The Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and Keysight Technologies, Inc. (Keysight) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for research collaboration and opened a new Measurement Technologies Laboratory (MTL)
Guest-of-Honour, Mr S. Iswaran, Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) officially opened the new Measurement Technologies Laboratory.
The collaboration with Keysight is part of SUTD’s strategy in partnering industry partners to drive research and innovations that contribute to Singapore’s Smart Nation initiatives.
Keysight is a leading provider of electronic testing and measurement equipment and software. The company donated S$8 million worth of cutting-edge equipment to the lab, coupled with another S$2 million in research
grants to accelerate research and development (R&D) in the domains of advance manufacturing, data analytics and IoT security.
At the Lab, researchers will work on three major R&D projects for Smart Factories of tomorrow (also known as Industry 4.0). These projects incorporate the latest developments in security, Big Data analytics and Internet of Things (IoT). These projects at MTL are expected to translate into better quality products, smarter utilisation of resources, improved efficiency, productivity and security.
One project will harness the power of sensors and harvest Industry 4.0 manufacturing big data, develop advanced predictive and machine learning algorithms, and advance anomaly detection and identification for pro-active predictive maintenance to prevent unexpected failures of operating equipment.
As manufacturing becomes increasingly automated, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) systems and devices are becoming widespread. So, another project seeks to strengthen the cyber-physical security of IIoT devices and systems against malicious threats.
MTL researchers are also exploring the use of high frequency, non-contact testing to advance and innovate the testing of printed circuit boards, a crucial component of electronics manufacturing that is used in all but the simplest electronic devices.
Mr. Iswaran said, “Under RIE2020, Singapore aims to foster such public-private partnerships to strengthen our innovation ecosystem, by ensuring that our public sector research expertise can be translated into industry solutions to create economic impact. Collaborations between education institutions and industry also support the development of an industry-ready talent pipeline. The MTL at SUTD is a good example of such public-private partnerships. The MTL collaboration will enable Keysight to leverage SUTD’s capabilities in Electronics R&D, to accelerate the company’s efforts to develop new advanced manufacturing solutions. This collaboration will also strengthen the industry relevance of SUTD’s programmes. Students at SUTD will be able to carry out their research studies and projects at the MTL, while interning at Keysight to apply their knowledge in a company environment. We expect the lab to play a key role in building up the talent pipeline for the Test & Measurement sector, as well as the broader industry.”
“We are very pleased to collaborate with Keysight, not only in research but also to set up this new Measurement Technologies Lab. Such an industry-academia collaboration is mutually beneficial as through research, new innovations in measurement and testing will arise. Meanwhile, the Lab gives our students, faculty and researchers access to state-of-the-art testing and measurement technology, which will enhance their industry relevant knowledge and skills, to become technically grounded innovators who can help create a better world through technology and design,” said SUTD’s President, Professor Thomas Magnanti.
Mr. Gooi Soon Chai, President of Keysight’s Electronic Industrial Solutions Group and Senior Vice president, Keysight, added“Today’s convergence of technology domains and the explosion of electronic content everywhere is driving the entire industrial eco-system into a whole new dimension. Organisations are facing tremendous pressure to keep up with the accelerating pace and complexity of today’s advancements. Keysight, as the world’s leader in electronic measurement, is collaborating with SUTD, with its multi-disciplinary research talents, to reimagine innovation that will help the world’s organisations today face these challenges and deliver their products and services, faster, better and safer.”
“The establishment of the Measurement Technologies Lab brings Singapore another step forward in our ambition for Advanced Manufacturing. As the pace of digitalisation continues to accelerate, this partnership between Keysight and SUTD will not only help transform and optimise manufacturing operations, but also pave the way for Singapore to innovate and export Advanced Manufacturing capabilities to the world,” commented Mr. Lim Kok Kiang, Assistant Managing Director, Singapore Economic Development Board.
