Singapore’s national space office, the Office for Space Technology and Industry (OSTIn), and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have signed a Statement of Strategic Intent and Cooperation — this Statement is the first of its kind for AWS in Asia and will help support Singapore’s focus on space as a potential new industry for economic growth and technology development.
Singapore has an emerging space and technology ecosystem. This includes the academia, startups, and other industry groups, carrying out a wide range of space activities, from the design and manufacture of satellites and related components to the provision of satellite-based services. OSTIn works closely with research institutes, industry, and fellow government agencies to build relevant space capabilities to support this growth. The Statement between AWS and OSTIn outlines specific areas of collaboration designed to foster the development of space technologies and support the creation of a vibrant, sustainable, and innovative space hub in Singapore.
Max Peterson, vice president of worldwide public sector at Amazon Web Services (AWS), and David Tan, executive director at Office for Space Technology & Industry (OSTIn), sign a Statement of Strategic Intent and Cooperation between AWS and OSTIn in a virtual ceremony.
AWS will support Singapore’s efforts in developing the space industry by providing resources to support businesses with AWS credits, educate and train talent, and enable the development of innovative new products and services in the space industry. This is in line with Singapore’s move towards an innovation-led economy. Space technologies have the potential to support national priorities in aviation, maritime, climate, and the environment, and inspire future generations to pursue a career in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. AWS and OSTIn plan to share more details on the specific initiatives to support this collaboration to accelerate space innovation in Singapore in early 2022.
AWS is also collaborating with customers locally in Singapore to drive space innovation. Singapore-based EOfactory, an EO deep insights platform provider, is launching Insight Studio, a platform for delivering intelligence as a service for EO. It uses AWS technologies to deliver AI-powered analytics such as object detection for various industries that include agriculture, maritime, and smart cities, all of which improves the understanding of the planet and its resources, and helps governments and commercial organizations to make key decisions toward sustainable practices.
Kacific Broadband Satellites Group, a next-generation broadband satellite operator also based in Singapore, is using AWS technologies to provide high-quality, low-cost satellite broadband internet connectivity to improve the lives of people living in remote South East Asia and the Pacific region. With AWS, Kacific can provide connectivity more rapidly to businesses, governments, and communities to connect with the internet and each other, allowing critical services like healthcare, education, and public information in rural and remote areas to be delivered online.
“OSTIn is delighted to be working with AWS to explore the use of cloud technologies to support the growth of Singapore’s space industry, and realize business and innovation initiatives,” said David Tan, executive director at OSTIn. “This collaboration with AWS will support the development of Singapore to become a regional hub for space innovation and play a larger role in the global space industry. We look forward to deepening the collaboration with AWS through developing specific programs to make space technologies accessible, to develop space talent for Singapore, and foster collaborations within the space industry locally, regionally, and globally.”
“AWS has a long-term commitment to helping customers innovate and grow in Singapore, and we are proud to support OSTIn’s mission to boost technology innovation and economic growth in the space industry,” said Clint Crosier, director for AWS Aerospace and Satellite. “By uniting the private and public sectors through space-cloud technologies, AWS will work with OSTIn to enable individuals and organizations to build on the cloud and develop industry-focused solutions that address space challenges or issues citizens face.”
“AWS has the breadth and depth of technologies that can enable the space sector to deeply innovate on solutions and support organizations like the Singapore Space & Technology Ltd (SSTL) and our portfolio companies to focus on delivering their mission. This is in strong alignment with our work to advance and accelerate space technologies applications to benefit people, enterprises, and the planet,” said Lynette Tan, chief executive at SSTL. “I am very excited to see this industry collaboration between two very important organizations, AWS and OSTIn, which will bring in a valuable new dimension to the space industry.”
