Singapore is poised to strengthen its position as a global cybersecurity leader with the launch of the CyberSG Talent Innovation and Growth (TIG) Collaboration Centre, a strategic partnership between the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) and NUS. First announced in September 2023, as a joint initiative between CSA and NUS, the Centre serves as a nexus, bringing government, academia, and industry together to catalyse impactful initiatives in the cybersecurity sector and leverage opportunities posed by digitalisation.
The Centre, located at LaunchPad @ one-north, was officially opened on 15 July 2024, with Dr Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Digital Development and Information gracing the occasion as Guest-of-Honour. In his address, Dr Puthucheary stressed the importance of cybersecurity for Singapore’s national security amid increased digitalisation and as a critical enabler for the nation’s digital economy and way of life, with people spending more time online and being increasingly reliant on online services. Given these factors, growing and investing in the local cyber talent pool is the only way for Singapore to stay ahead of ever-evolving threats, he noted.
“With government, industry and academia working together over the years, our cybersecurity ecosystem and workforce have grown. Today, we are home to more than 500 cybersecurity providers. Constant innovation is vital in the cyber domain to counter new threats and grow new businesses,” he added.
Three Core Pillars – Talent, Innovation, and Growth
The Centre’s strategic initiatives are structured around three core pillars: Talent, Innovation, and Growth. On Talent, it aims to cultivate a diverse talent pool equipped with the skills to apply cybersecurity capabilities across various industries and functions. The Centre is dedicated to training a critical mass of professionals with advanced cybersecurity expertise. Some key programme highlights include:
- SG Cyber Associates – The Centre has partnered with the Institution of Engineers Singapore (IES) and Temasek Polytechnic to develop a tailored Internet-of-Things Security Fundamentals course exclusively for IES members. The inaugural session will take place in late July 2024.
- SG Cyber Talent Development Fund – In the latest call for funding applications, the Centre is supporting various projects, including mentorship programmes, hackathons, and an overseas learning journey to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia for women cybersecurity professionals. These initiatives promote cross-border exchanges and the acquisition of cyber skills.
- To train and nurture a pipeline of cybersecurity talent, the Centre will be leading an initiative to harmonise the Continuing Education and Training and a skills framework for cybersecurity across Singapore’s autonomous universities.
The Innovation pillar aims to co-innovate with the industry to bridge the gap from innovation to commercialisation, nurturing promising cybersecurity companies for Singapore and the region. Under this pillar, the Centre will be rolling out several programmes such as this year’s Cybersecurity Industry Call for Innovation (CyberCall) to drive the development of innovative cybersecurity solutions. The call for proposal submissions is open and will end on 11 August 2024.
In addition, the Centre has also introduced the CyberBoost programme that provides tailored support for cybersecurity companies in their venture creation journeys, helping them develop, validate, and scale their solutions in Singapore and beyond. There are two streams under the CyberBoost programme – the Build programme to assist early-stage ventures in testing, validating, and building minimum viable products; and the Catalyse programme to help cybersecurity companies at the critical stage of their journey, often called the growth stage, with the knowledge and connections required to fast-track their growth plans locally and globally.
For the third pillar on Growth, the Centre aims to enable cybersecurity companies anchored in Singapore to scale regionally and globally. The core programme, CyberGrowth, is a dedicated cybersecurity-focused export programme that facilitates the expansion of promising cybersecurity companies and leverages NUS Enterprise’s BLOCK71 incubation hubs in Southeast Asia, East Asia, and the USA.
In his opening speech, NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye highlighted how the Centre will build on the good, pioneering work done under NUS Enterprise’s Innovation Cybersecurity Ecosystem at BLOCK71 (ICE71) in the next phase.
“The CyberSG TIG Collaboration Centre endeavours to support more cyber companies to establish their presence in Singapore, to develop Singapore-based cybersecurity products, and to help Singapore-based cyber companies to scale up and to access markets. The overall aim is to deepen cybersecurity capabilities, build a thriving cybersecurity ecosystem, and to strengthen Singapore’s defence against cyber threats,” he said.
Industry collaboration to support the Centre’s ambition
To enhance the effectiveness and reach of the Centre, NUS has also forged strategic partnerships through Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreements with local investor SGInnovate and UK-based innovation company Plexal, to drive innovation and growth in Singapore’s cybersecurity ecosystem. NUS will partner SGInnovate to support early-stage start-ups through mentorship and providing resources to help them scale. Additionally, the University and Plexal will co-deliver the CyberBoost Catalyse programme to help cybersecurity companies develop their growth strategies and scale their business footprints through extensive network access in the UK and USA.
Emphasising the importance of the Centre and its industry partnerships, Associate Professor Benjamin Tee, NUS Vice President (Ecosystem Building) said, “We are excited to mark the official opening of the CyberSG TIG Collaboration Centre. NUS Enterprise is committed to continue pushing the boundaries of innovation and entrepreneurship to develop a thriving cybersecurity innovation ecosystem from Singapore. This Centre will synergise and leverage the combined expertise and resources of academia, industry, government, local and international industry partners. Our partnerships with Plexal and SGInnovate are a step forward to further support promising start-ups that drive global innovation and business opportunities towards a more secure digital future in Singapore and beyond.”
Highlighting Plexal’s contribution, Mr Saj Huq, Plexal’s Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Innovation said, “Cybersecurity challenges are global, necessitating international cooperation and creating global opportunities for innovators and adopters alike. As a UK-based innovation company that is recognised for its government-led innovation programmes, Plexal will co-deliver the CyberBoost Catalyse programme to provide cybersecurity companies support to develop their growth strategies, and to scale business footprints in Singapore and high-growth global markets in the UK and US.”
Mr Hsien-Hui Tong, Executive Director – Investments at SGInnovate, emphasised the importance of the partnership between SGInnovate and the Centre, noting that this collaboration is crucial for fostering innovative national cybersecurity leaders. By working closely together, the two organisations will ensure that early-stage cybersecurity start-ups and emerging talent can access essential resources and opportunities throughout their development within the tech ecosystem, he added.
By NUS Enterprise
