SMRT and SIT Partner to set up Transport Living Lab
There is a strong push for innovation in the Singapore land transport sector. Singapore
Government can spur industry development and the transport sector’s growth by championing research and development (R&D) and working with industry players to develop new technologies and adopt innovative processes. SMRT Corporation, a leading multi-modal transport operator in Singapore, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) to bring engineering and technological innovation.
The Transport Living Lab
The SMRT-SIT Transport Living Lab (TLL) will be established as a part of the SMRT and SIT collaboration. It will be an extension of SMRT’s engineering capabilities and resources. The Lab will leverage SMRT’s experience as a public transport operator and SIT’s engineering capabilities to develop and implement solutions for real-world problems.
There are two TLL projects in the pipeline. SIT undergraduates on their Integrated Work Study Programme (IWSP), as well as those working on their final-year capstone projects, will gain opportunities to work on TLL projects.
The MoU was signed today by Mr. Ngien Hoon Ping, SMRT CEO, and Professor Chua Kee Chaing, President of SIT, at the LTA-UITP Singapore International Transport Congress and Exhibition at Suntec Singapore. Mr. Seah Moon Ming, SMRT Chairman, and Mr. Bill Chang, Chairman of SIT’s Board of Trustees, witnessed the signing ceremony.
Commenting on the new initiative, Ngien Hoon Ping said: “SMRT is excited to leverage the research expertise of SIT’s faculty to enhance our business and operations. SIT’s researchers will be able to apply their capabilities in real-world situations to improve safety, productivity and sustainability in an urban transit environment.”
The Transport Living Lab Projects
SMRT and SIT will work together on two projects.
(a) Smart profiling of bus captains’ driving performance. This will use data analytics and leading indicators to identify bus captains for targeted retraining.
(b) Smart rostering of bus captains to optimise bus captain schedules to improve fatigue management and driving safety.
The timeline for these projects from commencement to implementation is targeted to be about a year.
Another key area of collaboration between SMRT and SIT under the MoU is to build a learning ecosystem for SIT graduates. To encourage excellence in learning, SMRT will continue to recognise outstanding students through the “SMRT Outstanding Student Award in Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering (Land)”.
SMRT has been supporting this award since 2018. Additionally, SMRT Chairman, Mr. Seah Moon Ming will set up the “Seah Moon Ming Yearly Performance Award in Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering (Land)” prize in his personal capacity, to be presented to the best first-year student in the programme from the current academic year 2022/2023.
Conclusion
The partnership between SMRT and SIT will help the transport operator and SIT graduates to develop innovative capabilities for real-world situations in order to improve safety, productivity, and sustainability in an urban transit environment. Research and staff exchange will allow both SIT faculty, students, and SMRT staff to master critical skills required to future-proof our public transport sector.