SINGAPORE, Oct 29 – Technology services company NCS has launched a new AI Mission Centre in Singapore as part of its plan to help businesses and public organisations put artificial intelligence (AI) into practical use.
The company also aims to expand its team of Intelligentisation Forward-Deployed Engineers (iFDEs) from 100 to more than 300 within the next two years.
The expansion will involve training existing employees and recruiting new specialists. These engineers will work directly with clients to develop AI solutions based on real business and operational needs.
The launch was officiated by Singapore’s Minister for Digital Development and Information, Josephine Teo.
New Centre to Help Organisations Deploy AI
The NCS AI Mission Centre will bring together industry specialists, engineers and AI platform teams to help organisations move beyond AI trials.
The centre will work with clients to identify business challenges, improve existing workflows and test AI solutions in real operating environments.
Once a solution proves successful, NCS plans to develop it into reusable products and services. This could allow organisations to apply similar solutions across different departments and markets.
NCS will also use its Sunshine.AI platforms to support these projects.
For example, Sunshine.core provides a foundation for building and managing enterprise AI agents. Meanwhile, Sunshine.commanderAI allows robots from different manufacturers to work together on practical tasks.
Three Partnerships to Develop AI Solutions
Alongside the launch, NCS signed three memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with Changi Airport Group (CAG), the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) and Life3 Biotech.
The partnerships will focus on AI applications in transport, healthcare and advanced manufacturing.
1. Changi Airport Group
NCS and Changi Airport Group will improve iFerret, an intelligent runway surveillance system designed to detect foreign object debris.
Such debris can pose a safety risk to aircraft. The partners will use advanced AI technologies to strengthen the system and test improvements in real airport conditions before considering wider deployment.
2. Institute of Mental Health
The partnership with IMH will explore digital solutions to support patient care and healthcare workers.
One initiative is Bio-ID, an AI-powered facial recognition system designed to strengthen patient identification and help staff monitor relevant safety considerations in inpatient care.
IMH will assess the system in its wards and provide feedback to improve the technology.
3. Life3 Biotech
NCS will work with Life3 Biotech to develop AI-based tools for biomanufacturing.
The project aims to improve the efficiency, production capacity and sustainability of processes involving micro-organisms. It will combine AI with advanced bioprocessing technologies.
NCS Plans to Strengthen AI Skills
Beyond expanding its specialist team, NCS is investing in AI training for its wider workforce.
All employees will receive AI fluency training, covering areas such as prompt engineering, responsible AI use and working with AI agents.
The company is also continuing advanced training for more than 2,000 AI practitioners. The programme focuses on building and deploying AI systems that are ready for use in real business operations.
In addition, NCS is redesigning software engineering roles to combine business analysis, software development and testing within more flexible, AI-enabled teams.
The company is also developing early-career talent through its Nucleus, Fusion and Ignite work-study programmes. These provide practical learning pathways for university, polytechnic and Institute of Technical Education (ITE) graduates.
Turning AI Projects into Practical Results
NCS said the AI Mission Centre reflects its commitment to helping organisations use AI beyond the experimental stage.
The company currently has around 15,000 employees across the Asia Pacific region and is part of the Singtel Group.
With its expanded engineering workforce and new industry partnerships, NCS aims to support wider AI adoption across Singapore’s public and private sectors.
Source: PR Newswire |
