The Singapore Prize recognises innovative projects, which are both locally-grown and global in reach. They are recognised for their impact, scalability and transformational potential. Winners of the Singapore Prize will benefit from a global platform that showcases their success to a wider audience, as well as gain access to a network of like-minded entrepreneurs.
The award winners will be able to leverage the Singapore Prize brand and prize funds to expand their businesses. A winner can also choose to set up a fund to continue funding the project in the future.
WINNERS OF THE 2023 SINGAPORE PRIZE
The finalists were selected from hundreds of entries from organisations across the world that are making a difference in their communities and industries by using technology to address real-world issues. Each of them has a unique story that shows how they are leveraging technology to improve their business and society at large.
Awarded annually, the prize was founded in 2014 as part of SG50 celebrations. It was mooted by Kishore Mahbubani, a Distinguished Fellow at the NUS Asia Research Institute, in an opinion piece in The Straits Times. “The famous American social scientist Benedict Anderson said that nations are ‘imagined communities’ and a shared imagination, especially in history, is a critical glue holding societies today,” he explained then.
It was won by Professor John Miksic for his book Singapore and the Silk Road of the Sea, 1300-1800. The archaeologist first came to the island in 1984 to do test excavations of Fort Canning, and then returned in 1998 for a more extensive study at Empress Place and Old Parliament House. He was inspired to write his book after seeing the ‘delicate and sophisticated’ preservation of artefacts from ancient Singapore.
Prof Miksic’s work also reveals that Singapore’s history is not just about a nation building its modern infrastructure. He argues that it also has to do with preserving and sharing stories about ordinary people. “We often focus on the great men and women of history, but it’s important to know about the lives of ordinary people,” he says.
The judging process is conducted by an independent, international panel of judges that includes industry leaders and academics from universities around the world. Winners are announced at a ceremony in Singapore and receive a prize of S$100,000 to support their next ventures. Runner-ups receive S$25,000 and the opportunity to collaborate with our partners on the following year’s programme.