Singapore, Austria ink pact on digital and tech cooperation

Vienna

SINGAPORE and Austria will exchange ideas and know-how on their experiences with digital government, e-commerce and the challenges posed by emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.

Both countries inked a pact on Wednesday to step up cooperation in digitalisation and information and communications technology (ICT), during Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's official visit to the central European country.

PM Lee arrived in Vienna earlier in the day and was received by Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and a military honour guard at the Federal Chancellery.

Both leaders then witnessed the signing of an MOU on Cooperation in the Area of Digitalisation and Information Communications Technology by Minister for Communications and Information S Iswaran and Austria's Federal Minister of Digital and Economic Affairs Margarete Schrambock.

"Singapore and Austria recognise the growing importance of digitalisation for businesses and government, and see opportunities for partnerships to accelerate each other's development," the Ministry of Communications and Information said in a statement.

"Following discussion between officials earlier this year, both countries have agreed to further strengthen exchange of experience and expertise through the MOU in key areas of digitalisation and ICT policies," it added.

The agreement will focus on the exchange of information and best practices in four broad areas: