Media

 

The Singapore Government has announced that it will invest more than S$1 billion between 2025 and 2030 into the National AI Research and Development (R&D) Plan, doubling the funding allocated in the previous five-year period. The objective is to strengthen Singapore’s research leadership in artificial intelligence, establish world-class centres of excellence, and attract and develop top-tier talent.

Key Investment Priorities

 

The new funding will focus on three strategic pillars:

• Fundamental Research

Centres of excellence will be established within public research institutions to advance frontier AI research, reduce computational resource intensity, and address AI safety and risk management.

• Applied Research

Research outcomes will be translated into practical, real-world solutions, accelerating the commercial and societal impact of AI technologies.

• Talent Development

Initiatives will aim to inspire students, support early-career researchers, and foster deep collaboration with leading international scholars.

Since 2024, the government has invited eight world-class AI scholars through its AI Visiting Professorship Programme, including professors from Stanford University, the University of Oxford, and the University of Tokyo, bringing global academic networks and perspectives into Singapore’s AI ecosystem.

Singapore currently hosts more than 70 data centres with over 1.4 gigawatts of total computing capacity, providing a strong backbone for AI development. An additional 50% capacity has been reserved for future expansion, while carefully balancing energy and carbon-emission considerations. As part of Singapore’s National AI Strategy 2.0, the country is positioning itself as both a global AI innovation hub and a secure, stable “safe harbour” for AI research and development.

Professor Mohan, Director of the NUS Institute of Artificial Intelligence, noted:

“Although Singapore is small, we have a clear advantage in the quality of our AI research. Small teams can deliver more and better outcomes — what matters most is talent and infrastructure.”

Over the next five years, this investment will further strengthen Singapore’s competitiveness within the global AI research ecosystem.

SIG Global Analysis

 

Doubling Down on Quality, Not Scale

The global AI race has entered an era of massive capital spending and computing power. While the United States and China dominate in sheer scale, Singapore has made a deliberate strategic choice: not to compete head-on in raw computing power, but to lead in research depth, safety and trust.

Its priorities are clear:

• Fundamental research focused on lower energy consumption, AI safety and risk governance

• Small, high-impact research teams with strong output efficiency

From Recruiting Experts to Building an Ecosystem

Singapore’s international talent strategy is undergoing a visible upgrade. The AI Visiting Professorship Programme is not about inviting ordinary scholars — it targets leading institutions such as Stanford, Oxford and the University of Tokyo, integrating the world’s top academic networks directly into the local ecosystem.

This sends three powerful signals:

• Singapore is not merely seeking project-based collaboration, but embedding global academic networks locally

• It offers institutional stability, research freedom and strong funding to offset geopolitical uncertainty

• It is building a full talent pipeline — from students and young researchers to long-term international partnerships

This makes Singapore highly attractive to researchers across Asia and globally.

Computing Power, Energy and Carbon: Designing for Sustainable AI

With over 70 data centres, 1.4 GW of computing capacity and 50% reserved for future expansion, Singapore is making a strategic move by simultaneously emphasising energy efficiency and carbon management.

This reflects a distinctly Singaporean approach:

• AI development is treated as national-level infrastructure

• The country avoids the “develop first, regulate later” model

• Green AI and low-energy AI are positioned as both research priorities and competitive advantages

This will be especially valuable for cross-border research projects and compliance-sensitive AI deployments.

As the global AI landscape increasingly divides into “compute power hubs”, “application hubs” and “trusted research hubs”, Singapore is firmly betting on the third path — leveraging institutions, talent and fundamental research to build a secure, credible and irreplaceable AI R&D centre for the world.