TÜV SÜD, the global testing, inspection, certification and training solutions provider, has officially opened its new S$100 million regional hub in Singapore, reaffirming its commitment to partner the city-state in its next stage of growth. In line with the regional hub’s goal of being a launchpad to drive business excellence in emerging growth areas, TÜV SÜD also announced strategic partnerships to champion sustainability and digital trust in Singapore. Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies Heng Swee Keat who was Guest of Honour at the inauguration ceremony today, also witnessed the launch of the new strategic partnerships.
Spanning some 18,900 square metres at Singapore’s International Business Park (IBP), TÜV SÜD @ IBP is a seven-storey integrated office and lab facility which also houses the Digital Centre of Excellence (CoE). The flagship office is a practical proof of how building safety, quality, sustainability and performance are significantly enhanced by adopting a digital building lifecycle approach embracing design, construction and operations. By combining its technical knowhow with digital technologies, TÜV SÜD has achieved a working Digital Twin of the building. The Digital Twin has paced savings of 50% in energy consumption and achieved the Building and Construction Authority's (BCA) Green Mark Gold standard. TÜV SÜD’s Digital Twin lifecycle standards and specifications have been realised with best-in-class technologies such as Autodesk and Contilio. The technology combination lays the foundation for realising autonomous and sustainable buildings in the near future.
TÜV SÜD @ IBP represents the company’s position as a market leader in the ASEAN region, and showcases the company’s commitment to digitalisation, sustainability and safety. TÜV SÜD is also collaborating with key stakeholders on strategic initiatives that will support Singapore’s Smart Nation agenda and the Singapore Green Plan 2030. Strategic partnerships (Refer to Annex A for quotes) in the following two areas were announced:
- Sustainability: TÜV SÜD and ComfortDelGro Engineering announced a partnership to jointly develop a training programme that aims to upskill automotive technicians on the safe handling of high voltage systems in electric and hybrid vehicles. Having such a training programme in place will in turn set industry standards and also enable more skilled technicians to be readily available as Singapore works towards a more sustainable future. This includes ramping up EV adoption in Singapore and achieving the EV Roadmap as outlined in the Singapore Green Plan 2030.
- Digital Trust: TÜV SÜD is one of the founding members of SGTech's newly-formed Digital Trust Committee, which will drive ground-up initiatives to position Singapore and the region on the global map for digital trust. The Digital Trust Committee will rally the industry to establish standards and jointly create an industry-led working model that enables companies to implement corporate governance that allows for frictionless trade. To provide advisory to the Committee, a Digital Trust Council comprising prominent business leaders from around the world was also announced at the event. Minister of State for Communications and Information, Tan Kiat How, will be the Patron of the Committee.
Dr. Norbert Riedel, German Ambassador to Singapore, and TÜV SÜD executive leaders comprising Prof. Dr.-Ing. Axel Stepken, Chairman of the Board of Management, Ishan Palit, Member of the Board of Management, Dr. Matthias J. Rapp, Member of the Board of Management, and Richard Hong, Chief Executive Officer for ASEAN, were also present at the inauguration ceremony.
Ishan Palit, Chief Operating Officer (COO) & Member of the Board of Management, said “The inauguration of our new regional hub and the strategic partnerships being forged are key milestones in TÜV SÜD’s legacy of supporting companies to achieve business excellence. Singapore is our chosen destination to further invest in digital technologies, given its pro-business environment, skilled talent pool and excellent digital infrastructure. We remain committed to partner Singapore and seize opportunities in emerging growth areas that will be critical in advancing the country’s sustainable goals and push to become a Smart Nation.”
The inauguration also marks 15 years since TÜV SÜD invested S$120 million to acquire PSB Corporation, a government statutory board, corporatised from the Singapore Productivity and Standards Board. In 2016, TÜV SÜD invested S$40 million into a Centre of Excellence (CoE) to develop digital technologies and talent in support of Singapore’s Smart Nation agenda. TÜV SÜD has also actively participated in pilot projects including the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) Smart Industry Readiness Index (SIRI) for Advanced Manufacturing and subsequently, partnered the World Economic Forum (WEF) and EDB to proliferate the global adoption of SIRI as the internationally recognised framework. In 2020, TÜV SÜD supported the pandemic relief efforts in Singapore. These efforts include helping to develop Additive Manufacturing checklists for face shields and nasal swabs and providing third-party assessment on hygiene and cleanliness of malls, food & beverage establishments and retail through the SG Clean project with Enterprise Singapore.
