SINGAPORE – Two cyber-security centres will be set up at local universities and receive $110 million in funding as part of a plan to grow Singapore as a cyber-security hub, Minister for Communications and Information Josephine Teo announced on Friday.
Mrs Teo, who is also Minister-in-charge of Smart Nation and Cyber security, was speaking at the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) Cybersecurity Innovation Day, which was held at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre.
The funding, she said, will support a centre at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) tasked with researching cyber threats to the nation, and a facility at the National University of Singapore (NUS) that will focus on nurturing talent and collaborating with businesses and industry players.
She added that the plan seeks to help Singapore establish itself in the digital economy market, which is expected to triple to some $1.3 trillion within the region by 2030, according to the Boston Consulting Group.
The cyber-security workforce here tripled to 12,000 people between 2016 and 2022, and is expected to grow further, she said.
“As long as our regional digital economy grows, there will be a corresponding need for better cyber-security measures to keep our digital systems safe… Singapore is home to a vibrant innovation ecosystem. Companies looking to innovate need talent, technology, an addressable market and access to funding, and Singapore has all of these attributes,” said Mrs Teo.
“With our efforts to grow our local cyber-security ecosystem, we will be strengthening this position, and in time fortify our ambition as the cyber-security hub in this region.”
The research and development office at NTU – the first of its kind in South-east Asia – will be funded to the tune of $62 million. It will bring together experts from major universities and research institutions to study cyber threats.
The office will manage grants for new cyber-security projects and will focus on threats tied to artificial intelligence (AI), data privacy and other matters, said Professor Liu Yang, the centre’s executive director.
The centre will work closely with NUS, which is being funded to establish the CyberSG Talent, Innovation and Growth Collaboration Centre.
It will focus on grooming more professionals through grants and training programmes, and help companies here find business opportunities by identifying the cyber-security needs of the market.
