Page 34 - AeM_June_2017

COMPANIES & CAMPAIGNS

Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute and NTU

launch its first institute in Asia to develop

digital solutions for the industry

Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore and training platforms for Singapore’s next-generation work-
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, a renowned and leading Ger- force,” NTU President Professor Bertil Andersson said.
man institution for applied research, just launched a re- Digital solutions the institute intends to focus on include
search institute to develop digital technologies that help virtual and augmented reality technologies that will, for
companies move into the digital era and remain competi- example, allow engineers to run diagnostics on machin-
tive. ery using real-time infographics presented in 3D on
hand-held tablets, or to review virtually created products
Fraunhofer Singapore builds on NTU’s two-decade long using virtual reality glasses before starting on actual
partnership with Germany’s Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. production.
With more than 69 research units throughout Germany, it
is Europe’s leading application-oriented research organi- Supported by funding from industry partners and with
sation. funding of up to $23 million from the National Research
Mr S Iswaran, Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Indus- Foundation (NRF), the new institute will boost Singa-
try graced the opening of the institute which aims to ad- pore’s Smart Nation ambitions, and promote the adop-
vance a manufacturing paradigm known as Industry 4.0 tion of digital technologies across all sectors of the
where Singapore companies incorporate data analytics, economy.
industrial internet of things (IIoT), and automation into
their manufacturing processes. Apart from projects fo- NRF CEO Professor Low Teck Seng said, “The current
cusing on virtual reality and augmented reality, the cen- dramatic shift to a digital economy underscores the im-
tre will also work on other digital solutions such as cogni- portance for Singapore companies to remain ahead by
tive human-computer interfaces and 3D modelling. using technology to continually reinvent the way they do
business and train their workers. Our support of the
Located at NTU, the new Fraunhofer Singapore institute Fraunhofer Singapore institute represents another step
is. For instance, working with the BMW Future Mobility forward in using research in digital areas such as visual
Lab at NTU to improve driving safety. Researchers will analytics, virtual and augmented reality and human-
develop human-machine interfaces that detect drivers’ computer interaction to add value to work processes
emotions, attention span, fatigue as well as facial ex- and training in our companies.”
pressions.
Considering the strong drive in Singapore towards
“While we move from Gutenberg to Google in education, smart cities and intelligent infrastructure and advance-
our industries are also doing away with the assembly line ment in IoT and Industry 4.0, the Fraunhofer Institute
and welcoming cloud computing and automation. This couldn’t have chosen a better place to start its advance-
new institute at NTU will create an ecosystem of technol- ment into the Asian market. ◊
ogies targeted for use by companies, and provide new By Roger Stadler
34 June 2017 - Mobile Marketing & Apps