Opening Address at Geo Connect Asia 2024

by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law Edwin Tong SC

Good morning everyone

Mr Yeoh Oon Jin
Chairman, Singapore Land Authority

Associate Professor Gan Wee Hoe
Chief Executive Officer, SingHealth Community Hospitals

Dr Tan Weng Mooi
Director (Integrated Health Promotion), MOH Office for Healthcare Transformation (MOHT)

Distinguished guests

Ladies and gentlemen

Introduction

1. I want to start by welcoming everyone here to Geo Connect Asia 2024. I see so many attendees here, people standing behind, it is a really packed auditorium. I also want to extend a really warm welcome to all our guests from overseas, making a trip here to Singapore, coming to us, networking with us here but also sharing your knowledge and exchanging thought leadership. I share Rupert’s point that there is nothing like face-to-face, in-person conversations that really bring the whole industry up together.

2. This year’s conference theme is “Geospatial Driven Impacts: Underground, Land & Sea to Sky”. I think there is nothing more comprehensive than land, sea and sky. It also aptly encapsulates how advancements in geospatial technologies and applications are becoming more and more connected, more and more intertwined, interdependent and relying on one another, relying on the knowledge and data of one another, infused into everyday life and into our economy.

3. It is therefore important that we have a very clear strategy to harness the full potential of this geospatial technology to support both social as well as economic development.

Singapore Geospatial Master Plan: A Leading Global Geospatial Hub

4. In this regard, Singapore has taken several steps.

5. I thought this morning I will announce the launch of the refreshed Singapore Geospatial Master Plan 2024 – 2033, and also share with you our overall strategy because this master plan charts our course towards positioning Singapore as a leading global geospatial hub over the next decade. As the earlier speakers have said, with the advent of Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) and emerging technologies, we expect that the growth in the next 10 years will be exponential. This geospatial master plan is jointly developed by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) and the Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). Among other things, the Master Plan recognises the interconnectedness of marine and terrestrial data to address the unique challenges that Singapore faces as a small island-nation.

6. The Master Plan outlines three key strategies for geospatial development over the next decade – they are Mainstreaming, Deepening Capabilities and Going Global. I thought I will spend this morning speaking to you about what each of these pillars and our strategies mean to us, and what we intend to be doing on each of these pillars.

Mainstreaming

7. First, on mainstreaming – by reaching out to both traditional as well as non-traditional user segments, SLA works closely with partners to embed the adoption of geospatial technology and solutions in mainstream society.

8. Geospatial solutions can bring about significant tangible benefits to sectors like social and healthcare, and support our national initiatives like:

(1) The Enabling Masterplan 2030, which sets out Singapore’s vision to make Singapore a more inclusive, truly inclusive, society; or

(2) Our national plan, HealthierSG. HealthierSG means Healthier Singapore, which is our national initiative focusing on upstream preventive healthcare - to look at healthcare as really preserving well-being, and not just looking after those who are not well.

9. For the Enabling Masterplan 2030, SLA has been collaborating with partners like SG Enable to collect and map barrier-free navigation features under the Barrier-Free Accessibility (BFA) initiative.

10. I am happy to share that the BFA routing feature is being launched on SLA’s OneMap today. Users will be able to access detailed point-to-point navigation via barrier-free pathways in nine planning areas. These areas include popular spaces like Gardens by the Bay and Orchard Road, and these routes cover about 1,100 kilometres. That is many, many times around Singapore. For those of you who are not so familiar with Singapore, you cannot quite travel for more than 50 kilometres in the same direction anywhere without falling into the ocean. So, 1,100 kilometres is quite a feat.

11. This route has been piloted with over 100 wheelchair users, providing direct feedback to further improve the routes. Over time, the more users there are, the more feedback there is, it becomes iterative and much better. SLA will continue to gather feedback to refine the routes, work to expand the BFA routes, such as around the key public transportation nodes. Ultimately, we hope that geospatial applications will enable a far more accessible and inclusive environment for all.

12. Next, healthcare is another area with significant potential for geospatial innovation.

13. I am very happy to see that we will be the signing the MOUs between SLA and two key healthcare stakeholders today.

14. These MOUs are important because they mark collaborations between SLA and key partners to leverage geospatial information and technologies, to create real, tangible value to improve the lives of end users – every one of us, individuals like you and I, as we make our way through society, and through the various industries and economy.

15. The MOU between SLA and the MOH Office for Healthcare Transformation (MOHT) is aimed at enhancing the Digital Local Connect (DLC) initiative. DLC, led by MOHT, is a precinct-based digital resource guide designed to facilitate access to health and social services. SLA is developing a web-based map service for DLC, to consolidate crucial location information on health and social services across five identified precincts. By supporting residents in accessing and navigating the care that they need, this initiative helps to foster a greater, stronger healthcare initiative within our communities.

16. The second MOU between SLA and SingHealth Community Hospitals involves co-developing a living asset map tailored for “social prescribing”, and that is really in support of HealthierSG. “Social prescribing” is a healthcare paradigm that promotes a more holistic approach to health. It provides individuals with a range of non-clinical community resources to support holistic health and well-being. In this regard, geospatial capabilities is really an excellent enabler.

(1) Under this MOU, SLA will be collaborating with SingHealth Community Hospitals and various community volunteers to map out the location of community assets and activities. This could include informal group activities like Tai Chi in the morning for example – very popular with the seniors, or Zumba – very popular with all of us, which may take place in locations where we do not identify by a map or in any formal way, but by word-of-mouth because we know where in the neighbourhood is a popular space for such activities to take place. The web map showing the mapped assets will support healthcare providers and community partners in connecting their patients with suitable well-being opportunities, around the estate where they live, as part of the social prescribing process.

(2) We know that sustaining good health is a lot more than just what happens in the hospitals and clinics. It is about the everyday choices that we make, our behaviour patterns, whether we are socially active, whether we are seeing friends recreationally from around our estate, making sure that our social and mental well-being is preserved. So I hope that using geospatial tools to support social prescribing will enable more Singaporeans to lead healthier and more active lives.

Deepening Capabilities

17. The second strategy under the Master Plan is about deepening our core geospatial capabilities in support of our national needs, both in terms of data, as well as human capital.

18. SLA is developing and refreshing geospatial datasets in both the land and sea domains. These datasets, as I mentioned earlier, are important to meet national needs and help us address complex challenges like climate change.

19. Under the National 3D Mapping Programme, SLA has been creating and maintaining authoritative 3D maps since 2012.

20. This year, SLA will conduct the third nationwide aerial mapping exercise to refresh our 3D models. Reliable 3D data underpins applications that are fundamental to urban planning, coastal protection and national security. For example, it enables our urban planners and our national planners to simulate the impact of new developments in the space within the community. It also allows the facilitation and the identification of obstacles near airports, for example, or key installations to improve flight safety and other national interests.

21. Marine geospatial data from GeoSpace-Sea is used to support various efforts to better mitigate the impacts of climate change in Singapore.

(1) To give you an example, the Centre for Climate Research Singapore, under the National Environment Agency (NEA), uses tidal data from GeoSpace-Sea to study the possible impacts of sea level rise on Singapore under the National Sea Level Programme.

(2) PUB, Singapore’s national water agency, also taps on GeoSpace-Sea’s data to support the development of coastal protection plans, and analyses the adequacy of existing coastal protection measures.

22. Indeed, the marine and maritime domains are exciting new frontiers for geospatial innovation. Therefore, this year’s Geo Connect theme of “Underground, Land & Sea to Sky”, in my view, really brings this out nicely. Through close collaboration between stakeholders, both from the public and private sectors, we can push boundaries and develop innovative solutions in all of these frontiers, as we push the envelope up, down, across and in the ocean as well.

23. I am happy to hear that to enhance situational awareness and incident response, our Maritime & Port Authority (MPA) is developing and integrating multi-domain capabilities.

24. Many of these involve geospatial data and technology, and extend across the sub-sea, air, space, cyber and sustainability domains.

(1) First, in the sub-sea domain, MPA is working with BeeX, a deep tech engineering spin-off from the National University of Singapore (NUS), to enhance underwater operations of remotely-controlled and remotely-operated vessels by using geospatial data.

(2) Next, in the sea domain, MPA is using geospatial data with AI tools to improve efficiency at the port. These technologies allow MPA to implement the active anchorage management system to maximise the use of limited anchorage space within the port.

(3) Finally, in the air domain, MPA is exploring the use of geospatial data to increase the safety of delivery drones landing on vessels. These drones deliver important goods such as medicine as well as spare parts to the vessels.

25. Data, technologies, infrastructure – all crucial, but I would say investing in our people, and nurturing that talent pipeline is perhaps as important, if not, even more important. Because ultimately, people drive technology, people use technology and build infrastructure. We need to build a pipeline of geospatial specialists to support the geospatial sector not just for today, but for tomorrow, in the 10 years that I spoke about, and beyond.

26. Given that this is an area of growth in the future, SLA seeks to create various opportunities for students across the different ages to interact with geospatial data, get familiar with it, get comfortable with it, make it native, and cultivate an interest from a very young age. Earlier, Chairman of SLA, Mr Yeoh, shared about opportunities for students, such as the “Map Our World” programme.

27. At the same time, in a growing area like geospatial, we need to meet the current, as well as the anticipated future and growing demand for geospatial knowledge and skillsets by developing industry-relevant course offerings to cater also to adult learners.

28. SLA is working with key partners to provide more opportunities for mid-career professionals to make that shift into the geospatial technologies and industries.

(1) For example, SLA signed an MOU with NUS to develop geospatial certifications and courses for working adults last year. The first intake for the Graduate Certificate in Applied Geographic Information Systems was in August last year.

(2) This year, NUS is developing its first Geospatial Professional Certificate, which will provide introductory training in geospatial applications and geospatial data management and analytics.

(3) All of these are skillsets that we will need if we are to power the geospatial industry and to really make a mark in that 10 years in our Master Plan. Whether you are a fresh graduate or a mid-career professional in the geospatial industry looking to deepen your skills, or just someone looking to make a mid-career transition into the geospatial industry, there is going to be something for you and we hope that you will be able to find a course offering across that spectrum that will meet your needs.

Going Global

29. Finally, let me speak about our third strategy under the Master Plan. Singapore will continue to contribute to geospatial development on the global stage. This is important because we all know that this is a new developing nascent area, where exchange of information will allow us all, as a group to level up.

30. Collaborating with partners beyond our shores will allow us to unlock new opportunities and reach the full potential of geospatial technologies for all our mutual benefit.

31. The United Nations (UN) has recognised geospatial as an essential tool for addressing global issues as well as spurring national development.

32. Singapore has and will continue to exercise thought leadership and participate actively in various international forums and initiatives.

33. Indeed, representatives of Singapore have been appointed as Co-chair of the UN Expert Group on Land Administration & Management, as the Vice-President for the Regional Committee of UN Global Geospatial Information Management or the UN-GGIM for Asia-Pacific, and also Co-chair of the UN-GGIM Working Group on Marine Geospatial Information. This is our way of giving back to the community, sharing, tapping into multinational international networks, sharing our information, but also learning from one another in the international space.

34. These platforms provide opportunities for deep knowledge-sharing, experience building as well as community-building, which are all crucial to foster more fruitful collaborations. I would say to add to Rupert’s point earlier, a forum like Geo Connect Asia, is only as good as the participants who are here. We are only as strong as a number of countries who come, share your knowledge, share your experience, give us your view on what some best practices might be, for us all to level up at this forum.

35. It goes without saying that today, countries are actively exchanging knowledge, sharing best practices, and really wanting to level up and gain knowledge from one another. Because the stronger you have input into datasets, the more we can refine the way in which we apply that data. Ultimately, all users benefit. So I look forward to a lot more collaborations sparked off by Geo Connect Asia.

Closing

36. Let me now come to a close with a few quick closing remarks. First, I would like to thank all our partners who contributed to the development of the Singapore Geospatial Master Plan. All of you, in different forms, with the different experiences, different industries, bring new, fresh and valuable perspectives to the table. Collectively, these ideas and these perspectives shape not only the Master Plan, but also the future of geospatial development in Singapore.

37. The Singapore Geospatial Master Plan is not a static document. It is not a master plan that we design in 2024 and we expect to execute for the next 10 years until 2033. But instead, it is a living document that requires continuous updating, continuous innovation, as well as collective action. So, as we embark on our journey towards establishing Singapore as a leading global geospatial hub in the next decade, I invite everyone here to share your ideas, and participate actively and freely in the implementation.

38. I am sure that everyone is also looking forward to the curated talks, specialised panel discussions, as well as the exhibitions out there, lined up over the next two days. I hope that you will gain insights, develop fresh perspectives, learn innovative applications for geospatial, but also build and strengthen networks. Take time to network over a coffee, over lunch, at the Gardens by the bay and other areas that we have to offer. Build contacts and build networks because this will be fundamental and really important as we develop and build upon each other’s thought leadership in both the local as well as the international geospatial community.

39. On that note, I wish everyone a very meaningful, productive, as well as innovative time ahead.

40. Thank you, everyone.