Singapore opens smart city co-innovation lab

Southeast Asia’s first industry-led smart cities solutions development lab has opened in Singapore.

The Smart Urban Co-Innovation Lab has been initiated by CapitaLand, one of Asia’s largest diversified real estate groups, and is supported by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and Enterprise Singapore (ESG).

Smart cities co-creation

The lab aims to bring together leaders in the smart cities space to co-create and test innovations with local built environment and technology companies in a live environment at CapitaLand’s 55-hectare, 5G-enabled Singapore Science Park.

The lab, which hopes to benefit around 200 companies in Singapore over the next three years, will focus on six key industry verticals: advanced manufacturing; digital wellness; intelligent estates; smart mobility; sustainability; and urban agriculture.

It has secured commitment from 30 industry players including Amazon Web Services, Cisco Systems, Johnson Controls, Microsoft, MooVita, NavInfo DataTech, Schneider Electric, SPTel, TPG Telecom and Vizzio.AI to partner local firms to co-innovate, test ideas in the lab or pilot trials.

CapitaLand, together with its industry partners, has committed up to S$10m in the Lab as a start to catalyse development and deployment of smart cities solutions in Singapore and overseas.

This collaborative model provides a platform for local and overseas companies to exchange ideas, identify opportunities for new business models and innovations, as well as facilitate deployment of smart cities solutions.

“The lab is starting strong with 30 partners. These are the new opportunities we are seizing in a digital economy, that will enable us to emerge stronger”

“The Smart Urban Co-Innovation Lab reinforces Singapore’s strengths as a deep innovation ecosystem where tech, industry and government work together to co-create and accelerate solutions for smart cities solutions,” said Jane Lim, assistant chief executive, IMDA.

She continued: “The lab is starting strong with 30 partners including major industry players and promising local enterprises coming onboard along with CapitaLand. These are the new opportunities we are seizing in a digital economy, that will enable us to emerge stronger.”

Eunice Koh, assistant chief executive officer, Enterprise Singapore, said the lab gives smart tech providers the opportunity to work on solutions that have the potential to change people’s lives for the better.

She added: “For instance, Smarten Spaces, a Singapore SME tech provider introduced by Enterprise Singapore, has been working with Kone on unique innovations that use contactless and other technologies to help building owners and managers provide a safe work environment for their tenants and employees.

“We will continue to work with our SMEs to tap on such opportunities and find the right partners to scale their solutions.”

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