Aboitiz Data Innovation, the Data Science and Artificial Intelligence arm of the Aboitiz Group, kicked off its "ADI: Let's Press Start" event at the ArtScience Museum in Singapore on 27 October. ADI showcased the possibilities DSAI can contribute to accelerated transformation in its key sectors — financial services, power, and smart cities — to help build a data-driven future and advance businesses and communities in the region.
It was a successful launch attended by over a hundred valued partners and stakeholders from both Singapore and the Philippines. Among the key Aboitiz executives in attendance were Aboitiz Group President and CEO Sabin Aboitiz, AboitizPower President and CEO Emmanuel Rubio, Aboitiz InfraCapital President and CEO Cosette Canilao, UnionBank President and CEO Edwin Bautista, Aboitiz Food Group Business CEO Eric Nojac, and ADI CEO Dr. David R. Hardoon.
In their company were key members of the business community in Singapore, alongside Singaporean government officials, members of the academe, and top officials from the Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines in Singapore led by Charge d'Affaires and Consul General Dr. Emmanuel R. Fernandez.
Integral to the Aboitiz Group's "Great Transformation" plans in making the company more resilient and future-ready, ADI aims to simplify the complex world of data and drive the Group's journey in becoming the Philippine's first techglomorate through the operationalization of DSAI across all business units.
"Data is the new oil or gold. Its value and currency are firmly and permanently established, and strengthening by the minute. To seize it would be imperative, which is exactly what we are doing here today with the launch of Aboitiz Data Innovation, and with our ongoing Great Transformation into a fully data-driven Techglomerate — the first of its kind in the Philippines. Companies around the world are embarking on this journey themselves, and the ones that are able to create the most value from data-supported capabilities will progress the fastest," said Aboitiz Group President and CEO Sabin Aboitiz.
Through the event, ADI promoted opportunities for its partners and industry leaders to create a meaningful and positive impact on society, offering innovative and sustainable DSAI-enabled products and services to solve business, environmental, social, and governance challenges.
"ADI is revolutionizing how data is used across industries, sectors, and borders," said ADI CEO Dr. David R. Hardoon. "Through tried and tested DSAI frameworks, ADI brings together the science and domain knowledge to enable companies to focus obsessively on its operationalization. We're excited to see the business- and people-centric, quantifiable impact the activation of DSAI will have on customer services, operational efficiency, and risk management."
As businesses and governments continue to recognize digital innovation as the engine of economic growth, ADI is leveraging Singapore's position as a leading technology hub to strengthen its commitment and foothold in the region over the next five years through increased investment and working with strategic local partners. With the support of the Singapore Economic Development Board, ADI will drive the company's push in hiring more talent in Singapore and establish its DSAI advisory services and products offered in the region.
EDB Executive Vice President Tan Kong Hwee said, "The Aboitiz Group's expansion of its DSAI arm, ADI, as part of the Group's Great Transformation plans, is testament to Singapore's hub status in Asia for innovation and technology. EDB will continue to catalyze and support companies' growth and transformation strategies in the region. We warmly welcome ADI's plans, which will provide desirable job opportunities for Singaporeans and contribute to the growth of Singapore's diverse DSAI talent pool."
ADI also announced its official partnerships with the National University of Singapore, Synfindo, and JERA at the event, to help accelerate the implementation of data-driven AI models across financial services, power, and smart cities in the region.
The joint collaboration between ADI and NUS aims to encourage more research and development activities in AI-enabled sustainable systems, to help develop strong use cases in areas such as urban design, power utilities, manufacturing, and finance sectors.
In addition, ADI has partnered with Synfindo to embed its data exchange platform Parlay into the Synfindo framework to further accelerate ADI's "always share unless" approach to data. The partnership will allow Synfindo financial institutions and FinTech members to interact with data seamlessly and securely, so members can accelerate FinTech and RegTech innovation more efficiently.
ADI will also be working with JERA to explore the DSAI solutions within the energy and power sector to address power generation challenges. Through this collaboration, ADI and JERA can work to attain and maintain power generation reliability, efficiency, and environmental sustainability.
