Cisco has today announced the launch of its Co-Innovation and Cybersecurity Centers of Excellence in Singapore. The Co-Innovation Center, the company’s first in Southeast Asia, and 14th globally, will bring together customers, industry partners, start-ups, application developers, accelerators, government organizations and universities to work on problems unique to the region, with a particular focus on Cybersecurity and the Internet of Things (IoT), says the company.

The Center of Excellence will expand Cisco’s threat intelligence research and security incident response capabilities in the Asia Pacific region. The Center comprises a new Talos threat intelligence headquarters and Cisco Security Operations Center (SOC) that will partner with government, industry, and universities to improve national cybersecurity posture and grow regional talent. 

The two centers, located at Cisco’s new office in Mapletree Business City, were inaugurated by Chng Kai Fong, Managing Director of Singapore’s Economic Development Board.

“Cisco’s Co-Innovation Center and Cybersecurity Center of Excellence will not only build new digital capabilities in Singapore for the Asia Pacific region but also provide opportunities for Singaporeans to work with the best minds in Cisco and its partners to create new and innovative solutions that enable and secure digital transformation in different industries,” Mr Chng said. 

Speaking on Cisco’s commitment to drive innovation and digitalization in Singapore and across Southeast Asia, Irving Tan, Senior Vice President and Chief of Operations at Cisco said, “At Cisco, we build the bridge between hope and possibility. This is only possible when innovative technology and imaginative people come together around a common purpose. Innovation no longer happens behind the closed doors of R&D labs but in open ecosystems. By fostering local and global partnerships, Cisco is leading innovation in cutting edge technology solutions that will create a better future for the region”. 

According to a recent Cisco study titled ‘Ready, Steady, Unsure - Technology Perspective into Asia Pacific’s Readiness for Digital Transformation’, Cybersecurity and IoT are top of mind for business leaders. Sixty-five percent of leaders in Asia-Pacific consider Cybersecurity paramount to succeed in digital transformation, particularly in financial services (80 percent). Eighty-five percent of companies regionally have adopted the technology and 42 percent indicated they had made security upgrades due to a breach. 

IoT is equally relevant. Among those surveyed, 33 percent of business leaders consider IoT a priority and almost all of those (32 percent) have adopted it. “Singapore joins our global network of Co-Innovation Centers, with the mandate to identify, collaborate and co-engineer innovative solutions beyond Cisco’s traditional offerings that move the dial for our customers and partners.