Singapore opens smart cities development lab

Source: ZD Net Published: October 28th, 2020

A new lab has opened in Singapore with the aim to drive the development and deployment of smart cities applications within the island-state. Backed by an investment of up to SG$10 million ($7.36 million) over three years, the Smart Urban Co-Innovation Lab has already garnered the support of 30 global industry players, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft, and Schneider Electric. 

The research and development facility would help bring together players across the ecosystem, such as local tech startups, systems integrators, and international enterprises to "co-create solutions for smart cities, from ideation to testing to commercialization". Launched on Wednesday, the smart urban development lab is led by real estate group CapitaLand and supported by government agencies Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and Enterprise Singapore. 

Industry regulator Infocomm Media Development Authority has set aside S$40 million (US$29.53 million) to support research and development efforts and drive adoption of 5G, which include initiatives focused on key verticals such as urban mobility and maritime.

The facility is located at CapitaLand's 5G-powered site in Singapore Science Park and aims to provide a "real-world" living lab for local and overseas companies to exchange ideas, identify opportunities for new business models and innovations, and support the deployment of smart cities applications, CapitaLand said in a joint statement with IMDA and Enterprise Singapore.

The real estate group added that, together with its industry partners, it would set aside up to SG$10 million initially to drive the development and deployment of smart cities applications locally and abroad. The aim will be to help some 200 companies over the next three years use the lab's network of resources to jointly create such products and services.

Amongst the 30 industry players roped in to support the development facility are Panasonic, DHL, KONE, Johnson Controls, TPG Telecom, SPTel, MooVita, and NavInfo DataTech. These organizations would partner local companies to jointly innovate and test ideas at the lab as well as pilot trials at the Singapore Science Park, a 55-hectares site designated to support tests involving smart cities applications. 

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Photo by Reuben Chew on Unsplash