Smart Cities and Singapore

Speech by Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for Communications and Information, at the Opening Ceremony of imbX 2014 on 17 June 2014 at 9.25 am at Level 4, Simpor Room, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore Convention Centre.

Your Excellencies

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good morning.

1. I am happy to join you today at the annual Infocomm Media Business Exchange, or imbX. At the Ministerial Forum on ICT yesterday, we had a fruitful discussion on the opportunities that infocomm technology brings for the development of Smart Cities. Today, I would like to share how Singapore can make use of the latest technological advancements to realise our vision of becoming a Smart Nation.

2. An important trend that will support our goal to become a Smart Nation is Big Data & Analytics. It allows us to derive insight into behaviour and preferences. This can lead to more customised products and services that our people can benefit from and enjoy. Thus, it will play a critical role as companies enhance their business operations and improve their value proposition to consumers.

3. Another trend is the Internet of Things. This is where devices and objects are embedded with communication capabilities that make them identifiable or machine readable. With these capabilities, devices can be linked to one another and connected to networks to enable collaborative sensing and sense-making to make business processes more efficient, and our lives more comfortable. With this growing trend, Singapore is managing our spectrum supply to cater for this anticipated new demand for connectivity. Last evening, I announced that we will be introducing the TV White Space regulatory framework to provide for greater capacity and data connectivity. We have also made it easier for devices to connect and tap on telecommunications infrastructure, such as Wireless@SG, the national wireless broadband network. Just last Sunday, we extended the Wireless@SG to allow the registration of foreign phone numbers. I hope you have been able to enjoy the free Wi-Fi service thus far.

4. Singapore has made good progress in laying the backbone infrastructure to prepare for Big Data & Analytics, Internet of Things and other transformational ICM trends and developments with our Intelligent Nation (iN2015) Masterplan. We are in the process of formulating the Infocomm Media Masterplan to guide the development of our infocomm and media sectors in a holistic manner up to 2025. Our goal is to establish Singapore as a Smart Nation that taps on the potential of infocomm and media, and that nurtures innovative talent and enterprises. In this way, the ICM sectors can bring about economic growth and social cohesion, and better living for our people.

5. There are many “smart cities” around the world, which have already begun wiring up and connecting themselves to drive better efficiency and benefits for citizens. They include Barcelona and Santander in Spain, Amsterdam and many others. As cities continue to grow, demands on urban infrastructure will also increase and resources will become scarcer. It is therefore imperative to develop smart communities which are driven by intelligence, integration and innovation. We believe that a Smart Nation can become a reality if we successfully combine policy, people and technology in a concerted fashion.

Smart Nation Platform

6. A key component in our Smart Nation vision is the Smart Nation Platform or SNP.  As part of the SNP, we will further our capabilities in pervasive connectivity, by building new infrastructure and common technical architecture to support an innovative ecosystem across Singapore. There are three focus areas in the SNP: “Connect”, “Collect and Comprehend”.

7. Under “Connect”, we will strengthen our communications backbone, and extend connectivity through the progressive deployment of Above Ground (AG) Boxes and the Heterogeneous Network (HetNet). The AG Boxes will provide street level connectivity points by supplying points for fibre access and power, and the ready common communications infrastructure for sensor deployment. The HetNet trials will explore areas which include seamless roaming within a mobile operator’s network, resource sharing of spectrum and energy efficiency, peak data rates as well as quality of service and experience. If successful, consumers can expect to have more consistent user experiences as they roam across different types of networks, while businesses will be able to deliver more services for consumers. IDA will be calling for an industry briefing on 1 July to share more on the scope and processes of the trials.

8. Under “Collect and Comprehend”, we plan to roll-out an operating system where public agencies could be plugged in to essential sensor data. This data would be protected, and managed, before being shared. Insights gained from this data would enable us to better anticipate citizens’ needs and help in better delivery of services.

A Smart Nation Test-Bed

9. What would a Smart Nation look like? The upcoming Jurong Lake District, or JLD, would provide us with a glimpse into the future. JLD will be the largest commercial and regional centre outside Singapore’s Central Business District.  It is envisioned to be a mixed-used urban precinct characterised by sustainable development and connectivity. IDA in partnership with several agencies has approved several pilots and trials of smart technologies in JLD, such as the use of video analytics to detect traffic conditions at junctions more efficiently. Another pilot would be the use of autonomous vehicles to ferry passengers along paths for first or last mile portions of their journeys.

10. As part of a Smart Nation, we are also looking into using technology to provide services and applications that can benefit the people.  For example, we are exploring smart home solutions, particularly in the areas of wellness, active aging and energy efficiency. The industry can play a part by partnering us in establishing common IOT standards within the home setting, as well as identifying new innovations in the home space.

11. Another area where the industry can play an important role would be in Game Sciences and Technology. In this area, the mechanics of Game Science and thinking are adopted in the design and development of applications and services. To promote the technology, we will be launching the IDA Labs on Wheels bus where youth can learn about Game Science.

A Smart Nation Future

12. Singapore is firmly committed to collaborating with businesses and the community to realise our vision of a Smart Nation. More importantly, it will allow cities like ours to learn, adopt and innovate in a constantly changing environment.

13. The convergence of infocomm and media technology, the prevalence of personalised products and services through insights gained from data analytics and other ICT developments give us added reason to continue to meet at forums such as the imbX. As Asia’s largest ICT and media showcase of technologies and solutions, it provides us with the opportunities to engage in important discussions around ICT and its impact on the future. As we begin this year’s imbX, I wish you a fruitful and rewarding experience here, and a memorable stay in Singapore.

14. It now gives me great pleasure to declare imbX 2014, open. Thank you.

Speech  Analysis

This is the speech made by Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for Communications and Information of Singapore, at the Opening Ceremony of imbX.

The speech is divided in 4 parts:

- short introduction about what has been done and what to do to make “smart” singapore

- description of Smart Singapore Platform composed by 3 areas: “Connect”, “Collect and Comprehend”

- focused in various aspect: mobility, sustainable development, wellness, energy efficiency,

- the next steps to make smart singapore

There is a frequent use of the plural form like “WE had a fruitful discussion“, “to realise OUR vision of becoming” “OUR goal to become a Smart Nation”. This use is finalized to engage the listener and make him feel part of this important process of innovation.
After “Smart” the more used words are: Nation, Singapore, People. It could means that this smart revolution will iterest all citizens of Singapore.
This radical change of the living stile is emphasize by these words: technology, infrastructure, data, development, connectivity

 Leonardo Minuzzo

Liverpool Smart City

25th May 2012 - Smart Cities and Liverpool

 

Good morning and welcome to Liverpool Town Hall.
We are here to discuss the importance of Smart Cities and so it is apt that this debate takes place in this building and in this chamber - always a place for debate - some of it very smart!!
Smart Cities is about intelligent, cohesive, sustainable urban and economic development.

Liverpool’s forefathers had the same thoughts more than 200 years ago when the decision was taken to construct this building from which they could wisely manage the city’s ambitions by making best use of their resources and emerge as a world city.
And what successes they enjoyed.
This building is still regarded as having the finest suite of civic offices in the UK and from here both the public and private sectors transformed Liverpool into the second city of Empire.
Liverpool was both innovative and pioneering.
That’s what Liverpool is again today.
This is a city in the process of transformation. Physically we look different - Modern and dynamic, making best use of our heritage.
And despite these austere times, confidence is in the air.

• Confident that we are masters of our own destiny
• Confident that we are on the right track
• Confident that we reflect the hopes and aspirations of our citizens and that we work for the common good
• Confident that we are again players on the international stage

To innovate and to blaze trails you have to have confidence in the bold decisions you will inevitably have to make.

That is why I stood for and won the office as Liverpool’s first elected Mayor, the first in the country outside London.
I wanted to become Mayor to use it for the good of Liverpool.
I believe that this city is again on the cusp on great times.
We are again a city with a global name and it is my job to make sure that we use it to create a better and a smarter future for Liverpool.
And I will bring smart governance in this pioneering role of mine.
Politics is the art of the possible, that’s why I’ve backed Liverpool Waters and fought for the right to be a cruise turnaround port. One is happening, and from this very week the other is now a reality.
So, the concept of being a Smart City is one that we must investigate and embrace, if we are to make the most of the giant steps we have taken in recent years.
I want a smarter and fitter economy with first class transport and communications infrastructure in a smart environment with people enjoying the benefits of smart living - healthier, wealthier and happier.
It holds the promise of being more competitive, investing in our human and social capital and in our education in which everyone holds an interest, because it is about their continuing well-being and future prosperity.
Let me tell you – We in Liverpool have a real aspiration to be the UK’s first Smart City.
We may have started more slowly than others but with strong leadership and with robust public/private partnerships we have the opportunity to overtake our competitors by learning from their mistakes.
If we work together to achieve our Smart City goal we can create a city that attracts even more investors, employers, visitors, residents and students. To make sure that Liverpool becomes the city of choice.
Liverpool is in a wonderful position to make this happen, because we are creative and enterprising and are model city for public private partnership sharing the same economic purpose.
In my Mayoral position I am fully committed to the development of a strategic approach to this development which will help position Liverpool high in UK Government Cities radar as an exemplar destination and will help our position to leverage EU funds with the appropriate size and scale of projects large investors are looking for.

Mayoral ambitions:

This all complements my key Mayoral ambitions supported by the City Deal we brokered with central Government.
City Deal is an investment pot of £130 million of public and private funds, which could grow to between £500million and £1 billion. It will be invested in delivering new schools and homes and creating jobs.

It also includes the first Mayoral Development Corporation outside London which will include:

• A new Enterprise Zone for North Liverpool and the Central Business District to offer incentives for companies to set up and existing businesses to grow
• Using any growth in business rates to benefit five key economic areas of the city, known as the Mayoral Development Zones – North Liverpool, the Knowledge Quarter around the universities, Stonebridge Cross, the Eastern Approaches and Speke-Garston
• Chairing an Investment Board bringing together assets including land, commercial and residential buildings
• Developing a new approach to welfare reform including investment in specific skills to match jobs and get more people off benefits and into work.

So let me give you some specifics and let’s start with the young, our future:

In education:

I’m developing a Schools Investment Plan to build 12 new schools and refurbish others, giving each a high quality environment in which to learn and be inspired and provide the best chance of fulfilling potential.
From this September, my Liverpool Mayoral Education Allowance will be paid weekly during term time supporting 16-19 year olds from the lowest income families to access further education and training.

Regarding Jobs:

I want our youngsters to be able to take advantage of the thousands of new jobs I have pledged to create
Major regeneration projects are planned for schools and housing, creating employment.
Many of these jobs will be in the construction sector so we will need builders, plumbers, electricians, joiners.
Twelve new schools and 5,000 new homes will create 17,000 jobs in construction and the wider supply chain.
With private sector partners we are delivering new retail projects in Edge Lane and Great Homer Street.

The Mayoral Development Corporation:

This will support new businesses and business growth in the city. Through it, I will also support local entrepreneurs and boost business-start-ups, creating a further 2000 jobs.
We will also support the growth of the Bio-Innovation Centre, creating new facilities for cutting edge businesses in Liverpool.
A total of 1,300 new jobs will also be created in the wider economy through the construction of the new exhibition centre on the Kings Waterfront, boosting the local economy by £10 million and attracting 250,000 visitors in its first year.
Employment will be created through the building of a permanent cruise liner facility, while the Liverpool Waters development, which we are working on with our private sector partner, Peel Holdings, will ultimately create thousands jobs.
In all this, I will ensure that developers, managers and operators engage with us to ensure Liverpool people have access to these jobs and to new training opportunities.
We will also give the opportunity to 3,500 young people in Liverpool to become apprentices through our Liverpool Futures programme, giving them real jobs and the training they require to pursue careers in their chosen field.

Building New Houses:

A key priority of mine – family homes which are secure, affordable and of high quality.
The City Council has already set in train plans to build 2,500 new homes but I want to build a further 2,500.
The construction of new homes on brownfield sites will target dereliction in including 500 new homes at Stonebridge Cross and more than 1,500 of the new homes will be built in some of the most deprived areas of the city, where demand outstrips supply.
Where possible, derelict homes will be refurbished and brought back into use.
We will also put £3m into a scheme to provide mortgage deposits for first-time buyers.

In Business and Enterprise:

I will lead a new Mayoral Investment Board.
I will pool public funding streams, Enterprise Zone income and the city’s land and assets to attract substantial private sector investment. And I will be working closely with Liverpool Vision and the Local Enterprise Partnership to bring in investment, entrepreneurship and create jobs.
I will vigorously pursue a business friendly agenda and reduce red tape to make Liverpool the preferred choice for investment and job creation.
National banks have reduced their lending to small businesses, so I will work with our Credit Unions to provide much needed loans to help.
I will continue to exploit our world class visitor offer and strengthen our science and technology sectors, the port and construction and development.
Together, these initiatives will transform Liverpool into the most business and enterprise-friendly city in the UK, a magnet for investment, and a great place to live and work.

Finally, A Civic Pride Campaign:

This will be launched to encourage people to pledge to keep Liverpool clean and ensure our city is a brilliant place to live, work and play.
I think this is smart thinking.
I think this will lead to a Smart City.
Ultimately, Smart City is about jobs and it is about economic growth and creating a better future.
They are my main priorities as Mayor.
Thank you very much.
ENDS

http://liverpool.gov.uk/mayor/messages-from-the-mayor/speeches/smart-cities-speech/

Speech Analysis 

This is Joe Anderson's speech, who is the Mayor of Liverpool. In this speech he addresses the challenges to be a Smart City, and the importance for Liverpool to become the most successful smart city in the UK.
In the first part of the speech Anderson makes a reference about the history of the building where the conference takes place. The Mayor focuses on the importance of that building and its antiquity. Then he speaks about the importance of Liverpool in the history, using words like "innovative" and "pioneering".
The Mayor makes use of catch phrases and stresses the word "confident", to instill confidence in the future to all citizens and people. He tells about his candidacy and the things that he already made for Liverpool.
Anderson is very ambitious, and is putting a lot of effort into transforming Liverpool in the first Smart City in the UK.
His ambitions concern the following topics: education, houses, jobs, and business.
Regarding education, Anderson's plan is to support the building of new school and to provide economic support to families.
Then, the idea to give resources to build new houses will have two effects: it will ensure an higher accomodation standard for the families and as a side effect it will stimulate the creation of new jobs in the business of construction.
As the last topic, Anderson wants to promote investements in new technologies company, that would find an attractive place to grow in Liverpool.
The words that are more frequently used are: development, confidence, first city, growth, business, construction, jobs, home, investment.

Smart Cities and Communities launch conference

Speech by the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Neoklis Sylikiotis, at the launch conference for the Smart Cities and Communities Initiative, in Brussels, on Tuesday 10th of July 2012

The Cyprus Presidency’s view on Smart Cities and Communities.

Vice-Presidents of the European Commission, Commissioners,
Industry and City representatives,


Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great honor and pleasure for me to accept the invitation by Commissioner Oettinger and be here to salute the new Smart Cities and Communities initiative. I am confident that it will reinforce the EU policy framework across the energy, transport and ICT sectors, in support of the sustainable urban development, as well as towards the future EU research and innovation policy and the relevant regulatory development.

The Cyprus Presidency welcomes the Commission’s new initiative on Smart Cities and Communities. This event is an opportunity to encourage and analyze how the EU initiatives affect the Member States and consequently the objectives of 20% energy saving and 20% of renewable energy contribution by 2020. Furthermore, it is part of our long-term vision to develop a low carbon economy by 2050, given the fact that 70 to 80% of the EU’s energy consumption takes place in cities.

The abovementioned acknowledgement leads to the conclusion that if we do not act with immediate measures in the near future, the consequences of this massive population increase in the European cities will increase the urban energy demand and have serious negative impact to the environment, transport infrastructure and energy use.

Smart City projects will positively contribute to the transition to a low carbon energy system in Europe. Additionally, they will help towards the implementation of flexible tariff structures by increasing the share of Renewable Energy Sources and through effective demand side management achieve the required peak shift, thus achieving a more efficient and flatter energy demand.

Smart cities, if they are deployed in large scale, can significantly contribute to the increase of observability and the provision of effective ancillary services by the Distribution System Operators. Additionally, Smart Cities secure the energy supply and develop self-healing architectures that will improve the reliability of supply to all customers. They can also help Member States to overcome the effects of high seasonal fluctuation in energy demand by utilizing more controlled renewable energy in the grids, hence improving at the same time the environmental constrains of Member States.

Any projects serving the aforementioned commitment, providing significant positive externalities, will not be realized if they are not adequately supported. Within the EU, there are small countries, with limited geographical coverage and number of network users that require the application of targeted measures and solutions in order to equally participate in the internal energy market and benefit from the EU policies and funds.

Cyprus is participating with 10 Municipalities to the Covenant of Mayors program. As you have already been informed, there is a proposal that was presented in the conference’s road-show for urban initiatives, the Neapolis Project in Paphos. This pilot project is based on pioneering concepts for a centrally based architecture of services, aiming at achieving a fully sustainable “New City” of Eco-Intelligence. The objectives call for implementing the most innovative development strategy, with the commitment to support the scale-up and replication of this initiative to other cities and communities.

The most important aspect for the development of the Smart Cities concept is to identify and promote the synergies of telecommunication and energy companies and to find the necessary tools, standards and legislation, to overcome the regulatory uncertainties and the immature market for truly integrated energy, transport and ICT solutions.

It has been proven in countries around the world, that process innovations that combine Advanced Metering Infrastructure have the potential to dramatically improve the economic efficiency and productivity of distribution and supply businesses. It is well known today that smart meters that abide to open protocol standards for interoperability can form the basis for a real-time gateway to customers, in line with the system automation requirements. However, these technologies need to be tested extensively, in order to offer valuable knowledge for effective roll out policies.

Cyprus is currently promoting a project for full smart meter roll out. The Electricity Authority of Cyprus has tendered out for the implementation of a Pilot Project which includes the replacement of 3,000 conventional meters with smart meters, the partial upgrading of its existing power networks to smart grids, the installation of a meter management data system and the installation of different communication systems to test different scenarios. The objective of the project is to determine the Electricity.

Authority of Cyprus’ requirements and the minimum functional requirements of the distribution system. The Pilot Project will also define the system’s architecture by assessing the suitability and compatibility of different telecommunication technologies.

Ladies and Gentlement,

The Cyprus Presidency encourages the support in Smart Cities investments but if these investments are not properly planned may increase even further the energy cost to the end consumer. Currently, the lack of cross-border connections to the European energy networks limits the amount of Renewable Energy Sources that can be connected to the system, due to technical constraints. It is important to encourage networking and collaboration at European level, in order to fully leverage the strength of the new technologies. The introduction of new technologies in existing cities will take time and it is advisable that in the meantime other direct methodologies should be investigated.

The use of existing infrastructures will be encouraged by giving incentives to the end consumers whenever possible to find ways on their own to monitor in real time their energy consumption or production. After all, it is widely accepted that the first step to save energy is to be aware where the energy is consumed, especially in real time. It has been proven by several Pilot Projects that wherever consumers are monitoring their consumption, they can save between 10-40% of energy. In this respect, it is suggested that the existing support schemes of Member States should be extended and the use of monitoring systems for household installations should be incorporated in the existing energy related support schemes. Europe has scarce resources for experimentation and is therefore compelled to find and share the most cost-effective and sustainable paths to realize smarter cities.

Thank you for your attention.

http://www.cy2012.eu/index.php/tr/file/XnxLPbC7uSb2nxXo9+AUZw==

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This is a speech that Mr. Neoklis Sylikiotis (N.S.), Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism of the Republic of Cyprus, delivered on July 2012 at the launch conference for the Smart Cities and Communities initiative.

The target that the speaker is addressing is quite wide: at the beginning of his speech he speaks to the members of the EU Commission (who have high sector-specific knowledge but also a political profile), to the stakeholders (representatives of the industrial sector and of the major European cities), but also to all the European citizens who are interested in the smart city’s paradigm and, more in general, in European initiatives and policies on this theme.

As a representative of Cyprus government, N.S. speaks both as representative of the six month’s EU Council presidency and as a Minister of his Member State. The whole speech combines the formal role of leader of the EU council and, at the same time, his current high-profile role of Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism of Cyprus. When he speaks in representation of the EU Council he insists on the practical strategy that UE has to implement regarding Smart Cities while, on the other hand, when he speaks for his home country, he presents the initiatives and the best practices they have already achieved.

This is a very formal and technical speech, in which he tries to share ideas and suggest arguments that the following interventions could follow and develop further. He doesn’t use  “claptraps” and he sets “political” issues just four times. At the beginning of the speech he affirms that it is important to analyze how the EU initiatives (and therefore the management of the EU funds) affects the Member States (MS) and the achievement of the” EU2020” strategy’s targets. Then, in the middle of the speech, he underlines that different initiatives should include targeted measures and solutions in order to allow an equal participation to all MS, most of all for small countries “with limited geographical coverage and number of network users”( this is a very important issue for a representative of a very small MS as Cyprus is). Later he identify the key aspect for the development of Smart Cities in finding the necessary tools, standards and legislation to overcome regulatory uncertainties and create an integrated system. In closing he highlights the importance of building cross-border connections, networking and cooperating at European level in order to efficiently plan investments on energy.

N.S.’s  lexis is carefully chosen from technical jargon both from the world of Smart Cities and from the Energy networks and companies’ one. The most frequent words are, indeed: energy/smart cities (the two main themes), EU/Cyprus (the two roles that N.S. fulfills), development, renewable, technologies, system and project.

From the verbs and the adverbs he uses, such as encourage, develop, support, help, improve, positively and equally, we can understand that he tries to leave a positive message of hope and opportunities.

The speaker uses positive, complex and impersonal sentences to give the message that what he’s saying are shared, strengthened and unassailable ideas. Furthermore, he isn’t addressing to his public frequently, he does it only two times: at the beginning  of the speech and before the conclusions (in order to attract the attention on the most important part of his discourse).