Cisco opens innovation hub, cybersecurity center in Singapore – Technologist

Cisco has broadened its focus on innovation, cybersecurity and the Internet of Things (IoT) with the launch of a Co-Innovation Centre and a Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence (CCX) in Singapore.

Both located at Cisco’s office in Mapletree Business City, the centers are expected to strengthen its innovation push and boost Asia-Pacific threat intelligence research and security incidence response capabilities.

Chng Kai Fong, managing director of the Economic Development Board, welcomed the move and was quoted in the news release as saying the centers will also “provide opportunities for Singaporeans to work with the best minds in Cisco.”

Cisco confirmed in an email interview with FutureIoT that at the Singapore Co-Innovation Center, Singaporeans will get to work on state-of-the art innovation and the company looks forward to building a high-energy, motivated team.

“This includes the exploration of new technologies, which includes blockchain, drones, cognitive computing, AR / VR and other areas of interest,” said Alex Goryachev, Managing Director, Cisco Innovation Centres.

Transformative ideas

According to Cisco, its Co-Innovation Centres co-create digital solutions to solve business and social problems, bring transformative ideas to market, engage with key customers, partners, startups, governments, universities and other innovators.

They also serve as the local hub for Cisco ’s internal innovation programs and contribute to national and regional technology and innovation priorities, including training, funding, and investing in promising startups and public ventures.

Cisco’s other innovation centers are located in Tokyo, Sydney, Perth, Rio de Janeiro, Toronto, London, Manchester, Berlin, Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Dubai, and Istanbul.

“As the first in Southeast Asia, the Singapore Co-Innovation Centre is envisioned to bring together customers, industry partners, startups, application developers, accelerators, government organizations and universities to work on problems unique to the region, with a particular focus on Cybersecurity and IoT,” said Goryachev.

Co-sponsored by the Singapore Economic Development Board, the center will catalyze and develop digital innovations in line with the focus areas of Singapore’s Digital Economy Framework for Action, including smart nation, smart transportation, and cybersecurity.

“Given rapid digitalization across the globe, particularly in Asia-Pacific, businesses and organizations are looking to innovate at a tremendous pace,” Goryachev explained. “Our commitment remains to nurture a space for co-creation and prototyping of new solutions addressing future needs to fuel Singapore’s economic growth.”

Beyond Singapore

Collectively, Goryachev said Cisco’s Co-Innovation Centres had contributed a wide range of digital breakthroughs for customers across multiple industries.

These include innovations on reducing energy consumption, pollution, and operational costs while also improving traffic flows, management of crops, and sustainable resources, among many others.

“As just one example, The Cisco Tokyo Co-Innovation Centre partnered with FANUC, one of the largest makers of industrial robots in the world, to deploy connected Internet of Things technologies in a manufacturing facility that prevented downtime and increased uptime of robotic operations,” Goryachev said.

Cybersecurity and IoT

Simultaneous with the launch of the innovation center, Cisco also unveiled the Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence (CCX) in Singapore to boost its Asia-Pacific threat intelligence research and security incidence response capabilities.  

According to the Cisco 2018 Asia Pacific Security Capabilities Benchmark Study, in the Asia Pacific region, companies receive six threats every minute, but only 50 percent of alerts are being investigated.

“The CCX comprises a new Talos threat intelligence headquarters and Cisco Security Operations Centre (SOC) that will partner with government, industry, and universities to improve national cybersecurity posture and grow regional talent,” said Goryachev.