Research & Innovation

Research & Innovation (R&I) plays an important role in contributing to MND’s vision of creating An Endearing Home, A Distinctive Global City for all Singaporeans. As cities around the world face increasingly complex urban sustainability challenges, MND recognises the importance of R&I in future-proofing Singapore’s development, and works closely with partners from the research community and industry to drive R&I efforts that can effectively address key national challenges.

Cities of Tomorrow (CoT)

The Cities of Tomorrow (CoT) R&D programme is a multi-agency effort led by MND that seeks to sustain Singapore’s success in the decades ahead by leveraging on Research and Innovation (R&I). It aims to establish Singapore as a highly liveable, sustainable, and resilient city of the future, and as a vibrant urban solutions hub, through a suite of carefully curated research to develop urban solutions that address our national needs.

Find out more about the Cities of Tomorrow here.

Land and Liveability National Innovation Challenge

The Land and Liveability National Innovation Challenge (L2NIC) is a multi-agency effort led by the MND and the National Research Foundation under the Prime Minister’s Office. It leverages on R&D to create innovative technological solutions to optimise Singapore’s space capacity for our long-term development needs, providing options for future generations. The funding allocation for the first phase from 2013 to 2018 is S$135 million.

Find out more about the L2NIC here.

Urban Solutions & Sustainability R&D Congress 2023

Since 2011, the biennial Urban Sustainability R&D Congress has brought our research community, agencies and industry partners together to explore opportunities and forge collaboration in USS research and translation. In 2021, the R&D Congress went digital and was rebranded the Urban Sustainability R&D e-Symposia, a year-long series of thematic webinars.

This year, the Urban Sustainability R&D Congress will return as a fully physical event titled the "Urban Solutions & Sustainability R&D Congress 2023"! The event will take place from 4-5 Oct 2023 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre. It will comprise of plenary sessions, breakout tracks, networking sessions and an exhibition showcasing the latest developments in the Urban Solutions and Sustainability (USS) domain. There is much to discuss, and many creative solutions to explore. So do save the dates!

Find out more about the Urban Solutions & Sustainability R&D Congress 2023 here.

Urban Sustainability R&D Symposia

The Urban Sustainability R&D e-Symposia is remodeled from the Urban Sustainability R&D Congress. Launched in 2011, the R&D Congress was a biennial event co-organised by MND and partner agencies to bring together the research community, industry and government agencies to discuss R&D responses to national sustainability challenges. The R&D Congress also served as the national platform for key stakeholders in Singapore’s urban sustainability development to showcase research capabilities and facilitate cross-sector partnerships to deliver tangible outcomes.

Due to the constraints brought about by COVID-19, the physical R&D Congress has been remodeled into a virtual e-Symposia for 2021. Through a series of exciting monthly research and Innovation and Enterprise (I&E) webinars, the e-Symposia seeks to catalyse discussions on focus areas in the Urban Solutions and Sustainability (USS) domain under the Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) 2025 plans.

Content from the Urban Sustainability R&D e-Symposia can be found here.