DEEP tech investor SGInnovate and healthcare group SingHealth have entered a 3-year partnership to collaborate on health science innovations, with healthcare AI as the first area of focus.

Both organisations inked a memorandum of understanding at the Singapore Week of Innovation & Technology (Switch) 2021 on Tuesday (Nov 9), attended by health minister Ong Ye Kung.

Speaking at the event, Minister Ong said that the collaboration will "combine the unique strengths of SingHealth and SGInnovate" to build on existing initiatives that enhance Singapore's healthcare system with AI.

SingHealth is equipped with clinical research, given that it houses Singapore's oldest healthcare institution, Singapore General Hospital. Meanwhile SGInnovate is well-positioned to translate the research into tech-intensive applications, he noted.

Under the partnership, SGInnovate and SingHealth will organise knowledge-sharing events and build up "Communities of Practice" that bring together corporates, startups and innovators in this field.

Events include quarterly AI and Digital Innovation Journal Clubs and an annual AI in Health workshop to educate the industry and public on the adoption of AI systems in healthcare and regulations.

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They will also focus on providing startups with resources to grow, such as connections to potential investors, commercial networking and support in developing business plans and go-to-market strategies.

SGInnovate will encourage partnerships between its deep tech startups and SingHealth's clinician scientists, clinician investigators, doctors, nurses and allied health professionals.

This may take the form of "reverse pitches", where SingHealth presents its clinical needs to startups to come up with solutions. For instance, a healthcare team that needs a prescription system for personalised medication could work with startups on big data analytics and AI model development, and test the system in clinical settings.

SGInnovate and SingHealth will also develop talent through exchanges and training opportunities, in partnership with venture capitalists and MNCs, to nurture more startups in the medtech field.

Dr Lim Jui, chief executive of SGInnovate, said that the partnership "advances our Smart Nation ambitions while reinforcing our position as a global centre of excellence for health innovation".

Likewise, Professor Ivy Ng, chief executive of SingHealth, said: "With the breadth and depth of SingHealth's clinical capabilities and patient data, we aim to synergise with SGInnovate's access to deep tech communities and resources to develop innovative solutions that improve care delivery and clinical outcomes."