Opening Address at Geo Connect Asia 2025

by Mr. Yeoh Oon Jin, Chairman, Singapore Land Authority

Introductions

1. A very good morning to:

a. His Excellency, Dr. Mohammed Al-Sayel, President of the General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Chairman of the United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management: Arab States;

b. Mr Rupert Owen, Co-Founder of Geo Connect Asia, Montgomery Asia;

c. Distinguished guests, ladies, and gentlemen.

2. A warm welcome to Geo Connect Asia 2025. A special thank you to our international guests who have joined us in Singapore. Over the next two days, we have an exciting programme that will showcase the transformative power of geospatial technology and its growing impact across many sectors.

3. I would also like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Rupert and his team on the 5th edition of Geo Connect Asia. The Singapore Land Authority or SLA deeply values our strategic partnership. Together, we have positioned Singapore as a hub for geospatial thought-leadership and collaboration in ASEAN and beyond.

Advancing the Singapore Geospatial Master Plan 

4. At last year’s Geo Connect Asia, Minister Edwin Tong launched the Singapore Geospatial Master Plan. Co-developed by SLA and the Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore, this strategic roadmap focuses on three key pillars: Mainstreaming, Deepening Capabilities, and Going Global. Over the past year, we have made significant progress across all three areas.

Mainstreaming

5. Firstly, on mainstreaming, we have intensified efforts to proliferate the usage of geospatial applications, especially in the social and healthcare domains. Today, I will highlight two major initiatives that exemplify this effort: the expansions of the Living Asset Map and the Barrier-Free Access mapping project. 

6. The Living Asset MaP or LAMP, developed in partnership with SingHealth Community Hospitals or SCH, and supported by the Ministry of Health Office for Healthcare Transformation. LAMP is a groundbreaking application of geospatial technology that supports social prescribing. It connects individuals to community resources and wellness activities, such as Taichi, gardening, and even painting classes, helping our patients and seniors discover activities near them to improve their health and wellbeing.

7. I am pleased to announce that LAMP will expand from its pilot phase in Sengkang to eight precincts across Singapore. This expansion marks a significant step in scaling social prescribing efforts, especially as Singapore ages and preventive health becomes increasingly critical under HealthierSG. 

8. LAMP has already gained notable accolades, including the ESRI Geo-Innovation Award. Last year, SCH was appointed as the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Social Prescribing – the first of its kind in the world. SCH also received the National Community Care Excellence Team Award under the Ministry of Health’s National Medical Excellence Awards for its social prescribing effort. I encourage you to visit the exhibition area later to try out LAMP and see it in action. 

9. Second, the Barrier-Free Access or BFA mapping project aims to improve mobility for persons with disabilities. By mapping accessible pathways, ramps, lifts, and other barrier-free infrastructure, this project leverages OneMap, Singapore’s authoritative national map, to provide routing for wheelchair users. This will empower them to move around our city safely and independently.

10. Today, I am pleased to announce a significant expansion of the BFA mapping project. We are increasing the coverage fivefold, from about 1,000 km to an additional 5,000 km, mapping even more accessible pathways and infrastructure across Singapore. This expansion is a major step forward in our goal to build a more inclusive and barrier-free Singapore, providing routing solutions for those who need them the most.

11. To support this ambitious expansion, a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding or MOU was signed in November 2024 between SG Enable, the Real Estate Developers’ Association of Singapore or REDAS, and SLA. Under this partnership, SLA will lead the OneMap BFA project, integrating data from properties owned by REDAS members into OneMap’s routing algorithm. SG Enable will provide expertise on accessible design and REDAS will galvanise its members in identifying suitable properties for mapping. This collaboration underscores the importance of public-private-people partnerships in building an inclusive Singapore, where no one is left behind.

Deepening Capabilities

12. While mainstreaming geospatial applications is crucial, we remain committed to deepening our capabilities through talent development, research and innovation.

13. The Built Environment sector is rapidly evolving, driven by Singapore’s Smart Nation efforts. As we advance our digital twin capabilities, we face a growing demand for local expertise in geomatics and surveying. To deep-dive into the latest developments in these important capabilities, you can learn from experts in these fields at our Digital Underground Connect event and the Aerial Mapping Workshop later today.

14. Talent development begins with our youths. I am encouraged by the enthusiasm shown in this year’s ASEAN Geospatial Challenge, which attracted more than 100 participants from 21 Institutes of Higher Learning. Similarly, the Map Our World Challenge has continued to inspire young minds, with two outstanding teams distinguishing themselves in a Sustainability-focused mapping competition. I would like to acknowledge the vital role played by our industry partners in supporting these initiatives. Your support exemplifies the spirit of partnership that drives our nation forward.  We will shortly celebrate the achievements of our young innovators. Congratulations to the winning teams!

15. In February, SLA partnered with the Office for Space Technology and Industry, or OSTIn under the Economic Development Board, and the National University of Singapore’s Centre for Remote Imaging, Sensing and Processing, or CRISP, to enhance geospatial capabilities for environmental monitoring. Our collaboration with OSTIn will enhance the use of satellite data for tracking coastline changes, advancing climate change monitoring and mitigation efforts in the region. Concurrently, our partnership with NUS CRISP will leverage SLA’s 3D mapping data and CRISP’s expertise to develop innovative solutions for national mapping, carbon biomass research, and geospatial analytics. 

Going Global

16.       Geospatial challenges are global, and our collaborations must extend beyond Singapore. SLA has been strengthening international partnerships, including an ongoing collaboration with the General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information of Saudi Arabia. Both countries are exchanging insights on developing robust geospatial ecosystems to enable the development of smart, sustainable and data-driven cities. 

17. As part of our commitment to international collaboration, SLA will shortly be signing the Multilateral MOU with the United Nations Global Geodetic Centre of Excellence and other Member States and institutions. This MOU will reinforce Singapore’s support to strengthening critical global geodetic infrastructure to enable essential global services and sustainable development. Through this collaboration, SLA will contribute expertise to international geodetic efforts, and at the same time enhance our national capabilities to better support climate resilience and coastal protection initiatives. 

18. In this same context, we signed an MOU with Delft University of Technology to enhance geodetic infrastructure for monitoring land motion and sea-level rise. A key collaboration, the “3 Sisters” project, brings together geodetic expertise of Indonesia, Netherlands and Singapore to develop a Dynamic Digital Elevation Model. Though geographically apart, these three nations share a common challenge: coastal vulnerability. This model will allow researchers to analyse and track land elevation changes more accurately over time, and support initiatives to strengthen climate resilience.

19. Yesterday, SLA hosted the 6th Informal Meeting of ASEAN Geospatial Agencies. We had productive discussions with our ASEAN counterparts, sharing key geospatial developments to foster mutual learning and strengthen collaborations. I would like to acknowledge the contributions of our ASEAN partners in advancing geospatial efforts across the region. We look forward to deepening our partnerships and growing our geospatial capabilities together.

Closing

20. While we have gained momentum in mainstreaming, deepening capabilities and strengthening international connections, we are still at the beginning of the journey. I am a firm believer in the power of collaborations between the public, private and people sectors to shape a brighter future for all.

21. As a Strategic Partner of Geo Connect Asia, SLA is proud to support this platform for thought leadership and industry collaboration.  Over the next two days, I hope that all of you will engage deeply, share insights, and forge new partnerships. Thank you all for joining us today and I look forward to an enriching conference ahead.