Singapore, France ink partnership for smart cities and transport

This will push green and digital technologies.

Singapore and France signed a partnership to develop projects pushing for digital and green issues such as smart transport and smart cities, amongst others.

In a joint ministerial statement, Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations S Iswaran and French Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness Frank Riester inked the France-Singapore Digital and Green Partnership (DGP) in a virtual signing ceremony. 

Under the DGP, both nations will develop a work plan consisting of projects including smart transport, smart cities, cyber, financial innovation, agri-food technologies, MedTech and EduTech. 

Their goal is to back public-private partnerships and private sector-led approaches to digital and green technologies, which seek to enhance the competitiveness of economies and create sustainable jobs for the public.

A joint working group consisting of France and Singapore officials will be established to oversee the DGP’s enforcement.

Iswaran, for his part, said the partnership will help Singapore build international partnerships and allow firms, especially small- and medium-sized enterprises, to have opportunities in the fast-growing digital and green economies. 

“It is also the latest in a series of initiatives to continuously update and strengthen the robust economic partnership between France and Singapore – two like-minded nations which have always placed innovation at the heart of our national strategies for growth and prosperity,” Iswaran said.

“At the strategic level, the Partnership will contribute to and complement existing multilateral, regional and bilateral discussions, including ongoing efforts with the EU [European Union] to develop the EU-Singapore Digital Partnership,” he added.