The Singapore government agency under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Enterprise Singapore, has unveiled its Standards and Conformance 2035 roadmap, making AI a key focus for standardization and compliance assessment.

Simultaneously, the agency formalized five memorandums with international and regional partners, covering areas from AI and quantum technologies to carbon projects and credits.

This document aims to enhance Singapore's role in developing standards, gaining international recognition for certification, and validating new technologies before their widespread adoption. The AI section emphasizes early standard development—creating approaches before formal rules are established internationally.

Three Pillars

The roadmap is built on three main pillars:

  • supporting growth through early adoption of standards;
  • developing a testing, inspection, and certification ecosystem;
  • strengthening Singapore's role in regional and global standards and compliance networks.

The core idea is to embed standards into products, services, and processes at an early stage, rather than playing catch-up later. Among the priorities and new directions, EnterpriseSG highlighted AI, precision medicine, clean energy, and offshore wind energy.

There is a specific focus on segments where regulations are still being formed. This includes AI, carbon services, and precision medicine. EnterpriseSG plans to launch regulatory sandboxes to test new approaches before they are formally established, while also building local expertise in testing, inspection, and certification.

“Standards and compliance assessment are not just about meeting requirements; they are a strategic lever for growth. With the S&C 2035 roadmap, we are accelerating the early adoption of standards by Singaporean businesses, helping companies innovate faster and enter global markets more easily,” stated Choi Sau Kook, CEO of the Quality and Excellence Group at EnterpriseSG.

Five Memorandums: AI, Quantum Technologies, and Carbon Credits

EnterpriseSG has formalized five memorandums with international and regional partners.

The AI section includes a multilateral memorandum with the British Standards Institution, Korea Agency for Technology and Standards, Standards Australia, and Standards Council of Canada. The goal is to bridge the gap between the rapid development of AI and the slower formal standard-setting process.

Additionally, Singapore signed an agreement with the American National Standards Institute regarding critical and emerging technologies, including AI and quantum technologies.

Two more agreements focus on collaboration with Southeast Asian countries—Vietnam and Indonesia—to strengthen regional capabilities in AI standards and compliance assessment.

Furthermore, EnterpriseSG has partnered with the Gold Standard Foundation and Verra to enhance the frameworks for verifying sustainability in carbon projects and credits.

Progress on AI Standards

On April 20, 2026, IMDA and EnterpriseSG announced that Singapore proposed an international standard ISO/IEC 42119-8 to unify the testing methodology for generative AI systems. This was described as the first international standard of its kind for testing generative AI systems (GenAI).

Previously, IMDA and the AI Verify Foundation released a Starter Kit for Testing LLM-Based Applications for Safety and Reliability. This document outlines voluntary recommendations for testing LLM applications before launch and highlights five key risks:

  • hallucinations and factual errors;
  • bias;
  • undesirable content;
  • data leaks;
  • resilience against malicious prompts.

Additionally, the AI Verify Foundation launched a program for accrediting AI testers. This initiative aims to establish requirements for third-party companies that evaluate GenAI applications and develop the market for independent AI system assessments.

It’s worth noting that in 2024, the European Parliament adopted the EU Artificial Intelligence Regulation.  ForkLog asked participants at the Privacy Day 2024 conference to discuss its overall impact on the industry.