Media Releases
IDA’s Data Discovery Challenge — Discovery and Mashing of Private and Public Data for New Value
11 December 2014
SG's Data Discovery Challenge encourages businesses to share private datasets to uncover insights, fueling Smart Nation initiatives. The top prize is S$5,000.
Competition to raise businesses' and consumers’ understanding and use of data in a Smart Nation
Singapore is building the world’s first Smart Nation, where data and analytics will play a critical role. To support this vision, the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) announced the start of a new Data Discovery Challenge today.
Through the Data Discovery Challenge, it seeks to raise awareness to enterprises on the benefits of making available private datasets, which when pooled with other datasets, is able to uncover new insights and values, bringing the data to better use and helping enterprises to create new products and services, enhance customer’s experience or improve their business operations in a Smart Nation. The possibilities are endless.
It is also the first challenge to utilise a federated dataset discovery mechanism (named the Federated Dataset Registry or FDSR) that seeks to provide a coherent method for dataset discovery in the private sector. The FDSR was launched as part of the Data-as-a-Service pilot in October this year to support the development of a Data Marketplace where both public and private sector data can be shared or used for commerce. This is one of the preliminary ideas being outlined for the Infocomm Media Masterplan. Public datasets are already available through central portals such as data.gov.sg.
IDA Executive Deputy Chairman, Mr Steve Leonard said, “Singapore is on its way to be the world’s first Smart Nation. We well understand the importance of finding new ways to effectively use data to deal with challenges of healthcare, transport and energy, to name just three areas. In the midst of harnessing data effectively, we also well understand the importance of protecting the data and respecting the privacy of individuals.”
Participants of the challenge stand to win not just the top prize of S$5,000 in cash, but also opportunities for the promising teams to work with partners post-challenge to take their ideas further. For instance, key partner SingTel will be supporting the acceleration and potential commercialisation of relevant ideas that emerge, in addition to providing anonymised and aggregated datasets, SingTel may also explore seed funding for these ideas.
Mr Bill Chang, Chief Executive Officer of SingTel Group Enterprise, said: “As a company with millions of customers and operations around the world, SingTel has a unique richness of data and location intelligence that we are translating into real insights to benefit customers, businesses and the larger community. By reaching out and engaging the broader community of innovators, researchers and entrepreneurs through initiatives such as IDA’s Data Challenge, we can help catalyse Singapore’s aspirations of becoming the first Smart Nation in the world.”
Other partners, such as data providers like DFRC Pte Ltd, DP Information Network Pte Ltd and Elixir Technology Pte Ltd, will also work with promising teams to explore collaboration in bringing their ideas to potential commercialisation.
Participants such as the data community, both data providers and data scientists are invited to participate in this challenge.
ISSUED BY THE INFOCOMM DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE
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About Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore
The mission of the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) is to develop information technology and telecommunications within Singapore to serve citizens of all ages and companies of all sizes. IDA does this by actively supporting the growth of innovative technology companies and start-ups in Singapore, working with leading global IT companies, and developing excellent information technology and telecommunications infrastructure, policies, and capabilities for Singapore. For more news and information, visit www.ida.gov.sg.
For media clarification
Shanna NG (Ms)
Manager, Corporate and Marketing Communication
Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore
DID: (65) 6211 3835
Email: shanna_ng@ida.gov.sg
Eugene NEUBRONNER (Mr)
Assistant Manager, Corporate and Marketing Communication
Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore
DID: (65) 6211 1182
Email: eugene_neubronner@ida.gov.sg