The Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute (SMMI) has officially launched a joint laboratory in Singapore with A*STAR’s Institute of High Performance Computing (IHPC) to focus on Maritime and Offshore Engineering research and development.
Attended by David Willetts, UK Minister of State for Universities and Science, alongside Vice-Chancellor Professor Don Nutbeam, and SMMI Director Professor Ajit Shenoi, the opening of the joint laboratory symbolises the continued commitment by the UK and Singapore to the foster greater synergy and cooperation in moving the frontiers of science.
A*STAR is Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research, the country’s lead public sector agency that fosters world-class scientific research and talent to drive economic growth and transform Singapore into a vibrant knowledge-based and innovation driven economy.
The collaboration draws upon IHPC’s strength in computational modelling and simulation, and SMMI’s strength in marine research. The strategic aim of the Lab is to deepen the understanding of the science and technology deployed in the design, construction and operation of future ships used, and new offshore structures that are utilised for the exploration and extraction of oil, gas and renewable energy sources from deep oceans under extreme harsh environments and translate these insights into impactful industrial applications.
Professor Don Nutbeam said: “The Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute is a world-leading hub for international collaboration which really has no parallel in terms of its scale and ambition. With Singapore being home to the world’s leading maritime economy and supporting major strengths in marine and maritime engineering we are very pleased and excited for the SMMI to be working in collaboration with A*STAR here to deliver a number of projects to develop safer, improved and more efficient offshore and marine structures and ships to deliver real and tangible economic and environmental benefits for the future.”
Professor Ajit Shenoi, Director of the SMMI, added: “The SMMI serves as a magnet to attract partners from around the world to draw upon our fantastic research and development capabilities and specialists. The future of humanity depends on us learning together and by working collaboratively through this new collaboration with A*STAR in Singapore is a catalyst for making major strides in all sectors of the maritime community, both academically and commercially.”