EDB to help 300 companies adopt new technologies
(Fifth from left) Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry Koh Poh Koon, along with representative from the Economic Development Board, SPRING and trade associations, launching the second phase of the Singapore Smart Industry Readiness Index on Thursday, March 22, 2018. Photo: Louisa Tang/TODAY
SINGAPORE — Three hundred companies will be getting help from the Government to transform their manufacturing facilities and pinpoint how they can do so, announced Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry Koh Poh Koon on Thursday (March 22).
This will be done based on the Singapore Smart Industry Readiness Index, a diagnostic tool launched in November last year.
Developed by the Economic Development Board in partnership with TÜV SÜD, the index allows companies of all sizes across industries to evaluate the current state of their facilities, better understand Industry 4.0 — or the Fourth Industrial Revolution — concepts, and develop a comprehensive transformation roadmap.
The index was piloted with 16 companies, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs), before it was launched last year. Since then, more than 500 people from 200 local and international companies have attended free public workshops organised by the EDB to give feedback and better understand the index, said Dr Koh.
The EDB will now fund 300 index assessments for eligible SMEs and multinational corporations. Qualified assessors will aid companies in using the index to develop an Industry 4.0 strategy, as well as identify priority areas to transform, through two half-day workshops across two weeks. Companies will be able to sign up online or go through their various trade associations for help.
The EDB will also develop an accreditation programme to train a pool of such qualified assessors, with more details to be announced later this year.
Speaking at the IoT Asia 2018 conference at the Singapore Expo on Thursday, Dr Koh said: “With rapid technological advancements in areas such as the Industrial Internet of Things, robotics and artificial intelligence, many of our industries and businesses are sensing the urgency to take action and capture new opportunities, while some have already started.”
However, he noted that some companies do not know where and how to begin benefitting from technological advancements — something that the index aims to help with.
Ms Lim Xiao Fei, deputy chief operating officer of Thong Siek Food Industry, said going through the workshop helped the company understand a “very abstract and difficult to visualise” concept. Thong Siek manufactures, distributes and sells seafood products such as fishballs.
The index comprises three broad areas – process, technology and organisation – which are further broken down for assessment.
“With this framework, it’s easier to put together a more comprehensive plan in terms of digitalisation of our production floor, of automation projects. It’ll be easier to come up with a proposal and talk to SPRING and other agencies for funding,” said Ms Lim.
