Highlights
Award-Winning Eco & Digital Town Development
Over Ms. Penny Low’s ~15 years of parliamentary work, she has led the Punggol town development from a remote village to an award-winning eco-town cum digital town role model.
The Story
In 2001, Ms. Penny Low assumed her role as an elected Member of Parliament in Singapore, and was entrusted with the leadership of the Punggol constituency, a region that, at the time, was a remote village in Singapore, lacking adequate public transport and infrastructure. Her inauguration into office was met with a barrage of "love letters" from concerned residents, which were, in reality, protest letters.
Ms. Low transformed this challenge into an opportunity, through her vision to transform Punggol into a world-class eco-town cum digital town, a beloved neighborhood for all residents. This vision served as a unifying force, rallying the community to come together in the endeavor to co-design and co-create their own desired township and legacy. Under Ms. Low's steadfast leadership, Punggol emerged as the first eco-town and digital town not only in Singapore but also in the Tropics. Over the years, Punggol garnered numerous international awards, establishing itself as a model and the largest township in Singapore.
The population burgeoned from a modest 10,000 to 200,000 residents, and the region received dignitaries and officials from governments worldwide who came to study its exemplary eco-town model. Ms. Low's commitment to excellence is shown in her tireless efforts changing Punggol's blueprint three times, having also laid the groundwork for its development into the first digital and enterprise district,
aimed at generating 28,000 new jobs in Singapore.
Punggol has positioned itself as a hub for innovation, allowing its residents to leverage its open data for research and business value creation. Ms. Low has pioneered numerous eco-friendly initiatives in Punggol, creating innovations in housing, water infrastructure, urban design, transportation, smart technologies and greening. The culmination of her endeavors has given rise to a sustainable, vibrant, smart, and ecologically sound township. With a spirit of innovation for good, Ms. Low has positioned Punggol to serve as a 'living laboratory' for new ideas and technologies promoting sustainable development. It stands as a testament to what can be achieved when innovative thinking and a commitment to the greater good converge to
create a thriving community and a beacon of progress and inspiration.
Innovation Centre Development
Ms. Penny Low has played a pivotal role in helping a regional innovation centre quantum leap in its innovation and growth, by advising the President on strategic reorganization, leading successful international negotiations, and creating the bridge for key global partnerships.
Ms. Penny Low's instrumental efforts have been instrumental in facilitating the remarkable expansion of the regional institute to encompass over 60 research institutes
within a mere span of six years.
She has also successfully created a strategic partnership between the organization and X Prize, on the USD 100 Million prize for the Carbon Removal Challenge sponsored by Elon Musk,
to enhance the global reach and global sourcing of innovative tech solutions.
Under Ms. Low’s advisory as Chief Strategist, the organization has received resounding National recognition and prestigious innovation awards. Furthermore, it has ascended to a position of prominence and leadership in driving innovation at the national level.
Her commitment to fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and research has left a
lasting impact on the global landscape, contributing significantly
to cutting-edge research and technological advancements.
Global Social Innovators Forum (GSIF)
Ms. Penny Low has created The Global Social Innovators' Forum (GSIF), an exceptional gathering of global leaders in business and public sectors, visionaries, innovators, and changemakers from around the world, all convened with a common purpose: to catalyze positive social innovation and social impact.
GSIF is not only a platform to drive thought leadership in social innovation, cross-pollinate ideas and catalyze collaboration, but it is also a platform that hosts social enterprise accelerator programs in collaboration with prominent organizations like McKinsey and Accenture, and a global platform to honour SIP Distinguished Fellows and SIP Fellows, successful leaders who have used their own influence to do good and do well, serving as role models in society.
Past SIP Distinguished Fellows include H.E. Mr S.R. Nathan, the 6th President of Singapore; Rob Walton, ex-Walmart Chairman; Jet Li, famous actor and philanthropist, amongst many others luminaries.
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At GSIF, the driving force is the belief that social innovation can be a powerful catalyst for addressing the world's most pressing challenges. With a deep commitment to serving communities and championing change, Ms. Low has harnessed her passion to create a forum where world leaders, thinkers, and doers can come together from a multitude of backgrounds and expertise to share insights, discuss groundbreaking ideas, and build collaborations. At GSIF, participants are immersed in a culture of learning, collaboration, and transformation, where the shared goal is
to shape a more sustainable, compassionate, and harmonious world.