The France-Singapore Joint Committee on Science and Innovation Mid-Term Review Opened by HE Mr Marc Abensour, Ambassador of France to Singapore, the online meeting of the France-Singapore Joint Committee on Science and Innovation mid-term review, held on 30 June 2022, was co-chaired by the CEO of the National Research Foundation Singapore, Prof Low Teck Seng, and by the Director-General for Research and Innovation of the France’s Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, Dr Claire Giry, who shared updates on the research and innovation strategies of both countries.
This mid-term review of the JCSI was the opportunity to discuss the main priorities and milestones of the bilateral cooperation between France and Singapore in view of the organization of the 3rd JCSI meeting, but also to assess the actions undertaken in priority areas of cooperation identified at the 2nd JSCI meeting held in June 2021: circular economy, health and biomedical reasearch as well as quantum technologies.
The latest cooperation updates on areas of mutual interest such as artificial intelligence, nuclear safety, maritime, space and agri-food tech were reviewed.
Since the Last JCSI meeting, several collaborations have materialized:
In November 2021, a Memorandum of Understanding between Ecole 42 and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) was signed, in presence of Singapore Minister of Education, Mr Chan Chun Sing, last November, for the creation of 42 Singapore which should open its door by the end of this year.
The cooperation in innovation and entrepreneurship between HEC and the Singapore Management University (SMU) has been implemented with the coming to Singapore of the first batch of students from France last spring and the stay in France of the first batch of students from Singapore this month.
Last March, the French-Singaporean Digital and Green Partnership (DGP) was signed by Franck Riester, Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness, and S Isawaran, Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations. Under this partnership, both countries are committed to identify synergies between our digital and green innovation ecosystems, so as to take our economic relationship to an even higher level, by encouraging public and private stakeholders from both countries to leverage our world-leading industries, start-ups, academic communities and public sectors to strengthen and deepen their relations.
The 3rd JCSI meeting will take place in the first half of 2023. High-level representatives from the relevant ministries, funding agencies, major research institutions and companies of both countries as well as the two embassies will take part in this regular event.
Proposed by France’s Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, Ms Frédérique Vidal, on the occasion of the launch of the France-Singapore Year of Innovation in January 2018, the Joint Committee on Science and Innovation was an initiative made public by Deputy Prime Minister and President of National Research Foundation Singapore, Mr Heng Swee Keat, at the closing ceremony of the France-Singapore Year of Innovation in March 2019.
The JCSI was established to keep the momentum of the France Singapore Year of Innovation by identifying key priorities, putting together the relevant stakeholders and launching new collaborations with three transversal objectives: translation of research into the industry; collaboration between our entrepreneurial ecosystems; and exchange of young talents between our two countries.
