Obayashi Corporation Establishes Obayashi Construction-Tech Lab Singapore, an Overseas R&D Base in Singapore

Accelerating Innovation with Advanced Technologies from Asia to Shape the Future of the Construction Industry

Company Profile

OBAYASHI CORPORATION (hereinafter referred to as the "Company," Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo, President: Kenji Hasuwa) has established its R&D base for the Asian region, "Obayashi Construction-Tech Lab Singapore" (hereinafter referred to as "OCLS") in Singapore. On July 18, 2024, a launch event was held to commemorate the launch and bring together local stakeholders from the construction technology ecosystem. Moving forward, OCLS will serve as a hub for fostering and deploying next-generation construction productivity technologies in the Asian region and for strengthening our research and development efforts through proactive collaboration with internal and external stakeholders.

From left to right: Tan Chee Kiat (Deputy CEO, BCA), Hajime Onojima (Executive Officer, Obayashi Corporation), Kelvin Wong (CEO, BCA), Naoki Kajita (Senior Managing Executive Officer, Obayashi Corporation), Yoshiaki Takahashi (Deputy Chief of Mission, Minister, Embassy of Japan in Singapore), Heng Teck Thai (Deputy CEO, BCA)

Since its inception, the Company has been committed to advancing construction-related technologies and promoting various technological developments. In addition to its Technology Research Institute (Kiyose City, Tokyo), which serves as the core research and development hub for the Obayashi Group, the Company opened the Silicon Valley Ventures & Laboratory in Silicon Valley in 2017 as an open innovation base. Thus, the Obayashi Group is actively engaged in research and technology development both domestically and internationally. In 2022, the Asia Digital Lab project team was also launched in Singapore to gather information on the latest construction technologies in the Asian region.

In Singapore, labor-saving and productivity improvement have become major social issues in the construction industry, triggered in part by the shortage of foreign workers due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Construction companies and start-ups in Singapore and abroad are actively developing technologies and applying them to construction sites. The Company has therefore established OCLS as a base for joint research and development with universities and other research institutions, construction companies, and start-ups in Asia. The focus will be on construction robotics technology, which is being actively developed and applied in the Asian region, and supporting its application to construction sites in Asia. In the future, OCLS will expand its scope to fields beyond construction robotics, actively promote the results of its research and development outside Japan, and promote the spread of its technology.

With OCLS as a starting point, the Obayashi Group aims to solve social issues on a global scale by building a research and development ecosystem in Singapore and the rest of Asia, and accelerating the development of future-oriented technologies that transcend the boundaries of the construction industry.

About Obayashi Construction-Tech Lab Singapore (OCLS)

Facilities

OCLS offices are located in Block E of the Building and Construction Authority's (BCA) Braddell Campus making them part of the Built Environments Innovation Hub (BEIH) Ecosystem. Launched in October 2023, the Built Environment Innovation Hub (BEIH) is envisioned as a collaborative space for like-minded individuals to connect and showcase innovative technologies, exchange ideas, and transfer knowledge to accelerate the transformation of the Built Environment.

Address: 200 Braddell Road, BCA Braddell Campus Blk E #12-65, Singapore 579700

The OCLS Office Space

Research and Development Initiatives at OCLS

Accelerating the Validation and Deployment of Asia-Origin Technologies on Construction Sites

OCLS will receive funding support from BCA's Productivity Innovation Project (PIP) incentive scheme to bring robots from Chinese robot maker Fang Shi Technology to Singapore. This PIP scheme co-funds technology adoption and innovations that improve productivity. Their concrete leveling and troweling robots will be used in one of Obayashi Singapore's ongoing projects aiming to greatly reduce the manual labor required compared to existing methods.

Collaborative Research with the Singapore Centre for 3D Printing (SC3DP)

OCLS will collaborate with SC3DP, located within Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) to explore the application of 3D printing technology in the construction industry. Under the new Master Research Collaboration Agreement (MRCA), OCLS and NTU Singapore will launch a joint laboratory at SC3DP. This partnership will focus on developing research initiatives that will pioneer the development of sustainable construction materials and the 3D printing of mechanical joints and multi-material components.

Collaborative Research with the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD)

Following the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that OCLS and SUTD signed last November, both parties plan to conduct joint research and explore collaborations in the areas of design, development, and application of robotic solutions as well as artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the design and construction process. For example, SUTD and OCLS will be mapping construction sites using sensors and AI to explore ways to make them robot-friendly. Another area of collaboration is the development of a platform or framework enabling the remote management of multiple robots on different construction sites.

Comment from Kelvin Wong, CEO of the BCA

I would like to extend my congratulations to Obayashi for the establishment of their R&D base at the BCA Braddell Campus here in Singapore, and being part of the BEIH ecosystem. With their strong track record and commitment to leveraging innovation and technology to push the boundaries of what is possible, Obayashi's presence will further enrich the vibrant research and innovation ecosystem. I look forward to OCLS's upcoming collaborations with ecosystem partners including our local research institutions, and the impact they could create by working together to drive the development and adoption of advanced innovations in the Built Environment sector."

Comment from Yoshiaki Takahashi, Deputy Chief of Mission/Minister, Embassy of Japan in Singapore

Congratulations on the establishment of Obayashi Construction-Tech Lab Singapore. Obayashi has made significant contributions to the development of Singapore, aligning with the nation's growth and covering from civil engineering projects such as MRT to the construction of symbolic facilities like JEWEL at Changi Airport and Bird Paradise. The company's technical expertise has helped nation-building of Singapore, which is something that Japan also can be proud of. As urban development enters a new phase, both countries must face common challenges such as aging populations and labor shortages. We are truly pleased that the establishment of OCLS allows for close collaboration with diverse companies and institutions in Singapore's academia, industry, and government sectors as it enables the development of new construction designs and innovative robotic technologies that can contribute to solving these challenges in both countries. We hope that this cooperation will bear fruit and those technologies developed here will become prevailed not only in Singapore and the region but also to the world.

Comment from Professor Lam Khin Yong, Vice President (Industry) of NTU Singapore and the signatory for the MRCA

NTU's partnership with Obayashi represents a significant step forward in leveraging cutting-edge 3D printing technology and NTU's deep expertise in additive manufacturing and engineering, to develop innovative solutions for industrial applications and to address critical challenges in construction, such as manpower constraints, productivity and sustainability.

Comment from Professor Chong Tow Chong, President of SUTD

SUTD is looking forward to working closely with Obayashi and sharing our expertise in design, AI, and tech to augment the work that it is doing in the construction industry. Deploying robotics solutions onto construction sites is challenging as there is no clear framework on how they can be integrated safely and efficiently on site. By harnessing AI and creating a framework that enables seamless robotics integration, the deployment of robotics solutions on construction site could be a game changer. The development of a platform for remote robot management will also further revolutionize the industry, enhancing real-time monitoring and optimizing resources for better outcomes.

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