Singapore Together: Partnering to emerge stronger

Singapore Together

1. Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat launched the Singapore Together movement on 15 June 2019. Singapore Together is centred around the governance approach of Singaporeans partnering with the government and with one another, to build our future Singapore. The government is committed to:

   • Creating more opportunities for government agencies to work with Singaporeans to design and implement policies together;

   • Facilitating more community partnerships and expanding our common space so that Singaporeans can work constructively and collaboratively with each other; and

   • Working with Singaporeans to develop a vision for Singapore’s future – one where every Singaporean will have a part to play.

Partnering to emerge stronger

2. The COVID-19 pandemic has hit Singapore hard. But it has also demonstrated the spirit of Singapore Together – individuals, friends and families, community groups and businesses have stepped forward to offer help and to work together in many ways.

3. As we cross the first year of Singapore Together and begin the work of recovering from COVID-19, partnership is more critical than ever. Singapore Together will focus on partnering to emerge stronger as an economy and as a society.

4. On the economic front, the Emerging Stronger Taskforce (EST) of the Future Economy Council was set up in May. In the spirit of Singapore Together, the Taskforce is consulting widely, and involving people from a wide spectrum of society. It is also convening Singapore Together Alliances for Action, which are industry-led coalitions that will act on growth opportunities for Singapore. More details are in the section below on “Formation of Singapore Together Alliances for Action”.

5. On the societal front, we have undergone a shared experience which will shape the attitudes and worldview of an entire generation. COVID-19 has also brought to the fore issues such as work practices, digital inclusion and mental wellness. Our collective experience of the crisis gives rise to a natural desire to reflect on what is happening, what we are learning about ourselves, our strengths and fragilities, and how we can move forward as a society. We want to draw this out and use these reflections as core elements on which we can build an even stronger society. With this aim, Singaporeans will be invited to share their reflections, and explore aspirations and actions for a more caring, cohesive and resilient society, in a series of Emerging Stronger Conversations and on the Singapore Together website. Details are in the section below on “Emerging Stronger Conversations”.

6. As key issues emerge from the Emerging Stronger Conversations, we will form Singapore Together Action Networks to work on them. Details are in the section below on “Singapore Together Action Networks”.

7. These efforts complement the work, engagements and partnerships that agencies are already doing and will continue to do. Together, they will contribute to emerging stronger and building our future Singapore.

Formation of Singapore Together Alliances for Action

8. Singapore needs to act quickly and decisively in order for our economy to emerge stronger from the COVID-19 crisis. To this end, the EST has convened Singapore Together Alliances for Action (“Alliances”), which are industry-led coalitions that will act on key growth areas for Singapore.

9. Working collaboratively with both industry and government on a common mission, the Alliances will quickly explore, prototype, and execute ideas in a three-month sprint. They will share their preliminary results and next steps later this year. Thereafter, the EST will determine which ideas and focus areas can be scaled.
   
   Alliances and their focus areas

10. Seven Alliances have been formed. These are:
    
    (i) Digitalising the Built Environment
    
    Digitalisation has been a key thrust of the Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs) under the Future Economy Council (FEC)’s Built Environment (BE) Cluster. Even as the industry copes with the challenges arising from COVID-19, the crisis has increased collaboration across all parts of the BE value chain. This is thus a window of opportunity to accelerate the digitalisation push to raise productivity across the BE value chain – from concept and design, to construction and site management, and facilities management.
    
    (ii) EduTech
    
    COVID-19 has accelerated the global adoption of EduTech, from home-based learning to online professional education and training. This is an opportunity for Singapore to take our education and human capital brand global.
    
    (iii) Enabling safe and innovative visitor experiences
     
    COVID-19 has fundamentally changed travel and tourism. In this new normal, Singapore must pioneer new ways to enable safe transit, safe business, and safe leisure travel and tourism. This is to ensure that Singapore remains a Global-Asia node, and a leading hub for business and enterprise in Asia Pacific, despite a potentially long COVID-19 shadow.
    
    (iv) Facilitating smart commerce in Singapore
    
    While COVID-19 has accelerated e-commerce adoption among consumers and retailers (especially SMEs), physical retail is likely to persist in Singapore due to the convenience of neighbourhood stores and retail hubs situated next to transport nodes (e.g. MRT stations, bus interchanges). We therefore have the conditions to create a ‘smart commerce’ ecosystem that blends digital and physical retail, and allows local stores to tap into a global consumer market. Such a system would require the complete reimagination of the online and offline shopping experience.
    
    (v) Robotics
    
    The pursuit of higher productivity and solving manpower challenges remain key for Singapore. At the centre of this is the use of technology and robotics solutions to improve productivity, transform existing jobs and create new ones, generate spinoffs for SMEs, and drive economic growth. At the same time, Singapore has had to adopt novel and innovative solutions to minimise social contact and maintain high health standards during COVID-19 – from cleaning and construction robots to autonomous healthcare and public land transport systems.
    
    (vi) Supply chain digitalisation
    
    Digitalisation of global supply chains has been uneven and hampered by low adoption, lack of data sharing, and a preponderance of different platforms. With stronger concerns about supply chain resilience, and a likely move towards regionalised supply chains post- COVID-19, there will be increased demand for end-to-end adoption. It presents a huge opportunity for advancing digitalisation technology and usage for our supply chain ecosystem players (logistics, regulatory, and financial) and cargo owners alike.
    
    (vii) Sustainability
    
    The focus on sustainability and on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards is likely to increase post-COVID-19. This provides the opportunity to become a centre for ESG-related solutions and services, serving our own commitments as well as global demand. The services will need to leverage on policy frameworks, technology, financial and legal ecosystems – all Singapore’s strengths. Can Singapore capitalise on this and become the Little Green Dot?

Formation of Singapore Together Action Networks

11. The Singapore Together Action Networks (“Networks”) will bring together diverse people from different sectors – Government, community, businesses – to co-create, and co-deliver ideas and solutions. They will be important drivers to mobilise our collective energies and expertise and exemplify the Singapore Together governance approach of working in partnership, towards Singapore’s recovery and future. The number and composition of Networks will be determined by the issues surfaced through the Emerging Stronger Conversations, and actions needed.

12. The Government has begun forming these Networks. Examples are UPLIFT (Uplifting Pupils in Life and Inspiring Families Taskforce), the SG Cares Community Network, and the Youth Mental Well-being Network.
    
    Emerging Stronger Conversations

13. The COVID-19 pandemic and Singapore’s response presents us with an opportunity to reflect on our experience, what we have learnt about our strengths and fragilities, and our aspirations for a more caring, cohesive and resilient society.

14. From June to September 2020, the Government will convene a series of Emerging Stronger Conversations (“Conversations”) with Singaporeans of diverse backgrounds. These sessions will engage participants in reflecting on our COVID experience, and exploring aspirations and action for a resilient, post-COVID Singapore society. They will be run digitally by default, until the situation allows for face-to-face gatherings to take place safely. The Government is committed to engaging widely across different stakeholders, and will invite partners to convene their own Conversations, to enable more to participate, and multiply the potential for action.

15. Singaporeans are also invited to share their reflections and aspirations through the Singapore Together website at www.singaporetogether.gov.sg/reflect. These perspectives will form part of the Conversations.

16. Through these Conversations and reflections, aspirations and themes that are salient to Singaporeans will be translated to concrete action and partnerships. Those who are interested may register their interest early at https://go.gov.sg/ESconversations.

Annexes [PDF, 124 KB]
A: UPLIFT and Partners
B: SG Cares Community Network and Partners
C: Youth Mental Well-being Network and Partners

For media clarifications, please contact:

Singapore Together Alliances for Action

Joseph Khong
Ministry of Trade and Industry
Email: joseph_khong@mti.gov.sg

Emerging Stronger Conversations and Singapore Together Action Networks

Diana Cheong
Singapore Together
Email: diana_cheong@mccy.gov.sg