Singapore planning to Boost Research and Development

Singapore is working towards pumping more money to boost research and development efforts in three main areas - digital technologies, cell therapy manufacturing and food security.

The National Research Foundation (NRF) said the additional investments will build on the 'good progress' made under the Research, Innovation, and Enterprise 2020 (RIE2020) plan. This is a $19 billion initiative which was launched in 2016.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the elements of research, innovation and enterprise are critical to Singapore's development. "We must and we will continue to invest in science, technology and innovation in a balanced, sustained and sustainable manner. This is in order to keep Singapore competitive and relevant globally and seed exciting new opportunities for our future economy." Loong said they are on the right track but making fine-tuning adjustments to the plans. He added that the Government will invest an additional $500 million under the RIE2020 plan to strengthen digital technologies and automation expertise.

Moreover, the National Robotics Programme will be boosted with $41 million to deploy more robotics technology. The remaining funds will help expand existing programmes like AI Singapore and foster new capabilities in digital trust, the social science of digital technologies and computational law.