It is a compelling vision, but also one the city-state has told before. A decade ago, the city-state cast itself as Southeast Asia’s fintech capital. In many respects, it succeeded. Payments firms, digital banks and crypto exchanges chose it as their regional base. The regulatory regime, stewarded by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), was widely seen as pragmatic and accessible. Licensing processes were clear. Sandboxes were real. Capital was abundant.
At the recent Committee of Supply debate, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong said Singapore will establish a dedicated AI park at LaunchPad @ One-North. Branded as Kampong AI, the project will repurpose two existing seven-storey blocks within the expanded LaunchPad estate. One will offer about 14,500 sqm of workspace for roughly 70 firms, while the other will house over 200 residential units for AI start-up founders and employees.
The name is intentional. “Kampong,” Malay for village, conveys a sense of community rather than a corporate park. Kampong AI aims to bring entrepreneurs, engineers, investors and corporate partners into proximity so ideas circulate quickly and projects move faster.
