Singapore is leading 12 other markets in terms of AI investment, with 27% of businesses allocating over S$1.28 million (US$1 million) annually to AI initiatives. This surpasses counterparts in the UK (18%) and the US (14%).
This is from a Colt Technology Services report, based on a study conducted by Intuit Research covering 1,236 IT decision makers. Respondents were based in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong.
Colt Technology Services said that among regional peers, Singapore stands out for the scale and depth of its AI investments. While Japan has the widest adoption, with 90% of businesses engaging in AI, and Hong Kong shows strong mid-level investment activity, Singapore leads in high-value commitment.
The company said this signals not only ambition but also strategic intent, backed by national initiatives like the S$1-billion National AI Strategy 2.0, as well as a strong ecosystem of public-private collaboration.
Globally, organisations are prioritising AI-driven innovation and product development (34%), followed closely by generative AI for content creation (33%), cybersecurity (32%) with a tie between customer experience and process optimisation (31%).
Singapore mirrors these trends, with a particularly strong emphasis on cybersecurity and operational task automation, driven by both government policy and enterprise ambition.
The research reveals that 37% of Singaporean businesses have AI as a top priority, which is at par with the global outlook towards AI developments.
Among them, 37% have also cited security and resilience as a priority reflecting the nation’s emphasis on ensuring digital resilience amid leveraging AI for economic growth.
The Singapore government has already invested S$500 million to secure high-performance computing resources essential for AI innovation, and has even allocated over S$20 million to nurture AI talent in the country, aiming to triple the AI workforce over five years.
Shirley Heng, country manager of Colt Technology Services Singapore, said the country’s rapid AI growth is more than just a theory now, especially with the upcoming Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone.
Heng said the JS-SEZ is set to become a hub for AI, cloud computing and data infrastructure, private sector investments in building facilities with scalable network capacities is critical.
“There will definitely be a stronger need for high bandwidth network infrastructure that’s not just fast, but agile and ready to evolve,” she added. “Opportunities like the JS-SEZ are still unfolding, but they signal where the region is headed; it’s something many in the industry are keeping an eye on.”
Further, Singapore’s advanced digital infrastructure also plays a pivotal role in solidifying business confidence in AI spend.
The conducive environment for AI innovation has attracted global tech companies. OpenAI announced plans to establish its Asia-Pacific hub in Singapore, while Amazon Web Services established their new Asia-Pacific headquarters in the country, accommodating up to 3,000 employees and reinforcing Singapore’s status as a digital innovation hub.
