Imperial launch strengthens UK ties with Singapore

Imperial College London (ICL) has forged stronger links with university, industry, government and third-sector partners in Southeast Asia following the opening of its first research and innovation centre, Imperial Global: Singapore, based at the National Research Foundation Singapore (NRF) Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE).

A major S$20million grant will support the first joint research collaboration between ICL and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) based around the IN-CYPHER programme that will improve the security of medical devices and advance AI for healthcare.

Imperial staff and PhD students will be working in laboratories alongside partners from Singapore’s top universities on a wide range of high impact collaborative research projects to tackle major global challenges.such as pandemic preparedness, climate, the transition to net zero and artificial intelligence.

It will expand regional activities including entrepreneurship programmes, startup accelerators, student placements and programmes aimed at delivering new technology and breakthroughs to benefit society.

Professor Hugh Brady, President of Imperial said: “We are immensely excited to further boost Imperial's contribution to Singapore's research and innovation ecosystem. Imperial Global: Singapore will connect with world-leading science and technology in Singapore and Southeast Asia and open a gateway for stronger collaboration with the UK. The initial focus on medical device and health data security could not be more timely given the importance of this area to improving patient outcomes and health system integrity.”

Professor Luke Ong, Distinguished University Professor and Vice President (Research), NTU Singapore, said: “NTU and Imperial College London have a longstanding strategic partnership and a history of successful collaborations. This latest initiative leverages NTU’s strong interdisciplinary approach in research to address challenges in healthcare and builds on NTU’s research strengths in AI, cybersecurity and more. The objectives of this partnership are also aligned with the research pillar of NTU 2025, the University’s five-year strategic plan which aims to catalyse high impact research through collaborations.”

British High Commissioner to Singapore, Kara Owen, said, “In September 2023 our two Prime Ministers committed to work together in science, innovation, research and technology to develop solutions to tackle global challenges and drive economic growth and to safeguard our future security and bolster economic prosperity. This partnership could not be a better example of what they meant: a long-term partnership commitment, fusing academic and research excellence with the innovation of our private sectors on a critical issue for our people. I offer my warm congratulations and can’t wait to see what this collaboration produces”

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