Singapore commits S$112 million more to built environment R&D, sets new site supervision rules for large-scale projects

It noted that more private-sector players are investing in research and innovation across successive RIE tranches, such as by co-developing innovations, taking part in pilot trials or adopting promising solutions in their projects.

The funding initiatives aim to deepen such collaboration by bringing together built environment firms, researchers and institutes of higher learning to “translate promising research into practical solutions that address real-world challenges, which can be adopted by industry”, it added.

The Cities of Tomorrow R&D Programme is a multi-agency effort led by the Ministry of National Development that uses research and innovation to support Singapore’s development over the longer term. Under the previous RIE tranche, S$46 million was set aside in 2022 for research into advanced construction and facilities management.

The BETA Catalyst Programme is an ongoing initiative that builds industry capabilities by encouraging stakeholders to share strengths and resources. It separately received an extra S$20 million in 2022 to support industry-led research and innovation.

The first grant call for the Cities of Tomorrow R&D Programme is expected to launch in October this year, with more details to be given closer to the launch.

BCA said: “Keeping Singapore liveable and resilient over the long term requires sustained investment in research and innovation that will shape how Singapore builds, maintains and renews its built environment.”

REFRESHED GREEN MARK SCHEME

Singapore’s green building certification scheme will also be refreshed to accelerate decarbonisation and promote a greener built environment, in support of the Singapore Green Plan 2030.

The BCA Green Mark Version 7 has three key objectives: greening more of Singapore’s building stock, mainstreaming Super Low Energy buildings, and making sustainability more practical and achievable.

The refreshed scheme will introduce a new rating focused solely on a building’s energy performance, letting owners invest in energy-efficient improvements with a clear return on investment.

It will include SLE70, a new Super Low Energy tier, achieved by delivering more than 70 per cent energy savings against a building typology’s 2005 baseline.