Urban and green technology

How will climate change affect our lives? What if we run out of natural resources? What is the effect of pollution on us and our families? Singapore is a small country with limited natural resources — what can we do to mitigate such challenges?

The Urban & Green Technology Horizontal Technology Coordinating Office (UGT HTCO) at A*STAR was established to provide technology consultancy and smart, sustainable solutions to public sector agencies and local enterprises.

We aim to help them build capabilities, uplift technological offerings and enhance product offerings as Singapore transitions to a low carbon economy. The UGT HTCO has collaborated with the following agencies and organisations: BCA, EMA, HDB, JTC, LTA, NEA, and NUS. Successful collaborations and partnerships include food waste reduction and recycling services provider Westcom Solutions as well as home-grown urban and infrastructure consultancy Surbana Jurong.

The UGT HTCO coordinates, guides, and directs development of urban and green technologies in A*STAR. Its focus lies in five key areas: decarbonisation, energy efficiency/electrification, infrastructure, sustainability in manufacturing, and waste management. It is supported by A*STAR capabilities in areas such as life cycle assessment, modelling and simulation, and digital technologies.

Integrated Environmental Modeller

The IEM is an advanced modelling tool developed by a team from A*STAR and HDB. It was adopted in the planning of the new Tengah town to build a comfortable living environment. The IEM has also pushed technological boundaries in high performance supercomputing, creating the first-ever 3D wind-flow simulation at a 10-metre horizontal resolution that depicts all the buildings in Singapore.
The IEM has also garnered awards such as the Minister’s (National Development) R&D Merit Award 2019, Institute of Engineers Singapore Prestigious Engineering Achievement Award 2019, ASEAN Outstanding Engineering and Achievement Award 2019 and the PTA team 2019 citation_IEM.

The team behind IEM (from left): Dr Tan Sze Tiong (HDB), Dr Koh Wee Shing (IHPC), Dr Poh Hee Joo (IHPC) and Mr Fachmin Folianto (I2R)

Watch: PTA’s video

Operation and Technology Roadmap (OTR)

Through roadmapping workshops and exercises, A*STAR works closely with agencies to help them make better informed decisions in firm-level innovation strategies, or develop deeper technology capabilities.

We have worked with the following agencies on roadmaps in these areas: