DR CLIFTON PHUA
DR CLIFTON PHUA
DIRECTOR OF LABS so that Singapore’ s enterprises have practical, deployable tools rather than theoretical concepts sitting on a shelf.”
The Labs function within IMDA’ s BizTech Group is explicitly designed to avoid the pitfall of technology remaining in the lab while industry waits. Clifton describes a process built around minimum viable products and direct co-design with the businesses that will eventually use the tools:“ Innovation doesn’ t happen in a vacuum. We actively co-design solutions with government regulators, end users of the technology, as well as working with tech companies. By collaborating across government, industry and research, we ensure our
Clifton Phua is Director of Labs at the Infocomm Media Development Authority( IMDA), where he leads the exploration and rapid prototyping of emerging digital technologies, including AI computing hardware, agentic and embodied AI, robotics, quantum computing, AI safety, and content provenance. His work focuses on translating innovation into practical impact for Singapore’ s industries and workforce.
He has held leadership roles at ST Engineering, DataRobot, and NCS, and has received multiple awards, including The Asset Triple A Digital Awards and the SAS CEO Award of Excellence. Clifton holds a PhD and First Class Honours degree in Information Technology from Monash University, and completed the INSEAD Advanced Management Programme.
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