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SIMFONI

About SIMFONI

SIMFONI’s mission is to develop sovereign healthcare AI for Singapore, improving clinical decisions across primary care and ophthalmology.

Last updated 7 July 2026

Singapore Medical Foundation AI Model (SIMFONI) is supported by the Singapore Ministry of Health through the National Medical Research Council (NMRC) Office, MOH Holdings Pte Ltd under the NMRC SIMFONI Funding Initiative (MOH-002026). SIMFONI is a programme of the Consortium for Clinical Research and Innovation, Singapore (CRIS).

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Mission

To advance scalable AI deployment and improve care delivery across Singapore’s public health system, by developing, validating, and integrating clinically grounded foundation models into national platforms.

Vision

A future where trustworthy, clinically grounded AI is embedded across Singapore’s healthcare system to deliver better outcomes, sustainable care, and healthier lives for all.

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What Is a Foundation Model?

You may have encountered AI assistants that can answer questions or help with writing. These are powered by “foundation models” - large AI systems trained on vast amounts of data that can be adapted to many different tasks.

Comprehensive healthcare foundation models are trained on diverse healthcare data and develop capabilities that transfer across a variety of tasks.

When trained on broad healthcare data - clinical notes, medical literature, patient records, imaging - foundation models develop capabilities that are particularly valuable for clinical decision support:

  • Understanding clinical language - interpreting doctor’s notes, patient histories, and medical literature

  • Reasoning about complex cases - weighing multiple conditions, medications, and risk factors together

  • Adapting to context - adjusting recommendations based on patient circumstances and local guidelines

SIMFONI builds on leading foundation models, adapting and customising them for Singapore’s healthcare needs rather than creating new models from scratch.

Why We Need Healthcare Foundation Models For Singapore

Most existing foundation models are trained primarily on Western data - American hospitals, European guidelines, focusing on populations with different disease patterns than Singapore and Asia. As a result, they may not understand our clinical practices, guidelines, or our patients. SIMFONI exists to develop healthcare AI that is specifically designed for Singapore’s unique medical context.

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Healthcare Quality & Efficiency

Singapore’s healthcare system faces growing pressure: an ageing population, rising chronic disease burden, and a stretched clinical workforce. AI can help clinicians manage complex patients, surface relevant guidelines, and identify risks earlier - but only if it integrates with our workflows and aligns with our national guidelines.

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Built for Asia

The vast majority of medical AI research is based on Western populations, but Asian populations have different disease patterns and health risks. For example, diabetes manifests earlier and at lower BMIs, and genetic risk factors also differ. Singapore, with its multiethnic population and robust healthcare data infrastructure, is uniquely positioned to develop AI systems that serve Asian patients and their specific medical needs.

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Sovereign AI Capability

Healthcare AI will be critical national infrastructure. Singapore must have the capability to develop, validate, and deploy healthcare AI according to our own standards - ensuring data sovereignty, model transparency, and alignment with national health priorities.

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Talent Development

Singapore needs clinicians who understand AI, AI researchers who understand healthcare and professionals who can bridge both. SIMFONI builds this workforce through hands-on project experience and interdisciplinary collaboration.