[Joint Release] The 2023 Pro-Enterprise Panel - Singapore Business Federation (PEP – SBF) Awards
The 2023 PEP-SBF Awards Ceremony was held today, with Minister for Trade and Industry, Mr Gan Kim Yong, as the Guest-of-Honour. The annual PEP-SBF Awards celebrates successful partnerships and contributions made by the private and public sectors in advancing Singapore’s pro-enterprise environment.
This year, a total of 13 awards, spanning four categories, were presented to individuals, businesses, trade associations and chambers, and public sector agencies, who have made outstanding contributions in driving pro-enterprise transformation, fostering collaboration, and supporting innovative business proposals. (The full list of award recipients can be found in Annex B)
In his opening address, Minister Gan encouraged government agencies and businesses to collaborate closely, to maintain Singapore as the best place to do business. To this end, Minister Gan emphasised the importance for Government agencies to introduce flexible smart regulations that support innovation and encouraged businesses to seek new opportunities to grow both locally and globally.
Award Highlights
Pro-Enterprise Transformation (PET) Award – Gold Winner: Driving the Adoption of Remote Monitoring and Diagnostics (RM&D) Solutions in Lifts by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA)
The PET Award celebrates public sector officers or teams for their exceptional efforts in advancing the pro-enterprise agenda and promoting the growth of emerging areas.
In August 2022, BCA and the Ministry of National Development implemented a regulatory sandbox for lifts equipped with RM&D. Under the sandbox, RM&D lifts are subject to a quarterly maintenance frequency, instead of the monthly maintenance for non-RM&D lifts. This enables lift owners and contractors to reap the benefits of a predictive maintenance regime and enjoy the flexibility to optimise their manpower and resources for maintenance visits. Since the implementation of the regulatory sandbox, more than 10 building owners with portfolios of more than 450 lifts, are at various stages of sandboxing their lifts with RM&D solutions.
The sandbox balances business needs with regulatory concerns and is a proactive step towards a collaborative future, where the industry, together with the public sector, can pilot ideas that benefit Singapore.
Pro-Enterprise Catalyst (PEC) Award – Projects: Innovative Fall Detection System in Homes by SoundEye, in collaboration with the Housing and Development Board (HDB)
The PEC Award – Projects is awarded to private sector individuals/partners who had provided catalytic feedback or suggestion and actively collaborated with the PEP and agencies to drive positive change and foster a pro-enterprise environment.
As Singapore’s population ages, leveraging technology and smart solutions, such as fall detectors, can enhance the safety of seniors living alone. One such example is SoundEye’s Fall Detection System, a detector that uses a remote sensing method and microphone technology to detect falls. In the event of a fall by the user, an alert will be automatically sent to the next of kin or Active Ageing Centres. A recording of the depth imaging will be generated together with the alert, allowing responders to instantly verify if it was an actual fall or a false alarm.
HDB conducted a two-month trial with SoundEye at Queenstown to test the solution in a real-life environment. In the study, HDB analysed residents’ activity patterns, identified areas in the home with risk of fall for seniors, and gathered feedback from residents on the sensitivity of the detection system. HDB will continue to work with SoundEye to explore scaling up the implementation of smart safety solutions in HDB flats, to benefit more residents.
The SoundEye-HDB collaboration is an example of how regulatory agencies can lean forward to support innovation from the private sector and help businesses capture new opportunities.
PEP’s Partnership with SBF
The PEP and SBF have been working closely to support Singapore’s business community. Mr Lim Ming Yan, SBF Chairman, said, “SBF would like to extend its heartfelt congratulations to PEP for its continued efforts in enhancing Singapore’s business environment. The role of regulatory agility in empowering our businesses to seize new opportunities has never been more pivotal. In line with our commitment to regulatory agility, SBF will continue collaborating with the PEP, the Government, and the industry to promote a more vibrant Singapore business landscape, where innovation and efficiency converge.”
