Tag: Singapore Government

Singapore – The Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) and Singapore Food Agency (SFA) have forged a partnership with Publicis Media’s Starcom Singapore and Publicis Play to launch ‘SG Farm Tycoon’ on Roblox.

Launched on Roblox, SG Farm Tycoon is an immersive and educational high-tech farming game that is designed to raise awareness about the issue of food security among young Singaporeans. It offers an entertaining twist on urban farming by allowing players to create high-tech vertical farms within a virtual Singapore on Roblox.

The game also encourages collaborative play and introduces different scenarios that pose challenges, such as disease outbreaks, climate change, and supply chain disruptions. Players can then leverage advanced farming technologies on their urban farms to overcome these challenges, thereby enhancing farm productivity, building resilience against climate impacts, and improving resource efficiency.

By employing a progressive learning model, players experience the thrill of digital gaming with educational elements, making them experience what goes into growing local produce and educating them about the challenges of farming to reinforce Singapore’s ‘30 by 30’ vision.

Additionally, the game also features SFA’s local produce mascots, such as ‘Caixinderella’, ‘Eggs Benedette C’, and ‘Seabasstian Water’, to bring a familiar and engaging touch to the gaming experience.

Starcom Singapore leveraged its strategic expertise to guide and align the awareness and engagement goals of MCI and SFA. Publicis Play, on the other hand, utilised their specialty in gaming communication platforms to conduct focused workshops aimed at developing a tailored strategy.

After a series of processes, the companies and organisations involved eventually selected Roblox’s tycoon game format as the ideal medium for SFA’s educational objectives.

By going beyond conventional educational methods, SG Farm Tycoon aims to offer an immersive learning experience that will reflect real agricultural innovations and modern farming technologies, offering young minds a deeper understanding of the role of ‘Growing Local’ in Singapore.

Since its release, the game has now amassed over 3,600 game sessions and more than 1,200 unique users. It also enjoys a 91% like ratio, which indicates a high level of player satisfaction and engagement.

Elaine Poh, managing director at Publicis Media Singapore, said, “Partnering with the Ministry of Communications and Information and Singapore Food Agency on SG Farm Tycoon marks a significant shift in our approach to advertising and communication.”

She added, “This project symbolises a new era in communication, where interactive and immersive experiences can create a two-way dialogue with the audience. It is a step forward in connecting, engaging, and educating, reflecting our evolution beyond conventional engagement methods.”

Singapore – TikTok has recently announced the launch of the ‘Scam Prevention Edition’ of its Digital Wellness Hub with the goal of providing users with the resources and knowledge to navigate the digital world safely. 

Introduced in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), and the Singapore Police Force (SPF), this initiative aligns with TikTok’s dedication to creating a reliable and secure digital environment for its platform users.

With the Scam Prevention Edition, TikTok will contribute to local scam education and reinforce MHA’s anti-scam ACT (Add, Check, Tell) framework to translate anti-scam awareness into actions. 

This endeavor merges education and entertainment to facilitate engagement with users of all ages on the platform. TikTok will deploy educational messages on scam prevention through various initiatives such as raising awareness through scam identification and prevention challenges as well as a  ‘Shop Safe’ tab that allows users to access educational videos on identifying scams and how to shop safely.

Teresa Tan, head of public policy at TikTok Southeast Asia and Singapore, said, “TikTok has a zero-tolerance approach to any form of scam-related content on our platform. We have implemented policies to guard against scams and take strict enforcement action upon detection. Through the Scam Prevention Edition of the Hub, we hope to strengthen the resources available and build understanding within the community on how it takes a joint effort to keep our platform safe.”

Meanwhile, Gerald Singham, chairman of the Singaporean National Crime Prevention Council, commented, “We are excited to be part of the Scam Prevention Edition of TikTok’s Digital Wellness Hub, which provides useful scam prevention resources to help Singapore residents protect themselves against scams. Through this partnership, we hope to not only raise awareness but also encourage more individuals to take ACTions against scams.”

These efforts are an extension of educational resources available on the Digital Wellness Hub, which was launched in 2022 and anchors all of TikTok’s initiatives around mental wellbeing, cyber wellness, user safety and more.

Singapore – Local retailers selling on Amazon.sg can receive the Digital Resilience Bonus (DRB) administered by Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), reminds the company in a press release.

DRB is one of the efforts by the Singapore government amid the pandemic to uplift the digital capabilities of businesses across their different points of operations. Initially, DRB is offered to F&B and retail enterprises. 

IMDA has listed the different solutions that enterprises can apply for a subsidy, which includes eCommerce. Sellers, if eligible, can receive a one-time S$2,500 automatic cash payout.

According to IMDA, in order to qualify, the enterprise must be incorporated on or before 26 May 2020 with a Food Service or Retail SSIC code, and has been using the digital solutions on IMDA’s list between 1 June 2020 and 30 June 2021.

Bernard Tay, the country leader for Amazon.sg seller services said, “As local retailers continue to adapt to the new normal, digitalisation is key to enabling them to build resilience and tap into new revenue streams domestically and internationally.”

He added, “Small and medium businesses are a part of Amazon’s DNA and we remain committed to their success. The new initiatives will provide the necessary push in encouraging local retailers to step up digitalisation efforts and we’re happy to work with IMDA on the Digital Resilience Bonus to offer additional support to them during this time of need.”

Just recently, Amazon has pledged to invest US$18 billion in 2020 to support small and medium businesses globally and an additional US$100 million assistance to be given out during its annual deal event Prime Day and throughout the holiday season.

The Singaporean unit of the company is also in an ongoing collaboration with Enterprise Singapore on the eCommerce Booster Package which will offer local retailers a one-time grant of up to S$9,000 when they register to sell with Amazon.sg.

Singapore – The government of Singapore and global tech leader Apple have partnered to launch the health initiative LumiHealth, a personalized program to encourage healthy activity and behaviors using Apple Watch. 

The first-of-its-kind program was designed by Singapore’s Health Promotion Board in conjunction with Apple as part of the country’s Smart Nation initiative, which is a national effort to leverage technology to deliver benefits to its citizens and businesses.

At the core of the initiative is the LumiHealth app. Created in collaboration with a team of physicians and public health experts, LumiHealth uses technology and behavioral insights to encourage Singaporeans to keep a healthy living and complete wellness challenges through their Apple Watch and iPhone. 

The program will run for two years starting October 2020, where pre-order has already been made available on the app store.

“Even as all of us around the world are dealing with the challenges of COVID-19, we must keep investing in our future. And there is no better investment than in our own personal health,” said Heng Swee Keat, Singapore’s deputy prime minister. 

“This partnership between Singapore and Apple will enable Singaporeans to lead healthier lives, but equally important, it will contribute valuable insights [into] improving the health of people all over the world,” added Heng. 

The app uses a quirky feature, a ‘friendly” intergalactic explorer who will guide users while they “travel through worlds” in accomplishing wellness tasks that will be personalized based on their age, gender, and weight. 

The tasks include weekly activity goals that can be met through not just walking, but also swimming, yoga, and other activities. LumiHealth will also be providing reminders to users with regards to health screenings and immunizations as well as to participate in wellness challenges that aim to improve sleep habits and mindfulness, and encourage better food choices. 

Lumihealth

As users complete the said goals and challenges, users navigate the intergalactic explorer back to its “home,” all while being able to earn rewards worth up to S$380 over the two-year duration of the program. An Apple Watch is necessary to participate, as is downloading the LumiHealth app.

LumiHealth was created with customer privacy and data security built into its design. The program will be voluntary as users must opt in and provide consent to share information with app when they join, and may opt out at any time. 

Apple assures, “The collection of any personal identifiable information will be limited to information that will enable the app to provide an experience that is personalized and relevant to the user’s needs.” 

It adds on the privacy terms, “All user data will be encrypted to protect privacy. Data will be stored in a highly secure system that is fully compliant with Singapore’s data privacy and security laws. No data from LumiHealth will ever be sold or shared for marketing purposes.”

LumiHealth is the culmination of a two-year process that began with Singapore soliciting proposals from international healthcare and technology companies on ways to enrich the lives and health of its population.

Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer said, “Singapore has one of the world’s leading healthcare systems, and we are thrilled to be partnering with them to incorporate Apple Watch and LumiHealth into their holistic approach to well-being.” 

“Apple Watch has already helped millions of our customers manage their activity levels to improve their health, and we look forward to applying our expertise here in the same privacy-friendly way,” added Williams.