need for smart city solutions in Asia, as it provides exciting opportunities for businesses and people in Asia.
Big data, big deal
The latest Huawei Global Connectivity Index 2014 has shown that ICT infrastructure is pivotal to national competitiveness. An estimated 20 percent increase in ICT investment will increase a country’s GDP by 1 percent and big data plays an integral role in building smart cities.
Huawei President in Asia Pacific, Li Jin Ge said, “ICT technologies, particularly broadband, cloud computing, big data and the Internet of Things, is already driving the digitisation of all industries. These technologies are also promoting improvements in planning and construction, management and operations, livable environments and human touch in cities around the world.”
Many cities, such as New York, Dubuque, Chicago, Seattle, London, Copenhagen, Lyon, Barcelona, Santander, Amsterdam, and Singapore, have taken the lead in launching mega city initiatives.
MIMOS’ Senior Director of Wireless Software Development Lab, Boon Choong Foo emphasised on connectivity, commenting that, “It is essentially before data can be collected and analysed, and before any valuable service can be offered.
“So you need the (ICT) infrastructure to collect data. It’s a total ecosystem to deliver value – from devices, sensors, all the way to applications.
“It’s a total ecosystem to deliver value. From device, sensors all the way to application.”
At MIMOS, one of the projects Boon works on, is the IoT (Internet of Things) enablement platform. It is part of the IoT open innovation framework that MIMOS offers to enable IoT businesses and solutions.
(This journalist is a guest of Huawei’s to their Innovation Day Asia summit in Singapore).
