Singapore’s Changi Airport has partnered with technology companies in a new program intended to increase the air hub’s pace of innovation to strengthen its competitiveness in the future.
The Changi Airport Group (CAG), in partnership with the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), has introduced the SGD50-million (US$35 million) Changi Airport Living Lab Programme to drive innovation over the next five years.
The program will see CAG collaborating with innovation-driven companies and start-ups to develop and demonstrate new technology solutions in a live airport environment.
With the support of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, the Living Lab Programme is a platform for CAG, and partners in the airport community (including government agencies, ground handlers, concessionaires, security providers, and cleaning companies) to co-create, test, and demonstrate new solutions to future-proof the airport, CAG added.
CAG said innovation is “imperative in an increasingly complex operating environment where travellers’ needs are fast changing.” It cited several technology areas that are ready for innovation and adoption in the airport.
One is automation and robotics, where the program will look at ways to optimize scarce manpower resources and empower airport workforce to operate more efficiently and productively.
Another is data analytics and the Internet of Things (IoT). The program will mine opportunities to enable a more accurate and real-time perspective of airport operations to better optimize processes and power smarter decision-making. “Consumer analytics will offer deeper insights into travellers’ habits and preferences, thereby strengthening the airport’s lifestyle product offerings,” said CAG.
The project will also delve into non-intrusive security technologies to seek out opportunities to enhance the passenger experience and reduce the stress of undergoing security clearance, while strengthening safety and security standards at the airport.
In the field of smart infrastructure management, the focus will be on leveraging new technologies such as sensors, IoT, and smart controls to fully utilize infrastructure resources.
Changi Airport said it has already started working with partners to test solutions in some of these areas. For example, it has been running prototype trials for autonomous cleaning robots to clean the vast tracts of floors in the airport terminals.
It is also exploring the use of automated guided vehicles to ferry passengers between terminals. Another example is taxi queue analytics, whereby sensors are used to determine the number of people in taxi queues and the estimated wait time so travelers will be better advised on ground transport options during peak periods, as well as alert taxi drivers about impending demand for taxis at the airport.
“Through this program, Changi Airport aims to forge win-win collaborations with its innovation partners. Currently, there are more than 55 million passengers passing through Changi Airport each year, generating over S$2 billion in concession sales. CAG believes that this is a rich eco-system that companies can tap on to test, refine and demonstrate their solutions,” it added.
“Startups can also find an opportunity in the Living Lab Programme to collaborate with Changi Airport to develop and ultimately deploy their solutions. These successful collaborations would give companies a head start in accessing new market opportunities and exporting their solutions internationally.”
Lee Seow Hiang, CEO of CAG, said, “Building innovation today is critical to transforming our business and operations for the future. We look forward to partnering established companies and enterprising start-ups to develop cutting-edge technologies for the airport. Through our Living Lab collaborations, I believe that we can add value to our partners in helping them scale up their solutions for real-world applications.”
Photo: Orderinchaos
