Speech by Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Health, at the Modern Aging Singapore Finale, 24 November 2017

Dr Wong Poh Kam, Director NUS Entrepreneurship Centre

Dr Liu Chang, Managing Director for Singapore, Mainland China, and Hong Kong, ACCESS Health International

Ladies and gentlemen

1.     Good Afternoon. I am happy to be here today at the Modern Aging finale, to mark the conclusion of an annual journey of collaborative innovation by students, entrepreneurs, healthcare professionals, researchers, and investors in the growing field of ageing. 

Building a Nation for All Ages

2.     Singapore’s population is rapidly ageing. By 2030, 1 in 4 Singaporeans will be aged 65 and above.  However, ageing in today’s society, or what might be called “Modern Ageing”, differs significantly from the past.  Singaporeans are not just living longer, they are leading healthier lives.  Successive generations of seniors will also be better educated.  “Modern Ageing” is thus not a challenge for us, but an opportunity.  With better health and opportunities to age gracefully, our Silver citizens will be a productive force for good in our society.

3.     With this in mind, the Government launched a $3 billion Action Plan for Successful Ageing in 2015. Covering more than 70 initiatives in over 12 areas, the Action Plan is our national blueprint to help Singaporeans age confidently and lead active lives, with strong bonds with family and the community. One such initiative is the National Silver Academy (NSA), which has provided more than 900 courses with over 21,000 learning places for persons aged 50 and above to learn for learning’s sake. These subsidised courses range from IT and media courses to art, wellness and gerontology.  In fact, some polytechnics and universities offer such courses so that the seniors can sit side by side with the youngsters to learn.

4.     Seniors are also being empowered to keep healthy. We are partnering employers and community-based organisations to bring health education and preventive health services to seniors and mature workers at workplaces and communities. For example, HPB’s Workplace Health programme has reached out to over 34,000 matured workers over 7 sectors.

5.     Innovation and research also play an important role in creating a Nation for All Ages.  Under the Action Plan, the Government has set aside up to $200 million in research funds under the National Innovation Challenge on Active and Confident Ageing to catalyse research related to ageing. This is aimed at encouraging the research community to innovate to transform the experience of ageing. We have launched 6 grant calls to-date to seek ideas to improve the productivity of home care, reduce the risk of cognitive decline, transform ageless workplaces, as well as create assistive devices to facilitate senior’s mobility and prevent falls. With more innovations, we hope that our city can be transformed into an enabling place for Singaporeans to grow old in, to allow our seniors to live independently in their homes and in communities familiar to them. 

The Modern Aging Programme

6.     The Modern Aging programme is an excellent example of the type of innovation we need to build in order to have an inclusive society. The co-creation of NUS Enterprise and ACCESS Health International, Modern Aging Singapore provides networking, education and acceleration to create new businesses that help people live better as they live longer.  It advocates for enhancing seniors’ quality of life by tapping on technology and experiences from around the world.

7.     I am happy to hear that this programme has been growing from strength to strength.  From the start of the program in 2015 till now, Modern Aging has received close to 200 business idea submissions, with a total of SGD $225,000 being awarded to five teams to date.  Previous solutions that have been accelerated through the programme include monitoring solutions for patients who have gone through lower limb surgeries (Kinexcs); sensor insoles for management and prevention of diabetic ulcers (FlexoSense); an electronic medication dispensing machine (Pillpresso); and an emergency monitoring and response system (SoundEye).  I understand that several of the winners and former participants have gone on to win other competitions locally and internationally.

Conclusion

8.     I’m excited to see what this year’s Modern Aging teams have developed and I welcome you all to the finale. Thank you.