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Ministry of Digital Development and Information
Press releases

Singapore Invests Over S$1 billion in National AI Research and Development Plan to Strengthen AI Research Capabilities and Our Position as Global AI Hub

24 January 2026

  1. The Singapore Government is making an additional investment of over S$1 billion over five years, from 2025 to 2030, under the National AI Research and Development (NAIRD) Plan. This is part of the Government’s ongoing commitment to strengthen Singapore's public AI research capabilities and elevate our global research competitiveness. The announcement was made by Mrs
    Josephine Teo, Minister for Digital Development and Information, at the Singapore AI Research Week 2026 Gala Dinner held today.

  2. The NAIRD Plan supports Singapore’s broader AI ambitions under the National AI Strategy (NAIS) 2.0 and builds on ongoing AI research efforts under the Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) plan. Through the Plan, we will further strengthen Singapore’s position as an AI research hub by scaling up ongoing research efforts and tackling important AI research challenges.

  3. The NAIRD Plan will focus on three key areas (refer to Annex A for more details):

    1. Fundamental AI Research: Establish world-class Research Centres of Excellence (RCEs) to advance research in priority areas such as responsible AI, resource-efficient AI, emerging AI methodologies, and general-purpose AI.

    2. Applied AI Research: Building capabilities to support the adoption and application of AI in industry and initiatives driven by RIE domains.

    3. Talent: Developing our talent pipeline from pre-university to faculty, while partnering with world-class researchers and institutions.

Singapore’s Growing AI Research Landscape

  1. Since the launch of NAIS in 2019, Singapore has positioned itself at the forefront of developing and deploying AI solutions that deliver meaningful benefits to both businesses and citizens. In 2023, the strategy was refreshed with NAIS 2.0, with the goal of harnessing AI for the Public Good.

  2. Research serves as a key activity driver in our AI efforts, advancing the nation’s deep technical capabilities and ensuring Singapore remains at the forefront of AI innovation. Singapore has built credible AI research capabilities, attracting global partners through a strong local bench of AI talent.

  3. To sustain this progress, building a vibrant, connected research community remains vital for Singapore. This approach allows our local research ecosystem to work together with the world's best AI talent to achieve breakthroughs and develop solutions that meet Singapore’s needs.

Singapore AI Research Week

  1. Singapore AI Research Week (SGAIRW) is a week-long series of events celebrating the breadth and depth of our AI research ecosystem. The inaugural SGAIRW was held in April 2025 and featured 31 events across the island.

  2. This year, SGAIRW takes place from 19 to 27 January 2026 and is held alongside the 40th Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) Conference. The week features 40 events organised by over 25 partners from the Singapore Government, research institutions, and industry. These include technical workshops and panel discussions covering areas such as AI safety, AI in robotics, and AI applications across sectors like healthcare and finance.

  3. More information on SGAIRW 2026 and the line-up of events can be found here.

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