SINGAPORE, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Singapore's Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA) and the National Research Foundation has set aside 40 million Singapore dollars (about 29.53 million US dollars) to build an open and inclusive 5G Innovation Ecosystem.

The move will support 5G technology trials for enterprise use-cases, creating a series of new open testbeds, and research and development in 5G, Singapore's Minister for Communications and Information S Iswaran announced at the opening of the Innovfest Unbound tech show on Thursday.

According to a press release from IMDA, the authority, as a start, will explore clusters such as maritime operations, urban mobility, smart estates, Industry 4.0, consumer applications and government applications.

These clusters have been identified based on their potential for export globally, reinforcing Singapore's goal to be a global front-runner in impactful 5G use-cases, IMDA said.

IMDA added that it will work closely with sector leads, telecommunications operators and technology companies and offer funding support, 5G trial licenses and technical inputs to facilitate the development of innovative 5G applications, services, and sustainable 5G enterprise use-cases.

The authority said that Singapore-based enterprises can apply to tap on the 5G funding from now to May 2020.