How can technology play a part in our fight against climate change?
Carbon neutral is the mantra in the fight against climate change which is to reduce our carbon emissions to the lowest limit possible and compensating for what cannot be eliminated. Technology plays a major role in achieving this especially for a small, resource-constrained country like Singapore. By incorporating sustainable innovations, digitalization and energy-saving technologies in all sectors from energy generation to food processing, it will help to improve efficiency and productivity and hence reduce energy consumption and carbon emission.
Singapore's energy sector has come a long way in the last fifty years, we have moved from oil to natural gas for cleaner power generation. In the last few years, we have ramped up renewable energy adoption in particular solar energy on rooftops and reservoirs. With about 38% of Singapore’s carbon emission coming from electricity generation, moving towards renewable energy technologies will surely assist us in the battle against climate change. However, Singapore has a limited renewable energy option and with current technological capabilities, we will not be able to produce sufficient baseload electricity from renewable sources reliably. Therefore, it is important we continue to explore new technologies and options for energy supply and enhanced energy security, including regional power grids, and emerging low-carbon alternatives such as low-carbon hydrogen and carbon capture, utilisation and storage.
How will SIT's centralised campus in Punggol function?
To accommodate the growing student population, we're going to consolidate existing campuses into a single campus in Punggol, located in the north-east of Singapore. Our new campus will provide students with new collaborative learning spaces, high-tech labs and flexible spaces for learning to happen outside the classroom. The new centralized SIT campus at Punggol is envisioned as a ‘living lab’ that integrates applied research and innovation for SIT and its partners which includes the students as well as industry collaborators. We are connected to JTC Corporation’s business park as well as community at the HDB heartlands and public facilities. SIT’s Punggol campus is set to transform Punggol North into a vibrant economic and learning hub.
We are redefining the university experience. Students can look forward to working alongside our industry partners in the business park, located next to the university. The campus which is specially designed to integrate with industry and community in the north-east region of Singapore, our new campus will strengthen our ability to deliver an industry-focused, applied learning education for our students. For example, new ideas conceived in SIT by faculty or student could be tested in the district, enabling them to go to market faster. In addition, companies can tap SIT's applied learning and research capabilities, as well as its talent pool in areas such as cyber security, engineering, food technology, assistive technology, allied health and hospitality to develop product and services faster.