Chongqing- Singapore is the Country of Honour at the 2025 World Smart Industry Expo (WSIE). Running from September 5 to 8, the event highlights advances in artificial intelligence (AI), smart cities, and digital trade, while marking the 10th anniversary of the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity (CCI).
On September 5, the opening ceremony of the Singapore Pavilion, the Country of Honour at the 2025 World Smart Industry Expo, was held in Chongqing. (Photo/Zheng Ran)
The Singapore Pavilion showcases digital solutions from homegrown companies and reflects 35 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
"At the Pavilion, general visitors can experience live demos of Singapore's digital solutions in trade, smart cities, and innovation. For professional visitors, it's a vibrant marketplace - a place to connect, explore partnerships, and open doors to new markets both ways," said Johnson Poh, Assistant Chief Executive, Sectoral Transformation Group of the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA).
"Singapore takes a pragmatic and pro-innovation approach to AI," Poh said. "We aim to be a hub for trusted and impactful AI, with applications that boost productivity, improve customer experiences, and open new business opportunities."
National initiatives include SEA-LION, a model trained on Southeast Asian languages, and MERaLiON, supporting English, Mandarin, Malay, and Tamil. Business adoption is growing: transport company Lumens uses generative AI to cut inspection time by 75%, saving $300,000 annually, while law firm Allen & Gledhill halves drafting time with AI.
Howie Lau, Chief Corporate Development and Synergy Officer at NCS Group, said the expo fosters partnerships. "AI is only useful if potential ecosystems can come together to find new partners," Lau said. NCS, which has been operating in China since 1998, is focusing on building AI capabilities for clients.
Eddie Sng, director of Sanbo Intelligent Technology, highlighted his firm's AI-driven customs platform linking Singapore and China. "Today, our system is connected both in the Singapore Customs and the China Customs," he said.
Neurotechnology firm Neeuro works with the Chongqing Institute of Brain and Intelligence on brainwave analysis devices. CEO Alvin Chan said the expo had already drawn "different partners, potential partners" on its first day.
Since 2015, the CCI has facilitated connections between Singapore and western China across financial services, logistics, aviation, and ICT.
"Our participation in WSIE 2025 is significant as it coincides with the 10th anniversary of the CCI," Poh said. "The platform has been valuable for Singapore in reinforcing our role as a digital and economic gateway between Western China and Southeast Asia."
On opening day, investment contracts worth more than 200 billion yuan ($28 billion) were signed, including 120 billion yuan in on-site agreements, underscoring the expo's role in international cooperation and digital innovation.