Singapore: Innovation Revisited

For those who really know me, either through interactions in the "actual" off-line world, either through meaningful and long-term relationships in the social media ( even those of the I-follow-you-you-follow-me kind) this post about Singapore won′t be a surprise. Since I cut my teeth, professionally speaking, in the city-state of the South china sea straits over 25 years ago, my inner compass has been pointing South East, and the reference to asian culture and values is quite constant in my business acumen. Last summer I have come back to the Smart City of Innovation.

Singapore is living nowadays the future of many other countries, giving its undoubtful and self-confident commitment to Innovation.

Back-To-The-Future in a double way. Like in the movie, back to my past, to the moment before taking many of my critical life choices (actually my first contact-interview with the financial industry goes back to that context -Should I have taken different path knowing what I know today?), and literally, because Singapore is living nowadays the future of many other countries, giving its questionless, undoubtful and self-confident commitment to Innovation.

As of today Singapore is arguably the best example of Innovation Driven Country. They have shifted forward from Smart-City to Smart-Country, in a nimble and seamless flow in the last decade and half, once they exited the "dragon′s crisis" that shook Asian economies just before the turn of the century. For a country of Singaporean proportions, may apparently be easier, since the idea of city and state merge into a single concept in this self-disciplined young (barely 52 years old, free of legacies) city-state. Yes! Size does matter. Less is more. But not let your prejudices trick your mind and fool you. Think of so many countries -even other Islands- with similar populations that have not managed to reach the levels of S′pore, regardless their attempts to fuel their economies through tax haven schemes.

Singapore has built a true excellence driven ecosystem that works, a laboratory experiment impossible to replicate in the neighbours Philippines, Malaysia or Indonesia, this last ones with over 400 million population, struggling with Financial Inclusion challenges, in the antipodes of the FinTech epitome being pushed successfully daily in the city of the Merlion, allegedly that mythical symbol of the city gives the city its name: Singa-Pura, City of the Lion. "The future is already here. It is just not evenly distributed"

Singapore innovation ecosystem is a complex engine where social, economical, academical agents and systems work efficiently to optimise results

Such country ecosystem is a complex engine where social, economical, academical agents and systems work efficiently to optimise output: a joint endeavor by Temasek Holdings, the S′pore Economic Development Board, prestigious and talent driven NUS -National University of Singapore-, the MAS - Monetary Authority of Singapore- with its efficient regulatory sandbox, or the Singapore Fintech Association, that is leading the way and pushing the envelope towards a cashless society, (very relevant coming from one of the top trading centers of this global economy) are leading more than 85 agencies committed to make it happen.

I was mesmerized by this Smart city and raptured by its innovative public infrastructures over 25 years ago as I felt I was touching the future. And so I′ve been again this time when disembarking the flight and noticing how every passenger is analyzed -non intrusively- through a thermal camera to assess high temperature, that might be a symptom of a flu that could cause a pandemonium in the laboratory and put in jeopardy the flow of passengers through one of the busiest connecting hubs; Or being beta-tester of a pilot when going through customs and immigration and Artificial Intelligence self service kiosks do the dirty word of passport scanning, fingerprints digital recording, record checking and filing -and maybe some facial recognition software comparing passport picture features with the real ones? ... More Big Data to the Cloud;

Convenient prepaid cards have replaces cash when boarding the ultra-efficient SMRT that now connects the whole island. In a country where cars are over taxed at deterrent levels, personal mobility devices are another choice electrically powered , aka, ecofriendly and non pollutant with special lanes for Segway-type, foldable scooters of at least 10 different brands and models.

Innovation reloaded, in exponential times, Last summer I enjoyed the opportunity of meeting Nadine. A true High-Tech innovation experience to think about the "Robolution", the Revolution of Job stealing robots that is looming over the horizon. Nadine is a realistic female humanoid social robot that is modelled on Professor Nadia Magnenat Thalmann. The robot has a strong human-likeness with a natural-looking skin and hair, and is socially intelligent who is friendly, greets you back, makes eye contact, and remembers all the conversations you had with her. She is able to answer questions in several languages, show emotions both in her gestures and in her face depending on the content of the interaction with the user. You may like to check a sample of that unforgettable moment, when Blade Runner drop the "fiction" tab to become just "Sience", in my Instagram story https://www.instagram.com/p/BYFwMyrjoWV/. (and here the neuroscientific explanation of its -?her- creepyness)

Nothing happens by chance. Meticulous detailed planning and impeccable execution is the local brand. How Singapore will run the country using APIs is an enlightening reading on how OpenData , Smart investment on Innovation and a digitally enabled population make this possible. Knowing the ingredients of this asian delicacy, Is it that difficult to replicate?

B′cos size matters, Is about time to keep this post small and beautiful, Allow me to close it quoting two chinese sayings.

"May the gods let you live in interesting times". Also known as the chinese curse, indeed the gods are doing a hell of a job. Even we have coined the VUCA acronym to name this interesting and challenging times.

"When winds of change are blowing some people build walls while other build windmills" - Definitely Singapore is a busy windmill factory. FinTech, BioTech, EnerTech, Social Tech. There is an opportunity to create, generate, transform and deliver value in every Technology. With the trade winds advantage in its DNA -its strategic location led Sir Stamford Raffles to found the trading post as primary seed in 1819- Singapore is sailing the winds of change "full steam ahead" , and under full canvas.

Post-vacation syndrome resolution : "To go back to Singapore on a regular basis to expand my mind. An expanded mind under the pressure of new ideas, never shrinks back to its original size". My old hat hurts. Good!!