Singapore Polytechnic (SP) has unveiled the Human Capital Collaboratory (HCC), a new platform designed to help businesses move beyond workforce upskilling to comprehensive work redesign in the age of artificial intelligence. Launched at HR Learning Fest (HRLF) 2026, the initiative positions human capital not as an HR function but as a core business transformation framework interfacing with operations, technology and growth strategy.
HRLF 2026, themed “Career Rewired: Resilience, Relevance and Reinvention in the AI Era”, brought together employers, HR leaders, educators and industry partners to translate workforce transformation talk into practical action. The day began with an Executive Masterclass on AI in practice for C-suite leaders, followed by the afternoon’s highlight: the official launch of HCC, graced by Guest-of-Honour Mr Shawn Huang, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Finance and Manpower.
Built on SP’s engagements with nearly 1,000 organisations over the past three years, HCC follows a four-step pathway: business challenge, work redesign, human capability and sustained value. Through consultancy, student projects and industry pilots, the platform supports companies in job and workflow redesign, AI-enabled solutions, continuing education and training (CET) pathways, leadership development and fair workplace practices.
The launch coincides with the release of The Capability Advantage – Redesign to Reskill for Competitive Edge, the fourth edition of the Job Skills Insight (JSI) series by the Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP). Drawing on insights from 335 HR professionals and business leaders across 40 sectors, the report identifies a critical “capability application gap”: skills are being developed faster than work is being redesigned to deploy them, creating what the report terms “capability debt”.
“AI transformation is not only about adopting technology; it is about redesigning work so people can use it well,” said Mr Lucas Tok, Director of SP’s School of Business. “A capability advantage is created when skills can be applied in daily work, supported by managers, clear ownership and the right systems. Through HCC, SP will bring education, industry and partners together to turn transformation intent into practical action and sustained business value.”
To deepen industry collaboration, SP signed memoranda of understanding with five partners: Singapore Human Resources Institute, Singapore Business Federation, Omni HR, Workato and Pacific Integrated Logistics. These partnerships will expand capabilities in HR technology, automation, workforce transformation and logistics-sector upskilling.
As AI reshapes tasks and roles, HRLF 2026 underscores a national and enterprise priority: the future of work is not about people versus machines, but about redesigning work so that people, technology and business performance advance together.
