S$20m scheme to help Singapore's built-environment sector adopt digital solutions
THE Singapore government will set aside S$20 million to help companies in the built environment sector implement digital solutions to keep worksites and employees safe, said Minister for National Development, Desmond Lee, on Tuesday.
Built environment firms - particularly construction companies - have been heavily affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, hit by difficulties such as the suspension of work, as well as disruptions to supply chain and cash flow, he noted, while speaking at the virtual launch of International Built Environment Week (IBEW). In Q2, the construction sector contracted by 97.1 per cent quarter-on-quarter on an annualised basis.
While progress has been made, the construction sector is not out of the woods as there is a risk of a resurgence of infections, which means companies need to remain vigilant and comply with restart requirements, Mr Lee highlighted. As at mid-August, over 90 per cent of construction projects had been given the go ahead to restart.
"Adopting digital solutions can allow our firms to resume work safely, despite the challenges posed by physical distancing measures," he said.
"I am glad to announce that we will set aside up to S$20 million for the Advanced Digital Solutions (ADS) scheme. Firms can use ADS solutions, including biometric facial recognition systems, Bluetooth-enabled wearables, and cameras enabled by artificial intelligence, to keep your worksites and your workers safe."
Under the scheme, companies in the construction sector can defray up to 80 per cent of the costs of digital equipment, capped at S$20,000 per project.
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Once deployed at construction sites, such solutions can be linked up with the Building and Construction Authority's (BCA) new digital platform BuildSG-COVIDSafe, which will allow the exchange of data to ensure companies are complying with the necessary measures.
The government has also been working with the Singapore Institute of Architects, the Institution of Engineers Singapore and the Association of Consulting Engineers Singapore, which have jointly developed the Intelligent National Productivity and Quality Specifications (iNPQS) platform.
The cloud-based system, which will be rolled out from November, carries standard templates of project specifications for the industry which can then be customised for building projects, thus saving time.
Cloud-based solutions can also help as they enable the seamless sharing of project files, which can then be accessed, tracked and updated by different stakeholders throughout the building life cycle, Mr Lee said.
In addition, the BCA is launching a Smart Facilities Management (FM) challenge, which seeks to improve productivity and service delivery over the next three years through smart FM solutions.
BCA is launching a grant call under a smart FM proof-of-concept grant, where qualifying projects would get up to 70 per cent of qualifying costs capped at S$800,000 per project, subject to certain conditions.
Over 50 companies, including developers, building owners, FM companies and technology providers, have committed to the challenge so far.
Other previously announced initiatives by the government to mitigate the fallout from Covid-19 include the S$1.36 billion Construction Support Package as well as the extension of the Jobs Support Scheme for local employees in the construction sector until March 2021.
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