Singapore Invests Close to S$300 million in National Quantum Strategy and Announces Green Data Centre Roadmap for Sustainable Growth

Singapore also released the finalised Model Governance Framework for GenAI and announced that it is working with fellow small state Rwanda on an AI Governance Playbook for Small States

Mr Heng Swee Keat, Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the National Research Foundation NRF, outlined an investment of close to S$300 million into Singapore’s National Quantum Strategy (NQS) to advance Singapore’s growing Quantum industry. This investment will strengthen the nation’s position as a leading hub in the development and deployment of quantum technologies over the next five years. DPM Heng also launched the Green Data Centre (DC) Roadmap to guide digital sustainability and chart green growth pathways for DCs, supporting AI and compute developments. For AI, DPM Heng announced the release of the Model AI Governance Framework (Generative AI), as well as the development of the Digital Forum for Small States (DFOSS) AI Governance Playbook with Rwanda to advance AI safety. 

The NQS will focus on four funding initiatives, namely:  

1. The Centre for Quantum Technologies (CQT), a research centre of excellence hosted by the National University of Singapore, will be elevated to a flagship national research centre.
2. New National Quantum Sensor Programme established under Quantum Engineering Programme 3.0 (QEP 3.0), while existing national-level quantum programmes will enhance their current suite of capabilities to meet industry needs.
3. New National Quantum Processor Initiative (NQPI) set up to enable Singapore to design and build its own practical quantum processor.
4. The National Quantum Scholarships Scheme (NQSS) will be launched to develop Singapore’s talent pipeline in quantum research & development (R&D).

Dr Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information shared how Singapore is taking the lead in ensuring the long-term sustainable growth of DCs with the Green DC Roadmap. The Roadmap aims to provide at least 300 megawatts of additional capacity in the near term, with much more through green energy deployments. The additional capacity is aimed at seeding innovative ways to accelerate energy efficiency, as well as hybrid ways to unlock further capacity through green energy.

The Roadmap also outlines IMDA’s plans to partner the industry to push boundaries and accelerate DC sustainability on two fronts:

1. Accelerate DC’s energy efficiency at hardware and software levels and allow industry and end-users to put in place best-in-class technologies to maximise efficiency, capacity and economic potential.
2. Accelerate DCs’ use of green energy to expand capacity, and explore how we can deploy this at scale over time to maximise space for continued DCs’ growth

Singapore has been actively contributing to global AI safety discussions through initiatives like the Model AI Governance Framework (Generative AI) and the Digital Forum of Small States (DFOSS). The Model AI Governance Framework (Gen AI) is the first comprehensive framework that consolidates global conversation AI governance.