CleanTech Park will house a core nucleus of clean tech activities and will serve as “an epicentre for research, innovation and commercialisation in clean technology”. Building on the synergies of being located next to Nanyang Technological University, CleanTech Park will also house R&D activities from the university. According to its developers, this will foster collaborations between industry and academia, and unleash the economic potential created from these collaborations.
CleanTech Park will be developed in three phases over 20 years. Phase 1 will commence in July 2010, starting with the development of the infrastructure within CleanTech Park. When completed, Phase 1 will provide approximately 17 ha of business park land. CleanTech Park will house a working population of 20,000 when it is fully built by 2030.
Speaking at the unveiling of the master plan for CleanTech Park, CEO of JTC Corporation, Mr Manohar Khiatani said, “CleanTech Park will serve as an icon for the development and application of clean technologies and we shall strive to push the envelope but in a practical and cost effective way. Environmental sustainability will be the natural direction that businesses must take moving forward. CleanTech Park will be emblematic of how businesses can achieve both economic vibrancy and environmental sustainability; functioning in harmony with nature.”
Meanwhile, the SEDB’s managing Director, Dr Beh Swan Gin, said, “Companies are increasingly interested in commercial and research space that is eco-friendly. CleanTech Park will provide such progressive investors with an attractive option and also foster the clustering of like-minded companies in one location.
Forging ties between academia and industry
Nanyang Technological University will be the first anchor tenant of CleanTech Park. It will help seed R&D activities at the CleanTech Park and, according to. Prof Subodh Mhaisalkar, Co-Director for ERI@N (Energy Research Institute at Nanyang Technological University), will help the university to work seamlessly with key industry partners and allow students to gain invaluable opportunities for attachment and hands-on experience in state-of-the-art green technologies.
The Singapore government is committed to growing the clean tech industry as a key cluster which is expected to contribute some S$3.4 billion to Singapore’s GDP and employ 18,000 people by 2015.
CleanTech Park is a key initiative outlined in the S$1 billion Singapore Sustainable Blueprint for building a greener, more energy efficient and sustainable Singapore. The development also contributes to Singapore’s goal to be a “living lab” where companies can use Singapore effectively to develop, test-bed and commercialise green and urban solutions before scaling up for the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.
One of the innovative ideas which will be testbedded within CleanTech Park is the Sky Trellis concept which is created by JTC. Trellises will be constructed between adjacent buildings and covered with plants to provide shade and enhance ‘walkability’ within open spaces in the area.
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