AWS has been busy. Last year, they opened a Builder Studio collaborative space in Melbourne, meant for customers who want to engage in hands-on building and prototyping before launching an actual project. Now, they've taken it a step further and opened an AI Innovation Hub - all the way up north in Singapore.

"We thought it could be way bigger than our builder studio in Australia," said Jaime Vallés, general manager for Asia Pacific and Japan at AWS. "The team felt this was a great opportunity to do something different around innovation. And the outcome is a hub that will continuously evolve."

Launched at the end of June, the new Innovation Hub is a combination showcase, incubator, and development space, the first of its kind in the world according to AWS. It comprises three key principles: the most current technology possible, the entire network of Amazon partners, and an immersive experience aimed specifically at executives, with the objective of providing a proof of concept that's not just on paper.

It comprises three zones: 'Aspiration' or an illustration of how a potential project could work, 'Acceleration' or the business imperative behind the digital transformation and the multiple components involved - including having the right culture, skills, and people perspective - and 'Action', where the vision and the business imperative are translated into an actionable, tangible plan.

At any given time, the hub showcases multiple digital transformation projects, only some of which may last. These range from sales and marketing processes, to secure financial and identification services, to retail and manufacturing, and also IT solutions. It also incorporates - or aims to educate stakeholders about - three critical principles behind successful transformation.

1. Having a culture that works backwards from customer needs - innovating on behalf of your customers.
2. Having a future forward leadership that encourages risk taking and drives and spearheads this change from the front.
3. AI skills and digital fluency at every layer of the organisation.

"We tend to talk in terms of technology, but without the human factor, without the opportunity to actually aspire and do something bigger and better, nothing happens....it's really about the combination of technology, people culture that actually drive that innovation. And that's what the Innovation Hub is all about," said Vallés.

Photo: E-bike smart factory in the AWS Innovation Hub, courtesy of AWS.