A crowdsourcing tool for solving business problems, the Open Innovation Platform (OIP) connects Problem Owners and Problem Solvers launched by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) with the aim of providing businesses based in Singapore access to multidisciplinary talent, knowledge, and technology to accelerate their digitalization efforts.
A physical innovation facility that can support rapid prototyping and other innovation activities, as well as a structured innovation process from ideation to commercialization, supports this platform.
IMDA’s OIP, now in its fifth year and involving 12,000 solution providers and more than 300 problem statements, aims to connect technology companies with organizations that can use new technologies. .
Businesses benefit from game-changing solutions, and passionate innovators gain experience working with dynamic organizations such as a wildlife reserve group. With the help of IMDA OIP, the organization was able to use new technology to support different stages of its operations.
The reserve group was able to connect technology companies through the program to create new solutions and improve park operations. These solutions include an intelligent aviary mesh inspection system, environmental monitoring devices, animal monitoring devices, and a staff food delivery system that operates autonomously.
Although these new technologies are still in the proof-of-concept stage, they are expected to improve the park’s operational efficiency and employee productivity.
In addition, IMDA issues OIP’s Innovation Calls every few months, with each Innovation Call containing a set of business challenges from various Problem Owners. Each challenge is accompanied by monetary prizes for the winning solutions, which will be selected based on the criteria of the Problem Owners.
The Problem Owner suggests the challenge category, which is then published along with a description of each problem statement.
The two main types of challenges are:
- Proof-of-Concept (POC) This requires demonstrating the technical feasibility of concepts or parts of the proposed solution in a lab setting or as a standalone exercise.
- Prototype This requires testing a working prototype in an intended or simulated environment, as well as scaling up the prototype in a pilot.
For both types of challenges, the winning Problem Solver can continue to develop, commercialize, and deploy the solution beyond the OIP.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) and its statutory boards, as well as the Smart Nation Digital Government Group (SNDGG), awarded scholarships to 107 recipients.
This is the first joint scholarship award ceremony hosted by the MCI and SNDGG families, both under the portfolio of Josephine Teo, Minister of Communications and Information – who is also the Minister-in-Charge of Cyber Security Agency and Smart Nation Initiative.
The scholarships are part of a larger effort to develop talent in technology, media, library and archive services, communications, and translation. Six scholarships were awarded.
- IMDA SG Digital Leaders
- IMDA SG Digital Scholarship
- Smart Nation Scholarship
- MCI Information Service and Translation Scholarship
- MCI Postgraduate Scholarship
- NLB Scholarship
Minister Teo announced IMDA’s new SG Digital Leadership Accelerator at the recent joint scholarship awards ceremony, with the aim of developing a strong and sustainable local core of digital leaders to Singapore’s digital future will be encouraged.
To accelerate their development, IMDA will open doors of opportunities for them to connect with other leaders, learn from the best in the industry, and ensure mentorship and career coaching throughout their journey to professional leadership.
IMDA has also added a new focus area to the SG Digital Scholarship to develop world-class translational research capabilities in future communications. Post-graduate local students will be given additional support to pursue research and translation projects related to future communication technologies such as 5G and beyond.
