Photo: Choo Yut Shing Used under Creative Commons License
JTC – the Singapore Government agency responsible for the planning and development of industrial infrastructure — and global engineering company ST Engineering have signed a MoU for the design, development and deployment of an open digital platform for the Punggol Digital District (PDD) that, they say, will transform user experiences and district-wide services.
PDD is a collaboration project between the Infocomm Media Development Authority, JTC, Singapore Institute of Technology and the Urban Redevelopment Authority. ST Engineering says it will be the first district in Singapore to adopt an integrated masterplan approach.
Some technologies of the open digital platform will first be test-bedded at one-north, a living lab for innovations, and refined for deployment and operations in PDD by 2023. Both partners will also evaluate the potential of implementing the open digital platform in other districts like the Jurong Innovation District.
According to ST Engineering, in contrast to existing business parks and large-scale districts where physical infrastructure, urban solutions and digital infrastructure are developed in silos, PDD will see the full integration of digital infrastructure from the ground up, in tandem with the physical planning and development of the district.
Integration of multiple systems
“The Open Digital Platform will integrate various smart city solutions such as facilities, building and estate management systems, district cooling system, pneumatic waste conveyancing system, autonomous goods delivery systems, access and security systems, carparks system, traffic lights system, and autonomous vehicles in PDD,” ST Engineering says.
It says the platform wil provide real-time access to information on what is happening around the district, shortening the time taken by estate managers to identify and react to potential problems.
“With predictive analytics and pre-emptive solutions, estate managers can proactively optimise and control resources by analysing data from sensors and IoTs across the district.”
The open digital platform will also be interoperable with the Smart Nation Sensor Platform – developed by GovTech – to enable wider sharing of sensor data with public agencies to improve the planning and delivery of public services.
Access for academic research
The open digital platform will also be made accessible to academics, researchers, startups and small & medium enterprises to encourage them to develop digital or urban solutions for PDD.
Real-time and historical data from estate and building management systems will be published via an API through which the community will be able to access information to develop digital applications or urban solutions.
ST Engineering says these data could include data on use of facilities, electricity consumption and equipment breakdown information from estate and building management systems.
A digital twin (digital replica) of the entire district will be made available for contributors to do safe testing of solutions before deploying them.
ST Engineering claims to have implemented more than 500 smart city projects in smart mobility, smart security and smart environment across 70 cities.
Its president and CEO, Vincent Chong said, “We are well aware that a digital district is not just about technology. It is about integrating technologies to connect people in ways that can best address urban challenges and transform user experiences.
