08 February 2018 Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS)
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have extended their collaboration in the Air Traffic Management Research Institute (ATMRI) for another five years. The two parties have committed an initial S$43 million in joint funds, and will invest up to another S$18 million subject to programme needs, to develop solutions to improve airspace and airport capacity, as well as to enhance the safety and efficiency of flight operations.
The collaboration extension agreement was signed by Mr Soh Poh Theen, Deputy Director-General (Air Navigation Services), CAAS, and Professor Lam Khin Yong, Vice-President (Research), NTU Singapore on the sidelines of the Singapore Airshow 2018.
Over the next five years, up to 2023, NTU’s ATMRI will engage in five areas of research to develop the next generation of air traffic management solutions. They are in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Science; Urban Aerial Transport Traffic Management and Systems; Regional Air Traffic Management Modernisation; Exploratory Studies of Emerging Technologies, and Talent Development, with a focus on innovation.
NTU President Prof Subra Suresh, said, “The research coming out from ATMRI has been very promising and the expanded research focus over the next five years will build on NTU’s expertise in robotics, artificial intelligence and data science.
“With NTU’s strengths in these areas and Singapore having one of the world’s best airports, together we can make Singapore a world leader in air traffic management.
NTU has strong capabilities in AI and data science, which can be applied to the aviation sector in new ways to bring about greater efficiency and safety.”
Prof Suresh added: “These intelligent technologies will be developed at the NTU Smart Campus and rigorously tested at our research facilities, which will pave the way for future solutions that will allow Singapore to remain competitive as a world-class aviation hub.”
Mr Kevin Shum, Director-General of CAAS, said, “ATMRI is well-placed to build on its good achievements. The projects they have undertaken thus far have delivered useful insights and meaningful results. In the next phase of our collaboration, we plan to explore artificial intelligence, data science, as well as other emerging technologies to elevate Singapore’s air traffic management capabilities. By leveraging technology, we will be able to manage even higher volumes of traffic whilst maintaining the highest levels of safety and service standards.”
NTU Vice President (Research) Professor Lam Khin Yong, said that developing innovation and training talents will continue to be NTU’s main objectives at ATMRI, in addition to conducting research to find new disruptive technologies and solutions.
“NTU has a strong track record of innovation and industry collaborations, which see research concepts translated into real-world applications that have a tangible impact. By leveraging our deep expertise in robotics and autonomous vehicles, we are able to create new applications for air traffic management, such as robotic aircraft taxiing and autonomous air control guidance for urban unmanned aircraft systems,” said Prof Lam.