AI will continue to be a key driver in nurturing Singapore’s competitive advantage. Such technologies are catalysts for economic growth and business productivity setting the stage for Singapore to strengthen its position as a global hub for innovation. The new Enterprise Compute Initiative will therefore play an integral role in enabling businesses with the capabilities to swiftly make the relevant pivots and integrate AI into the various business processes and systems.
We anticipate the continued rise of AI agents that will play a strategic role in amplifying office performance and productivity, allowing office workers to focus on higher value work. We strongly believe that AI is meant to augment, not replace humans. Unlocking the full potential of AI while uplifting employees will be the key to long-term success in the future workplace.
To support workplace transformation, the government’s ongoing commitment to upskilling measures with the SkillsFuture enhancements will empower individuals to upgrade their skills while staying employed. This approach will help build a future-ready workforce equipped with relevant expertise, strengthening the overall competitiveness of the job market.
Brian Kealey, Country Leader, Salesforce Singapore:
The S$150m fund under the Enterprise Compute Initiative will go a long way in helping Singapore companies unlock true value from AI. It complements the ongoing efforts to boost effective technology adoption via industry partnerships such as the Data + AI Boost SME Programme run by Salesforce together with IMDA.
Every organization and employee today has to do more with fewer resources, leading to delays, inefficiencies and poor customer interactions. PM Wong once again called for enterprises to invest in AI to enhance their competitiveness and productivity. He also rightly underscored the importance of AI solutions that are not just tailored to organizational needs but also integrated into their business processes and systems.
Unfortunately, often-adopted solutions like chatbots and copilots are outdated, struggle to provide accurate, trusted responses to complex requests, and cannot take action on their own. To unlock new capacity, Singapore enterprises should turn to autonomous AI agents — a limitless digital workforce — that can tap into trusted organizational data, reason, and operate within existing workflows to take action on behalf of overwhelmed teams.
The new SkillsFuture Workforce Development Grant, which helps companies restructure, transform, and upgrade their workforce, is a step toward ensuring the competitiveness of Singaporean workers.
In his speech, PM Wong reiterated the need to equip the workforce with updated skills to stay relevant, especially amid the continued rise of disruptive technologies such as AI.
AI continues to transform industries and redefine how work gets done. As we enter the third wave of the AI revolution, AI agents that autonomously handle tasks present unique opportunities for employees to grow their careers by focusing on strategic, high-value tasks. To do so, they must adapt to new ways of working alongside these AI agents to reach their full potential.
The real challenge for employees isn’t just learning about AI but knowing how to apply it in their day-to-day roles to drive productivity and efficiency. Upskilling must equip employees with the skills to work effectively alongside AI agents, ensuring they know how to use AI ethically, safely, and responsibly to drive positive business outcomes.
David Nguyen, SVP, FPT Software / CEO, FPT Asia Pacific:
The SG60 Budget highlights the nation’s resilience and long-term vision, reinforcing its position as a global hub for technological innovation.
The SkillsFuture programmes and the new Enterprise Compute Initiative demonstrate the Singapore Government’s continued commitment to secure a future-ready workforce for greater intelligence transformation and expansion of Singapore’s prominence as a leader in AI. Strengthening AI capabilities will place Singaporeans at the forefront of an AI-first world while enhancing Asia Pacific’s competitiveness in the global AI landscape.
However, the region’s ongoing IT talent shortage remains a pressing challenge. IDC projects that by 2027, 60% of organizations in Asia Pacific will experience digital skills gaps, delaying projects and slowing AI adoption. Without decisive action, AI ambitions risk being constrained by a lack of skilled professionals.
One clear path forward is looking beyond borders to tap into emerging IT talent hubs. Vietnam, for instance, is fast emerging as a leading IT talent hub, now producing over 80,000 IT graduates annually. This presents a strategic advantage to scale AI capabilities and accelerate innovation.
FPT sees AI as a fundamental driver of future growth. For over a decade, we have been actively pursuing AI research and development to stimulate innovations and have integrated AI into all our services and solutions. Our recent partnership with the National University of Singapore’s School of Computing (NUS Computing) to establish a new AI Lab reflects the potential of cross-border collaboration. By driving research in machine learning, data analytics, natural language processing, and computer vision, this initiative strengthens R&D and commercialization while cultivating the next generation of AI talent in Singapore and across APAC.
As Singapore builds on six decades of progress, its investment in AI skills, advanced training, and strategic partnerships will shape its digital future. The SG60 Budget lays the foundation for AI to become not just a tool for innovation but a key driver of national and regional growth.
Dan Bognar, Vice President & Managing Director, JAPAC, HubSpot:
The Budget’s enhanced support for SME digitalization arrives at a critical moment when businesses must accelerate their digital transformation. The new Enterprise Compute Initiative, combining financial support with expert guidance, addresses the crucial need for practical AI adoption support among Singapore businesses.
In today’s fast-paced digital economy, time is of the essence. The average Singapore business switches between more than 50 applications when managing customer interactions – this slows teams down, fractures customer experiences and fragments the insights businesses have access to. This ongoing challenge is holding companies back from achieving total value from their technology and reaping the benefits of AI.
SMEs need solutions that deliver immediate impact. I’m pleased to see the refreshed National Productivity Fund can help SMEs adopt digital tools that are easy to implement, fast to integrate, and unified across teams, enabling transformative results from enhanced customer engagement to significant productivity gains.
The Budget’s comprehensive approach to digitalisation positions Singapore’s SMEs to compete in the global digital economy. By combining government support with the right technology choices, businesses can accelerate their digital transformation journey and quickly realize tangible benefits that drive sustainable growth.
