SINGAPORE, May 24 (Xinhua) -- In an effort to accelerate digital transformation, Singapore's government will call for some 2.4 billion Singapore dollars (1.73 billion U.S. dollars) of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tenders this year, said the Government Technology Agency (GovTech) Wednesday.
GovTech said the tenders would be aimed at investing in technologies such as data analytics, sensors and related software and systems.
In addition, the government will be partnering the industry to increase the deployment of robotics. For instance, a robot system which is able to automatically detect missing or wrongly-shelved books will be introduced in the library of Temasek Polytechnic to boost efficiency and productivity.
The government will also invest in cyber security to minimize the probability of malware attacks on government system, according to the GovTech.
"We will continue to work with the industry and provide them with the foundational support to build Singapore as a Smart Nation," said Chief Executive of GovTech Jacqueline Poh.
Poh said that besides the established companies, there is a growing pool of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that have stepped up and embraced new technologies.
"Last year, SMEs accounted for about two-thirds of the total number of ICT contracts awarded," said Poh.
"Companies will need to boost their ICT and engineering capabilities in order to keep up with the fast-changing technological landscape," she added.
