Singapore commits S$112 million more to built-environment research and sets new supervision rules for major projects

Singapore is putting another S$112 million into research aimed at changing how the country builds, maintains and renews its urban environment. The Building and Construction Authority announced the funding as part of measures unveiled by National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat at the opening of International Built Environment Week at Marina Bay Sands.

The money comes under the next phase of the Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2030 plan. It will go to the Cities of Tomorrow R&D Programme and the Built Environment Technology Alliance Catalyst Programme, with work focused on four priorities over the next five years.

Researchers and industry partners will examine more productive and safer demolition methods for urban rejuvenation. They will also develop better ways to model the lifespan of buildings, improve maintenance reliability and speed up repairs. Other projects will target embodied carbon and energy efficiency as Singapore works toward net-zero carbon emissions in the built environment by 2050.

The BETA Catalyst Programme will help move research from laboratories into construction projects. The authority said more private-sector companies are now co-developing innovations, joining pilot trials and adopting new solutions. The initiatives aim to bring firms, researchers and institutes of higher learning together to turn promising work into practical tools for real-world problems.

The Cities of Tomorrow programme, led by the Ministry of National Development, previously received S$46 million in 2022 for advanced construction and facilities-management research. BETA received a separate S$20 million allocation that year for industry-led research. The first new grant call for Cities of Tomorrow is expected in October. A refreshed Green Mark scheme will also introduce a new energy rating and recognise alternative cooling technologies that can reduce energy use.

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Keeping Singapore liveable and resilient over the long term requires sustained investment in research and innovation that will shape how Singapore builds, maintains and renews its built environment.