Funds awarded for five projects supported under the Land and Liveability National Innovation Challenge.
The Ministry of National Development and the National Research Foundation have awarded $14 million in funding to five research projects, out of the 26 white papers submitted for the second call for proposals under the Land and Liveability National Innovation Challenge (L2 NIC).
“The awarded projects presented opportunities to use technology to improve the living environment for Singaporeans, as well as push the frontier of possibilities for future development of living spaces,” both agencies said in a joint statement.
Launched in July 2015 during the Urban Sustainability R&D Congress, and closed in August of the same year, the second call for proposals under the L2 NIC aims to challenge the research community to come up with innovative solutions.
Specifically, its goals are to improve the cost effectiveness of underground developments by 50 percent, as well as enhance human comfort and well-being in urban areas by reducing ambient temperature by 4°C and ambient noise by 10dBA.
The five research projects that received funding included a proposed study by Nanyang Technological University’s (NTU) Assistant Professor Wan Man Pun to develop cool surface materials, which can help lower the heat on buildings and road surfaces.
A project by Lee Fook Hou, Associate Professor from the National University of Singapore (NUS), involves developing a prototype equipment to slash the construction costs of underground developments by enabling direct injection of cement into soft ground around corners and obstacles.
NUS Associate Professor Ho Ghim Wei intends to create a nanocomposite material for buildings that can transform heat into electricity and help purify the air.
Another proposed study by NTU’s Professor Chu Jian aims to develop a web-based three-dimensional geological and geotechnical data modelling and management system, to reduce construction cost and increase productivity for future underground developments.
Meanwhile, NTU Associate Professor Gan Woon Seng plans to create a software system that can simulate noise and how it is affected by the environment. Through this, he hopes to develop soundscape masking techniques to lessen the effect of loud noises.
Romesh Navaratnarajah, Senior Editor at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact him about this or other stories, email romesh@propertyguru.com.sg
