JTC Breaks Ground for CleanTech Two at CleanTech Park

At a ground breaking ceremony today, JTC Corporation (JTC) kicked off the construction of its second building, named CleanTech Two, at CleanTech Park to meet the demand from industry players who need flexible spaces that can accommodate both dry and wet laboratories for cleantech-related R&D activities. Located next to its first building, CleanTech One, CleanTech Two will offer 22,300 sqm of office spaces, laboratories and workshop spaces on a 0.9 hectare site. The building will integrate unique sustainable features and is slated for phased completion by the third quarter of 2014.

Today’s event also saw JTC welcoming onboard its anchor tenant, Advanced Remanufacturing Research Centre (ARTC). The partnership agreement was signed by JTC CEO, Mr Manohar Khiatani and Dr Lim Ser Yong, CEO, ARTC and Executive Director, Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech) and witnessed by Guest-of-Honour, Mr Lim Chuan Poh, Chairman of Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). The centre is a collaborative effort between public sector research labs, the academia and the industry players to advance remanufacturing technologies in Singapore. Remanufacturing is a growing trend globally and technologies in remanufacturing are being advanced to extend and enhance product live for long term environmental sustainability and economic viability of the manufacturing industry. ARTC is led by ASTAR, NTU and industry players comprising multinational corporations (MNCs) and small & medium enterprises (SMEs).

Mr Manohar Khiatani, JTC’s Chief Executive Officer, said, “Our second building, CleanTech Two, will add another dimension to R&D in clean technology and to CleanTech Park. CleanTech Two will be the epicenter for the growth of remanufacturing technologies which promote environmental sustainability for the manufacturing sector. ARTC’s initiative underscores the compelling value of CleanTech Park in clustering knowledge activities to support sustainable development. We are delighted to welcome ARTC into the CleanTech Park community and hope that our partnership will catalyse the birth of new remanufacturing technologies and boost manufacturing productivity and sustainability.”

While CleanTech One provides laboratories and office spaces, CleanTech Two will be specially configured to support research and prototyping activities that require heavier loadings, higher height clearances and greater electrical power requirements. In addition, in order to cater to the growing demand for cleantech incubation facilities, CleanTech Two will feature fitted laboratories and offices. CleanTech Two is also designed with state-of-the-art green features such as optimised building orientation that minimises heat gain. It is also designed to be 30 per cent more energy efficient compared to a typical building of the same size and usage.

There were 120 guests at the event, including partners of the ARTC, ARTC Members’ Board; and representatives from A*STAR, Boeing, Gamesa Innovation and Technology, JTC, Rolls-Royce plc, Siemens Industry Software, and members of the media.

Professor Lam Khin Yong, Chairman of ARTC, said, “The ARTC provides an unique environment and opportunity to work closely with companies on current industry relevant issues whilst at the same time developing technology for future applications. This purpose-designed facility by JTC will allow us to move from the laboratory setting and replicate processes at the industrial scale thus saving industry both implementation time and money.”

Professor Bertil Andersson, President of NTU, said, “The JTC CleanTech Park is a major part of our research strategy at NTU, as it will house several of our large research centres such as the $200 million Energy Research Institute at NTU (ERI@N) and the Nanyang Environmental and Water Research Institute (NEWRI). With the ARTC, NTU will be playing a key role in developing new technology by contributing our resources, research expertise and technological capabilities. As more governments around the world realise the urgent need for sustainability, remanufacturing will surely gain more attention as a viable model for extending and enhancing the life of products.”

The construction of CleanTech One has been completed since its launch in 2010. Two-thirds of CleanTech One has been allocated to organizations and companies including the Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute, Energy Research Institute @ NTU, DHI Water and Environment Singapore, Triton Water, Toray Singapore Water Research Institute, Diamond Energy, Silecs International and CIMA Nanotech. The cleantech industry has been identified as a key new growth industry for Singapore. As a key initiative of the S$1 billion Singapore Sustainable Blueprint, CleanTech Park will see a clustering of cleantech R&D, engineering and company headquarter activities who are keen to push the boundaries of green sustainability. The 50ha CleanTech Park will be developed in three phases and is targeted to be completed in 2030.