Stronger support and partnerships to bring urban innovations to the market

In his opening speech, Minister for National Development Mr Chee Hong Tat highlighted the importance of research and innovation to maintain Singapore's competitive edge and ensure a high-quality living environment for Singaporeans. He announced the following key initiatives to accelerate the translation of research and innovation into meaningful, real-world outcomes:

USS Translation Fund

The USS Translation Fund is a new $37 million funding programme to help local companies develop and commercialise their urban and sustainability solutions. Administered by the USS Innovation & Enterprise Office (USS IEO), a national platform hosted by A*STAR, the fund helps companies translate promising USS research into cost-effective and market-ready products. More details are in Annex A.

Streamlined Procurement of Research Innovations & Technology (SPRINT)

MND will launch a new pilot green lane procurement programme, SPRINT, to streamline procurement and expedite government adoption of innovative research products. SPRINT will be administered by HDB and BCA, and piloted by MND Family agencies. During the pilot phase, companies that meet SPRINT's requirements become qualified vendors, enabling direct procurement by MND Family agencies. This streamlined process is expected to halve procurement timelines. SPRINT will also help companies establish their credentials as qualified government suppliers, widen their market access, and build their industry track records. More details are in Annex B.

Built Environment AI Centre of Excellence

MND, in partnership with the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), is launching a new $30 million Built Environment AI Centre of Excellence (BE AI CoE). This centre will foster collaboration between Government agencies, academia and industry partners to develop AI solutions to address challenges in the BE sector, such as manpower shortages in the labour-intensive construction and facilities management sectors, and climate change impacts. The CoE aims to transform work processes to enhance productivity, sustainability, and liveability whilst nurturing 'AI bilinguals' – professionals with both technical AI expertise and practical understanding of BE sector challenges. More details are in Annex C.

Additionally, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) will launch a decarbonisation technology roadmap during the Congress at the Heat Resilience Breakout session on 6 February 2026: 

Built Environment Decarbonisation Technology Roadmap

BCA and Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC), with support from A*STAR, have jointly developed a roadmap to guide research and innovation efforts towards the Singapore Green Building Masterplan’s (SGBMP)’s “80-80-80” targets by 2030 and the longer-term net-zero ambitions by 2050. The roadmap identifies close to 70 key technologies and strategies to reduce “whole life carbon emissions” from buildings. Market-ready strategies and solutions such as alternative cooling and ventilation technologies, AI-controlled energy optimisation systems and low carbon construction practices will help developers and building owners decarbonise their building portfolios, while identified emerging technology priorities will support Singapore’s Research, Innovation, and Enterprise (RIE) 2030 plan. More details are in Annex D.

Jointly issued by:

Ministry of National Development (MND)
Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE)