Salesforce has announced plans to invest US$1 billion in Singapore over the next five years, reinforcing its commitment to the country’s digital transformation and adoption of Agentforce, its digital labour platform.
This investment aligns with Singapore’s National AI Strategy 2.0 and its ambition to be a global leader in AI innovation. It also reflects the growing demand for digital labour solutions, with businesses worldwide leveraging Agentforce to automate tasks and enhance productivity.
With a global digital labour market projected to be worth US$6 trillion, many organisations are integrating AI-powered autonomous agents into their workforce. In Singapore, where an ageing population and declining birth rates pose challenges to workforce growth, Agentforce presents an opportunity to expand labour capacity, particularly in service and public sector roles.
Jermaine Loy, Managing Director of the Singapore Economic Development Board, welcomed the investment, stating, “Salesforce’s initiatives in AI research and workforce development will strengthen our ecosystem by catalysing innovation for key industries and corporates based in Singapore.”
Marc Benioff, Chair and CEO of Salesforce, highlighted the transformative potential of AI-driven labour, saying, “We are in an incredible new era of digital labour where every business will be transformed by autonomous agents that augment the work of humans, revolutionising productivity and enabling every company to scale without limits.”
Advancing AI innovation from Singapore
Salesforce has been expanding its presence in Singapore for nearly two decades, serving businesses of all sizes, including major organisations like Singapore Airlines, Grab, M1, FairPrice Group, Ocean Network Express, and PRISM+. These companies use Salesforce’s AI-powered technologies to improve efficiency, customer engagement, and revenue generation.
Singapore plays a critical role in Salesforce’s global AI research efforts. In 2019, the company established its first overseas AI research hub in Singapore, which has since contributed to significant advancements in AI technology. The hub has been responsible for developing industry-leading models such as multimodal language-vision foundation models (BLIP) and time-series foundation models (Moirai). Additionally, it has driven innovations in AI operations (AIOps) and in-house code optimisation tools. Over 100 research papers and patents have emerged from the hub’s work.
Salesforce’s ongoing investment will support further innovation and strengthen its partnerships in the region. A new collaboration with Singapore Airlines will see the airline integrating Agentforce, Einstein in Service Cloud, and Data Cloud into its customer service management system. This initiative aims to enhance customer interactions through AI-powered personalisation.
Additionally, Salesforce and Singapore Airlines plan to co-develop AI solutions tailored for the aviation sector at the Singapore research hub. This partnership seeks to drive technological advancements that benefit the industry as a whole.
Expanding services with local data residency
Salesforce is also broadening its Hyperforce platform in Singapore to provide local data residency for key services, including Data Cloud, Agentforce, and Unified Marketing Applications (UMA). By next month, businesses in Singapore will be able to access these services while ensuring compliance with local data regulations.
This expansion is particularly significant for industries such as government, finance, and telecommunications, where data security and regulatory compliance are crucial. It demonstrates Salesforce’s commitment to supporting businesses in regulated industries by providing secure and locally compliant cloud solutions.
Salesforce first launched Hyperforce in Singapore in 2021 and has continued to enhance its capabilities to meet the evolving needs of businesses in the region.
Preparing Singapore’s workforce for an AI-driven future
As part of its investment, Salesforce is revamping its Singapore office to support the growing demand for AI-driven digital labour solutions. The updated space will feature an Agentforce activation area and a demo pod, where businesses can explore and implement AI-powered autonomous agents. It will also serve as a training hub for partners and the wider community.
Salesforce remains committed to workforce development and is partnering with educational institutions such as Singapore Management University, the Institute of Technical Education, and Ngee Ann Polytechnic. These collaborations will equip students with essential CRM and AI skills through training programmes and certifications, connecting them to job opportunities within the Salesforce ecosystem.
Through Trailhead, Salesforce’s free training platform, individuals will gain valuable skills to navigate the evolving digital economy. By investing in education and upskilling, Salesforce aims to ensure that Singapore’s workforce remains competitive in an AI-driven world.
