) or https:// as an added precaution.Professor Phoon Kok Kwang, President, SUTD;
Professor Chee Yeow Meng, Provost, SUTD;
SUTD staff and students;
Industry partners;
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good afternoon. I am very glad to join you this afternoon at InspireCon 2026 – SUTD's annual showcase of Capstone projects and innovation highlights across the university.
2. Looking at the projects on display today, I am encouraged by what I see. These are not just technical solutions or academic exercises. They are thoughtful, real-world solutions built with society and people in mind.
3. To the students showcasing your work today, and to the faculty who have guided and mentored you – congratulations, and well done.
The Changing Nature of Work
4. We are all living in a period of rapid technological change. AI, automation, and digital tools are reshaping industries, jobs, and also creating new opportunities. According to the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs 2025 report, 88% of employers listed AI and big data as core skills required by 2030. But beyond AI, creative thinking, analytical thinking, resilience and adaptability were key skills in demand by employers. These are skills that only humans can deliver.
5. This is an important reminder. For us to thrive in the future, we will need to go beyond understanding technology well. Critical thinking, creative problem solving, and the ability to make sound and ethical decisions will be key skills that allow us to use technology well. These are the very same skills that you will pick up during your time in SUTD.
Why This Matters for Singapore
6. Beyond individual careers, this is also the way ahead for Singapore. As our PM Lawrence Wong said in Budget 2026, AI can be a strategic advantage for Singapore, one that can help us overcome our structural constraints, raise productivity, unlock new discoveries, and improve lives.
7. Being a small country, we know it will be a challenge if we were to compete to build frontier models – it requires huge amounts of high quality data and serous compute infrastructure. But as a small country, we have always thrived on being nimble and agile, to deploy new technology quickly and effectively – and in this case, deploying AI effectively, responsibly, and quickly in areas that matter. That is why Singapore has launched AI Missions across four key sectors: (i) advanced manufacturing, (ii) connectivity, (iii) finance, and (iv) healthcare, with regulatory sandboxes to accelerate innovation from development to deployment.
Universities like SUTD Matter
8. For Singapore to succeed in this next phase of growth, we need Singaporeans who are confident with AI, and grounded in values, judgement and purpose.
9. This is where our Institutes of Higher Learning play a critical role. SUTD has stood out for a strong focus on design, interdisciplinary learning, and solving real-world problems. Its research strengths in areas such as healthcare, cities, aviation, and AI are also very closely aligned with our national challenges – meaning great and worthy problems to solve.
10. SUTD works very closely with industry and public sector partners to creatively solve problems with technology. For example, its long-standing collaboration with SingHealth has brought together expertise in technology, AI and healthcare to develop smart, low-carbon campuses, and human-centred healthcare solutions. And we look forward to more of such collaborations that SUTD will have, to solve problems and build a better life for every Singaporean.
Launch of DIVE
11. DIVE is another example of this approach and philosophy. SUTD's Design∙AI Innovation and Venture Exploration, or DIVE, strengthens the pathway from classroom ideas to real-world ventures. It brings together Capstone projects, StartSomething initiatives, and Baby Shark Fund ventures into a stronger innovation ecosystem where students can test ideas, build solutions, and take them further.
12. DIVE reflects how education can continue to evolve, to equip students with knowledge, and empower them to create, to lead, and to make a difference.
Conclusion
13. Today at InspireCon 2026, we celebrate the projects and a generation of young Singaporeans who are ready to shape the future with creativity, courage and a sense of responsibility.
14. To all our young students here today, continue to challenge yourselves, solve big problems, and go build a better life for all Singaporeans.
15. Congratulations once again on InspireCon 2026 and the launch of DIVE. Thank you.