Opening Address by MOS Rahayu Mahzam at IntelligenceX 2026: The Global Quantum×AI Frontier

Her Excellency Alexandra Baumann

Mr Eduard Ruge, Science and Technology Counsellor of the German Embassy,

Professor Chen Ying, President of SoAI

Professor Thorsten Koch, President-elect of SoAI,

Distinguished Guests, delegates, ladies and gentlemen.

1. Good morning to everyone here. It is my pleasure today to join you at the inaugural IntelligenceX conference.

2. I would like to congratulate the National University of Singapore and Society of Algorithmic Intelligence for bringing together this new platform at an important moment for AI, quantum, and the wider scientific community.

3. I have heard that over the next three days, IntelligenceX will convene more than 300 researchers, industry leaders and practitioners from over 22 countries, pursuing the frontiers of AI, quantum, mathematics, and the broader computer science and engineering.

4. This is a strong start for a new conference, and it reflects both the pace and progress in these fields, and the need for deeper exchange across disciplines.

5. Singapore values platforms like this because the deepest challenges often require multiple disciplines working together, and their implications often extend across national borders. This is especially true for AI. As its capabilities advance, we must also grapple with how to develop and use AI safely and responsibly.

6. Just this week, Singapore joined countries from around the world in a call for stronger safeguards and international cooperation on frontier AI. As AI becomes more capable, we need to make sure that people remain in control. And keeping AI safe requires countries to work together.

7. IntelligenceX is therefore a timely opportunity to bring different perspectives together, to exchange ideas, forge collaborations and pursue ambitious work in AI and quantum.

8. Let me share how Singapore approaches these fields.

9. Singapore supports research over long horizons.

   1. Under the latest Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2030 plan, we have committed to investing S$37 billion over five years. That is about one per cent of our GDP.

   2. We have sustained investment at around this level for nearly two decades.

10. AI and quantum are two domains that Singapore is investing in for the long term.

    1. Under Singapore’s National AI Strategy 2.0, and the refreshed priorities announced earlier this year, we will be investing over S$1 billion from 2025–2030 to support fundamental AI, applied AI and talent.

    2. We also made early bets in quantum research by establishing Singapore’s Centre for Quantum Technologies in 2007. We stepped up our quantum investments in 2024, with the launch of our National Quantum Strategy, committing S$300 million over five years for quantum research, engineering, talent and translation.

11. AI and Quantum are each important domains with high potential for societal impact. Here, IntelligenceX poses an interesting question – what happens at the intersection of AI and Quantum?

12. The honest answer is that we do not fully know yet. AI is already diffusing rapidly into the economy and society, while quantum computing is being explored for very different classes of problems.

13. However, we have already seen some interesting explorations:

    1. Researchers are applying AI to some of quantum computing’s hardest engineering challenges, including quantum error correction, circuit optimisation and processor control.

    2. In the other direction, researchers are investigating whether quantum approaches could eventually offer new possibilities in machine learning and optimisation. These possibilities remain largely theoretical, and where practical advantage will emerge is still an open question.

14. These are questions no single discipline can answer alone. This is why we need a multidisciplinary community, like the one we have here, to collaborate on tackling these questions.

15. In Singapore, we place strong emphasis on connecting research with meaningful problems.

16. Our compact ecosystem is an advantage. It allows researchers, corporates and public agencies to work closely on problems worth solving, to translate promising research into practical solutions.

17. This is reflected in how we approach AI diffusion.

    1. Rather than pursuing disconnected pilots, our National AI Missions bring together research, industry and Government around challenges that can transform entire sectors.

    2. As a start, we prioritise four sectors where Singapore already has a strong foundation. These sectors are advanced manufacturing, connectivity, finance and healthcare.

    3. By coordinating efforts around these key sectors, we accelerate our ability to connect AI capabilities with ground needs, and harness AI for public good.

18. In quantum, we are likewise building pathways for promising research to move beyond the laboratory.

19. The National Quantum Computing Hub, for example, brings together research teams to advance quantum computing capabilities, develop hybrid quantum-classical algorithms, and explore how these capabilities can be applied to practical problems.

20. To do this well, we also need a strong and trusted research ecosystem, with deep capabilities at home, and strong connections to partners abroad.

21. Over the years, our sustained investments have built a strong talent base and robust research capabilities in Singapore.

    1. In AI, our universities are ranked amongst the top globally and account for a commendable share of papers at major AI conferences, such as NeurIPS, ICLR, and AAAI.

    2. In quantum, Singapore’s Centre for Quantum Technology was ranked sixth globally in 2025 by h-index among other quantum centres and anchors a national network across our universities and A*STAR.

22. Singapore’s research strength is not built in isolation. Research is a global endeavour, and a strong hub must connect its people across institutions and borders.

23. We continue to invest in and deepen international partnerships, so that we can draw on ideas and expertise from around the world; and share our research outcomes with the global ecosystem, which magnifies the impact of the capabilities we build here.

    1. The new Singapore–Horizon Europe Complementary Fund, supports Singapore-based researchers participating in Horizon Europe projects that we are also interested in.

    2. Singapore also established its first quantum-specific bilateral agreement with Japan in January 2026, spanning research, talent, infrastructure and commercialisation.

24. These partnerships are all part of our broader effort to encourage joint research, researcher/student exchanges, sharing of ideas and infrastructure, and contributing back to the global knowledge commons.

25. For our guests visiting from abroad, I hope that beyond these conferences, you find serious partners, strong institutions and opportunities in Singapore, and build lasting research collaborations.

26. I began with the value of ideas crossing disciplines and borders. IntelligenceX reflects that spirit, by bringing together communities across domains.

27. I hope that the exchanges started here will continue well beyond this conference, across institutions and countries. I am glad to hear that there are already plans to continue these exchanges in Zurich next year.

28. Before I close, let me also congratulate all the teams participating in the AI Algorithmic Trading Hackathon. I look forward to presenting the awards to the winning teams later this morning.

29. Congratulations once again to NUS and SoAI on this inaugural conference. Thank you and I wish all of you a fruitful time at this event.