1. The National Research Foundation (NRF), Prime Minister’s Office, Singapore, today unveiled Virtual Singapore¹, a dynamic three-dimensional (3D) city model and collaborative data platform, including the 3D maps of Singapore.

2. When completed, Virtual Singapore will be the authoritative 3D digital platform intended for use by the public, private, people and research sectors. It will enable users from different sectors to develop sophisticated tools and applications for test-bedding concepts and services, planning and decision-making, and research on technologies to solve emerging and complex challenges for Singapore.

Benefits of Virtual Singapore

3. As Virtual Singapore is an intelligent information platform leveraging big data environment, users will be able to derive insights, develop solutions and run simulations by creating rich visual models and realistic large-scale scenarios of Singapore. For example, the software offers visualisations of 3G/4G network coverage areas; simulations of crowd control and evacuation measures; and planning scenarios for delivering municipal services, analysing pedestrian flows, as well as projecting science research outcomes.

4. In addition, communities will be able to co-create innovations to improve the city environment and their neighbourhoods. From choosing the colour of paint for a HDB block to locating new facilities such as basketball courts, parks and BBQ pits, Virtual Singapore serves as a useful and convenient platform for individuals to make collective decisions.

5. The potential uses of Virtual Singapore are immense and limited by our imagination. See Annex A.

Data Protection

6. Security and data protection safeguards will be put in place, for example, through anonymisation and aggregation of data, which will prevent traceability to the individual.

Development of the Virtual Singapore

7. This project is championed by the NRF, the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) and the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA). NRF will be leading the project development, whilst SLA will support with its 3D topographical mapping data and become the operator and owner when Virtual Singapore is completed. IDA will provide expertise in information and communications technology and its management as required in the project. Other public agencies will participate in Virtual Singapore in various phases.

8. Virtual Singapore is an R&D programme initiated by the NRF at a cost of $73 million for the development of the platform as well as research into latest technologies and advanced tools over a period of five years. The platform is targeted to be ready by 2017 and will be deployed progressively.

9. More details of Virtual Singapore can be found in Annex B.

¹ Virtual Singapore forms part of the projects and programmes lined up under the “Smart Nation” initiative which was launched by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the National Infocomm Awards on 24 Nov 2014. In his speech, PM Lee had envisioned a Smart Nation which uses the latest technology to benefit the country.