Digital Industry Singapore (DISG) and Google Cloud announced on Friday a new program called “AI Cloud Takeoff” (AI CTO). This national program will help 300 tech-savvy companies in Singapore set up AI Centers of Excellence (AI CoEs) within the next year.
The goal is to help these companies use AI to create new products, services, and ideas that make them more competitive and help them earn more money.
AI Cloud Takeoff (AI CTO) is the first program under the Singapore Government’s “Enterprise Compute Initiative,” which was announced in the Budget 2025.
The program started with a test run in November 2024, where Google Cloud and DISG worked with 30 companies. This pilot was successful and helped improve the program, giving useful ideas for the bigger Enterprise Compute Initiative.
“The Enterprise Compute Initiative is a pioneering national program designed to bring together cloud service providers and information technology (IT) consulting partners to accelerate AI-driven transformation for businesses,” said Philbert Gomez, Senior Vice President Head and Executive Director of Digital Industry Singapore.
“Our successful pilot with Google Cloud laid a strong foundation, enabling Singapore-based companies like Embed, Seaco, and YCH Group to harness tailored AI solutions that enhance operational efficiency and strengthen global competitiveness,
“Through the Enterprise Compute Initiative, we’re excited by the potential for hundreds of Singapore-based enterprises to be enabled by AI – driving innovation, productivity gains, and sustainable growth across industries,” he added.
Using a proven method from Google Cloud, AI CTO will help each company create a special team inside the company called an AI Center of Excellence (AI CoE). This team will bring together all AI skills, tools, and rules in one place. They will lead changes in technology, processes, and people, making sure AI projects match business goals, can grow, and are done safely and responsibly.
“At first, many businesses were unsure about using AI because they thought it was only for simple consumer tools. But Google Cloud programs like AI Trailblazers helped change that by showing the unique benefits of AI for businesses.”
“This led many to experiment with and adopt enterprise AI solutions,” said Serene Sia, Country Director, Singapore and Malaysia, Google Cloud.
“With companies now pursuing more advanced, purpose-built solutions to unlock greater value, they must address new challenges like building robust data-to-AI pipelines, fostering a learning culture, securing internal buy-in, prioritizing the right use cases, and integration with existing systems,
“With DISG, we’ve designed AI CTO to help these firms implement a practical roadmap for holistic transformation, empowering them to scale enterprise AI innovation with confidence and readiness,” she added.
Companies will team up with a technical partner chosen by DISG and certified by Google Cloud to set up their AI Centers of Excellence (AI CoEs). They can get financial support of up to S$500,000 ($389,772) from DISG and Google Cloud, which will be given in parts as they reach different goals.
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