06
November
2017
|
18:12
Asia/Singapore

Fulfilling Asia Pacific energy needs

A new Singapore Energy Centre, a joint effort between NUS and Nanyang Technological University (NTU), will be launched in early 2019 to explore innovative ideas and develop talent to meet future energy needs in Asia Pacific. NUS signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with ExxonMobil and NTU on 3 November, signifying ExxonMobil’s place as the first founding member of the new centre.

Aimed towards new discoveries and significant improvements in technologies, the centre will focus on researching next-generation technologies such as new forms of energy production; energy efficiency, conversion and storage; climate change mitigation and adaption; and energy and water access. NUS and NTU will co-lead the centre, and share their expertise, knowledge and research infrastructure. As the founding member, ExxonMobil will support the centre’s wide range of early-stage innovative research projects and activities, and facilitate collaborations between its scientists and researchers with NUS and NTU. The centre will also expand to include more industry partners and broaden its research scope in the future.

Professor Ho Teck Hua, NUS Deputy President (Research & Technology) said that the partnership between NUS, ExxonMobil and NTU combines the rich scientific capabilities of both academia and industry to solve complex, real-world challenges.

"We will contribute our expertise in basic and applied engineering research to develop innovative sustainable energy solutions that will not only boost the competitiveness of Singapore and our industries in the region, but also improve overall environmental sustainability,” he added.

We will contribute our expertise in basic and applied engineering research to develop innovative sustainable energy solutions that will not only boost the competitiveness of Singapore and our industries in the region, but also improve overall environmental sustainability.

“The Singapore Energy Centre is the first energy centre partnership ExxonMobil has undertaken outside the US,” said Dr Vijay Swarup, Vice President of Research and Development at ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company. “Through this collaboration with NTU and NUS, we hope to explore new areas of research that can help find efficient, scalable and sustainable ways to meet the world’s future energy needs.”

The universities will also offer an Energy Fellowship programme to help the centre groom future leaders skilled in developing sustainable energy solutions, as well as nurture an ecosystem of innovation and research excellence in Singapore and regionally. This programme will allow students to pursue research areas consistent with the centre’s goals.

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From left: Professor Louis Phee, Acting Dean, College of Engineering, NTU, Dr Swarup and Professor Philip Liu, Vice President (Research and Technology), NUS at the MOU signing

In the future, both universities will be inviting other local and global industry leading companies to participate in the centre’s goals. Industry partners will have the opportunity to participate in core research, as well as take on member-directed research with the universities.

See press release and media coverage.