Editor’s note: the article has been updated.
Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) firm iFLYTEK said Tuesday it will establish regional headquarter (HQ) in Singapore to boost growth in Southeast Asia (SEA).
The firm said in a statement that the move celebrates its determination to further their growth in the SEA region.
It noted the launch of the new regional headquarters in Singapore would serve as a regional hub for the company’s operations in SEA.
According to the statement, the Singapore headquarters is the latest launch that aligns with iFLYTEK’s effort to expand its operations overseas in Europe and other countries.
iFLYTEK said the firm remains committed to advancing AI capabilities and contributing to the digital transformation of industries worldwide.
It said the firm is also deepening its commitment to Southeast Asia, including partnering with Huawei Cloud, Chulalongkorn University, and Zense Entertainment to foster innovation.
“Southeast Asia is a region that holds strategic importance for our expansion efforts,
“The unique blend of cultures and market demands across the different nations within the region meant the need for us to craft growth strategies for each specific country,” said Liu Qingfeng, Chairman of iFLYTEK.
“For one, the focus of our strategy in Singapore is to foster more partnerships and collaborations with the finance, education and government sectors, while our focus in Thailand is to prioritize initiatives related to tourism, media and social engagement,
“Eventually, we will be establishing more local offices and teams within the respective SEA countries to provide better local support for our clients and facilitate deeper integration within the iFLYTEK ecosystem,” he added.
Founded in 1999, iFLYTEK is a public-listed AI and speech technology provider.
Since its launch in 2010, the firm Open Platform is now integrated into 591 AI technologies and solutions, covering 3.48 billion terminals and has successfully partnered with 5 million establishments globally.
With an iFLYTEK Open Platform Global Station already established in Singapore, the company has seen multiple successes in the city-state including the partnership with leading media company – Mediacorp.
It is noted that iFLYTEK offers products and services such as Smart Translator, simultaneous interpreting, Deepting, and Smart VoiceBook.
In addition to providing corporate-level AI solutions, the firm’s C-end products have also been introduced in Singapore and are currently available at Courts, Harvey Norman, ATRIX, Shopee and Lazada.
The recently announced Singapore’s 2024 National Budget highlights the nation’s pursuit of fortifying its stature as an international epicenter for business and innovation.
Singapore has committed to allocating an impressive amount of more than S$1 billion ($738 million) towards advancing AI over the next five years.
In the second National AI strategy (NAIS 2.0), the focus is now shifted towards encouraging the integration of AI technologies as a necessity rather than an opportunity, supporting the local AI scene in their expansion globally, and finally facilitating the convergence of stakeholders from both domestic and international domains to improve the current state of the nation.
As the Smart Nation commits to these goals, iFLYTEK said its launch in Singapore comes at an opportune time to further bolster the city-state’s mission of enhancing the business dynamic in Singapore through the AI solutions offered.
It said its extensive portfolio of AI solutions and services is tailored to drive innovation, delivering state-of-the-art offerings in AI education, AI Government, and AI capabilities.
These products are strategically positioned to transform the landscape in Singapore and its region, catering to the dynamic requirements of the education sector, public services, and diverse industries.
“With our considerable experience and expertise in providing AI solutions in China and globally, we see strong potential to boost the adoption of AI business solutions in Singapore and its region,” said William Zhou, Vice President of iFLYTEK Open Platform BG.
“Especially with the Singapore government recognizing the importance of AI adoption to drive economic growth, there is clearly a limitless potential of opportunities for us to come in and support businesses and consumers that are quickly turning towards the future of technology,
“Establishing greater partnerships, increasing brand awareness and tailoring our products to meet the unique market demands of the region remains our priority in expanding within the region. I’m excited to be leading my amazing team of AI experts and we’re ready to take iFLYTEK to the next level,” he added.