Amazon Web Services and Digital Industry Singapore launch programme to spur AI transformation

Amazon Web Services (AWS) and government agency Digital Industry Singapore (DISG) on Thursday (Jun 26) launched a programme to accelerate artificial intelligence (AI) transformation among enterprises over the next year.

The initiative, called AI Springboard, will provide some 300 Singapore-based companies with up to S$600,000 in Amazon cloud credits and training support.

AWS is the cloud computing unit of Amazon, and DISG is a joint office between the Economic Development Board, Enterprise Singapore and the Infocomm Media Development Authority.

Participating companies will receive a maximum baseline of S$350,000 in cloud credits and training support. They will also work with AWS’ consultancy partners – such as AI firm AiRTS and digital transformation solutions provider Temus – to develop AI solutions.

Once there is a proof of concept or minimum viable product, up to S$100,000 of the dedicated credits will be disbursed. More support worth up to S$250,000 will be released when these ideas are then scaled to production.

Companies can also tap additional support, including another S$250,000 in credits to help them offset the costs of moving workloads to the cloud, as well as technical and financial aid. These extra resources will be awarded on a case-by-case basis.

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The Singapore government will cover 70 per cent of consultancy costs, capped at S$105,000 for each enterprise.

The programme is open to Singapore-registered companies across all sectors, subject to the Enterprise Compute Initiative’s (ECI) eligibility criteria, such as “experience in building a custom AI solution for a proof of concept”, AWS said in a press release.

Announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in Budget 2025, the ECI helps companies access AI tools and computing power.

AI Springboard is the second ECI programme. The first, AI Cloud Takeoff, was launched on Jun 13 by Google Cloud and DISG, and grants participating companies up to S$500,000 in financial incentives.

Tacking sectoral challenges

AWS also announced the launch of its innovation hub on Thursday.

Set within the company’s Asia-Pacific headquarters in IOI Central Boulevard Towers, the 8,000-square-foot facility features more than 30 use cases for cloud technology, including in industries such as manufacturing and agriculture.

Through the hub, AWS said it aims to engage over a thousand C-suite leaders and business decision-makers each year. It will also provide tertiary education students with exclusive learning experiences.

The “multimillion-dollar” facility follows AWS’ commitment to invest US$9 billion into Singapore’s cloud infrastructure by 2028. AI Springboard participants will also gain access to the innovation hub.

Speaking at the launch, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry Low Yen Ling said that AWS’ new initiatives will enable Singapore businesses to harness AI to become more competitive, enhance their products and services, as well as create better jobs.

Besides “featuring success stories from Singapore”, the new innovation hub will develop solutions that “address sectoral challenges faced by our businesses and unlock new opportunities for growth”, she added.