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SINGAPORE : The National Research Foundation (NRF) has partnered a top university from Switzerland to set up a global environmental sustainability centre in Singapore.
The collaboration with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology is the third under the NRF research centre initiative.
It will undertake cutting-edge research in disciplines ranging from environmental technology to developing new materials, with the aim of developing solutions and guidelines towards sustainable developments of buildings, districts and regions.
Professor Gerhard Schmitt, senior vice president for International Relations and Institutional Affairs at the Swiss university, said: "The knowledge that can be gained and the different materials that are developed, they can then be produced and exported in Singapore and in Switzerland to other countries, where an even greater need is for developing new cities.
"There are probably more than a billion people moving into cities in the next 30 years that do not even exist yet, and this is a real challenge."
At the same time, NRF has also started a fourth research programme with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The cooperation on Future Urban Mobility will enhance research on network computing, transportation control and urban studies.
Professor Cynthia Barnhart, Associate Dean of Engineering at MIT, explains some of the practical solutions the programme hopes to develop: "We can develop personalised real time transportation services for individuals.
"So if you travel to work every morning and you take the bus followed by the train, we can provide you alerts saying that today, there is a problem with the bus. We will provide guidance with what is the optimal trajectory for you."
The new collaborations were announced by NRF's chairman, Dr Tony Tan, on Wednesday.
He said the NRF is on the right track to building up Singapore's capability for cutting-edge research and establishing Singapore as a vibrant centre for research and development.
Dr Tan said: "With these and other initiatives that are already underway, we can expect to see in the years ahead many research breakthroughs and innovative technologies that will make Singapore a hotbed for innovation and enterprise." - CNA/ms
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