Keynote speech

Bern, 06.07.2015 - Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard, Singapore-ETH Centre, 6 July 2015

Directors,

Mr. Chairman,

Mr. Executive Director

Ladies and gentlemen,

I am especially pleased to have this opportunity to speak to you today in the CREATE Tower, which houses the Singapore-ETH Centre for Global Environmental Sustainability. There is hardly another location that more closely reflects the excellent relations between Switzerland and Singapore in the areas of science, innovation, education and technology:

• Scientific teams from both countries work closely together here.
• They thus foster research - a central pillar of activity for both countries - and promote both Switzerland and Singapore as major research centres.
• In their research projects they are committed to sustainability, as we have just seen from our insight into the "Future Cities Laboratory" research programme. Both Switzerland and Singapore attach a great deal of value to sustainability, as I am aware from our close bilateral cooperation on climate protection.

To put it in a nutshell: in this building, technological networking is not only being researched, it is also being put into practice - internationally, and from person to person.

And this brings me to the subject matter of this event.

Switzerland is a networked nation with four official languages, a diversity of cultures, a vibrant democracy, and short channels between politics, the economy and the general population. The next step is digital networking.

Networking is the catchword of our times. Everything is being networked with everything: smartphones with cars, households and appliances, machines with other machines, factories with other factories, etc. The network is available permanently and everywhere. We now speak of the "Internet of Things" or the "Internet for Everything".

Singapore is at the forefront of this trend: it is ranked number one on the global "Network Readiness Index" - sincerest congratulations! Switzerland is currently ranked sixth, so there is still room for improvement, for example in the area of mobility.

MOBILITY

Passenger and goods mobility is constantly increasing in Switzerland. Ever-increasing congestion is giving rise to high costs. But we cannot keep expanding our transport infrastructure - we simply do not have the necessary space. So what can we do to overcome this dilemma?

• We possess the densest railway network in the world. It is significantly more efficient than private motorised transport.
• We are developing a programme to eliminate bottlenecks.

But this is not sufficient on its own. We need to utilise the existing infrastructure more efficiently.

We possess the necessary instruments to accomplish this:

• Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
• Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS)

Rapid progress with these technologies is opening up new perspectives.

Singapore is a pioneer in the area of traffic management:

• It introduced a road toll (electronic road pricing) forty years ago.
• It has a multi-modal ticket for all forms of public transport.
• It has applications for smartphones that enable users to optimise their transport routes.

Furthermore, public transport tariffs are scaled, and the registration of "green" cars, including new electric vehicles, has been promoted since 2001 (and the system was intensified in 2013).

Clearly these developments cannot be transferred one-to-one to other countries, but they can be helpful when it comes to managing mobility in the future.

Switzerland, too, is examining the option of introducing a mobility pricing system - adapted to our specific geographic and political circumstances, and socially structured. The aim here is to ensure that road and public transport infrastructure is utilised more constantly, i.e. not only during peak periods in the morning and the evening.

With its "Smart Travel" concept, Singapore has demonstrated that an incentives system can be successful, and for this reason we are keen to exchange findings and experiences with you.

The concept of "Smart Drive" is increasingly developing into a global topic. It is already technically possible to drive a car without using the steering wheel, but there is still a lack of practical experience on the road. Issues such as safety, liability and traffic regulations still need to be clarified.

And here, too, Singapore is a pioneer:

• With the "Smart and Connected JLD Pilots and Trials Initiative", government authorities have been conducting autonomous driving trials in some parts of the city since 2013. Here, for example, people can book driverless taxis via the Internet. The aim is to extend these trials to public roads later this year.

But players in the private sector are also involved in projects that could make Singapore the first "smart city" in the world:

• The aim of the "SMART Autonomous Vehicle" project of the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology and the National University of Singapore is to promote "mobility on demand" and thus reduce the number of vehicles on the road.
• Navia, a driverless bus, is being trialled in the Cleantech Eco-Industrial Park and on the campus of Nanyang Technology University.

ENERGY

Another area in which there is huge potential for networking is the energy sector. ICT-based solutions for smart grids, smart buildings and smart logistics can significantly enhance energy efficiency. For example, buildings in Singapore have to be cooled all year round, which requires more energy than the heating of buildings, which in Switzerland is necessary for a few months each year.

In their turn, green technologies play a key role in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. So a smart energy policy also makes a significant contribution towards an effective climate protection policy. 

Singapore and Switzerland are aware of this potential: pilot projects aimed at promoting energy efficiency are being carried out in both countries. I look forward to hearing what Mr Tan has to say later on this topic.

DATA HUB

Networking also opens up economic opportunities for both countries. Data are the gold of the future, especially when we consider that the volume is currently doubling every twelve to fifteen months. What Singapore is for Asia today, Switzerland could one day be for Europe: a data hub.

The prerequisites for this are excellent. Like Singapore, Switzerland is a country with

• an open economy
• a high degree of innovative capacity
• outstanding education and research
• political stability
• and highly qualified personnel.

However, it is important not to overlook the need for protection of the private sphere and digital data.

The state is able to play a bridging role in the development of networking. This was the case with swissnex Singapore, the co-organiser of this event. In the past eleven years, swissnex has been a successful platform for cooperation in the areas of science, education and innovation, and functioning as the contact point for numerous institutions, companies and private individuals in these areas. It also supported the Federal Institute of Technology when it put out feelers in the direction of Singapore. Swissnex also supported the University of St Gallen when it established an institute in Singapore. I had the opportunity to visit swissnex Singapore during my first visit to your country in 2006 in my former functions as Minister of Economic Affairs.

Now that this networking has become reality, swissnex can close its doors - its mission as a door opener has been completed. A Science and Technology Office in the Swiss embassy will now ensure the continuity of relations.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs Suzanne Hraba-Renevey for her valuable work and her passionate commitment as CEO of swissnex.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The future is smart - the future is networking.

Countries such as Switzerland and Singapore, that are of a manageable size and possess limited natural resources, will do well to continue to invest in brainpower and bytes.

I am firmly convinced that these investments will open new doors to a postmodern world - to the benefit of the economy, human beings and sustainability.

So let us exchange findings and experiences! Let us learn from one another! The people here in this building are proof of the fact that the best and most creative solutions arise through cooperation.

Let us make networking a reality - internationally and from person to person!

Thank you very much.

Address for enquiries

Communication DETEC, +41 58 462 55 11

Publisher

General Secretariat of the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications; General Secretariat DETEC
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