Transforming Singapore’s Landscape with Technology

Smart Digital Districts: Transforming Singapore’s Landscape with Technology

Meet the man who is on a quest to sharpen Singapore’s technology edge.

A haven for businesses, academics, students and families to work, live, play and learn — that’s what Singapore’s first smart digital district aims to create.

Sounds too good to be true? See it for yourself at Punggol Digital District (PDD) when it’s ready in 2024. Master planned and developed by JTC, the 50-hectare urban district will incubate 28,000 jobs and allow next-gen talents to hone their skills, thanks to industry collaboration.

In Singapore’s quest to continually reinvent ourselves, we are creating a technology-savvy society that empowers people to dream big and guides them towards success.

At PDD, you can witness something that’s easy to talk about, but fiendishly difficult to achieve -how integrated master planning and technology creates a more liveable and sustainable environment for communities; all while cultivating a business and lifestyle ecosystem that attracts talent and encourages innovation.

Welcome to the Testbed for the Future

As the Senior Project Manager at JTC’s Smart District Division (SDD), Chin Zhi Hui is part of a team that spearheads an ecosystem and works with stakeholders to allow companies to develop, trial, and test-bed fascinating new products or technology solutions in the district.

The result? When put together, the projects within PDD turn an already advanced Singapore into something truly futuristic. Check out just a few of the innovations that make PDD an exciting place to be:

• Open Digital Platform (ODP): a next-generation, open platform that allows multiple estate systems to sync up and inter operate

• Living Lab: enabling plug and play testing for students, academia and businesses to trial and deploy new products and services in a digital twin: a virtual 3D model of PDD that allows companies to experiment and test-bed solutions securely without the risks usually associated with actual trials, paving the way for ideas to be brought to market faster.”

• Smart Grid: a grid to provide clean energy sources and encourage greater energy efficiency and savings

• Autonomous vehicles that make commuting safer, smoother, and greener

Wait, there’s more.

Creating Smart Spaces in Singapore

So, what does his job entail? “Planning isn’t about creating the newest or the shiniest estate, although that is always a bonus. Instead, it’s about creating one that is liveable and where people truly want to spend their precious time,” Zhi Hui says.

It’s an electrifying mission, but a tall order, enabled by these data-driven times. Zhi Hui believes that, “We’re in the midst of change. The way we think about our cities and environments is transforming.”

By integrating all district management systems such as lift operations, robotics, smart parking, and retail services centrally, the ODP enables a wide range of operations and boosts their efficiency. For example, it enables the movement of the robot fleets roaming the estate, as it allows integrated systems to “speak” to one another. The ODP is also linked to a smart grid that tracks and manages energy usage in real-time.

With these technologies in place, just imagine the amount of data and insights we can glean… For instance, the sensing of footfall to switch off building lights when they’re not in use, adjusting air conditioning output automatically, and increasing cleaning services in areas that see more people coming through. Through analytics, we can drive not just better decisions: we can drive our sustainability efforts and reduce our carbon footprint.

Work, Live, and Play Differently

Previously, Zhi Hui was also part of the team that worked on the master plan for the one-north district. Connecting with colleagues, industry players, partners, and fellow officers from other government agencies on the estate’s development introduced Zhi Hui to a whole new world. The knowledge gained from that project served as a solid foundation for PDD.

“Since PDD is an entirely new estate, it is an unprecedented opportunity — a blank canvas to try a wider scope of features,” he says.

Witnessing his efforts come to fruition is what gives him lasting job satisfaction. Zhi Hui loves his job because, “It feels great to know that my work makes a difference to the community.”

To do so, Zhi Hui says you need to “be versatile and willing to try new things, especially in a fast-paced job environment”.

“The ability to think outside the box to come up with innovative solutions for our future, as well as keeping a positive and keen attitude to try out new ideas will serve one well in this field,” he adds.

The best part about the job? He gets to test exciting new technology before presenting or deploying it (in a controlled environment, of course).

To Zhi Hui, “It’s an invaluable experience.” Tomorrow becomes ever closer, every day.

[SOURCES] Interview with Chin Zhi Hui
1. https://www.ura.gov.sg/Corporate/Planning/Master-Plan/Urban-Transformations/Punggol-Digital-District
2. https://www.smartnation.gov.sg/about-smart-nation/pillars-of-smart-nation