Singapore teams up with two unis on tech-savvy housing developments

AT last count, 80 percent of Singapore’s 5.7 million population reside in government housing projects, bringing along with it a host of challenges as the country looks to build more homes for its people.

With that in mind, the city state’s Housing & Development Board (HDB) is teaming up with two leading local universities in a multi-million dollar venture which would see Big Data, Data Analytics, and smart technology be used to boost construction productivity and safety.

According to Enterprise Innovation, the SGD10.7 million (US$7.9 million) investment via two agreements with Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), will also be used to develop a new social framework to build stronger communities.

The first agreement is the SGD4.7 million (US$3.4 million) collaboration with the NTU to develop a Smart Integrated Construction System (SICS).

Harnessing smart technology, the system deploys smart sensors and automation, to transform traditional construction work processes and boost productivity.

Nanyang Technological University. Source: Shutterstock.

The second Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the SUTD consists of an SGD$6 million (US$4.4 million) deal to embark on a study called the New Urban Kampung research programme.

With cutting-edge modelling tools to analyse shifts in socio-demographic factors, the study is aimed at creating new housing solutions in tandem with residents’ evolving needs and aspirations.

HDB’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Cheong Koon Hean was quoted as saying that Singapore’s fast-changing urban landscape brings along with it increasingly complex housing issues and needs.

“To meet these challenges, HDB wants to advance the “science” behind how we plan, design and build our HDB towns and estates,” he said.

“With behavioural science studies and data analysis, we can better understand our residents’ needs and changing lifestyles and their likely responses to our plans and initiatives.”

He added smart construction solutions will also enable the development of the projects more productively and achieve better quality.

“The new R&D partnerships will further augment our Roadmap to Better Living in HDB Towns, as we work towards creating homes of the future.”

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