Singapore – Mr Heng Swee Keat, Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Minister for Finance, visited the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City (Eco-City) on 16 October 2019 as part of his four-day visit to China. DPM Heng was accompanied by Mr Desmond Lee, Minister for Social and Family Development and Second Minister for National Development, Ms Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Communications and Information & Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, Mr Sam Tan, Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Ministry of Social and Family Development, Mr Stanley Loh, Ambassador of the Republic of Singapore to the People’s Republic of China, Dr Lee Boon Yang, Chairman of Keppel Corporation as well as distinguished guests from Singapore and China.

DPM Heng was joined by Mr Zhang Yuzhuo, Member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Tianjin Municipal Committee and Party Secretary of the CPC Tianjin Binhai New Area District Committee, during his tour of the Eco-City. DPM Heng was briefed on the latest developments in the Eco-City and visited several sites, including the Eco-City Administrative Committee Service Centre, Smart City Operations Centre, a community centre, as well as Seasons Garden, an eco-friendly residential project developed by Keppel Land China.

At Seasons Garden, DPM Heng visited the home of one of its residents and was briefed on the smart and green features of the estate as well as the high quality of life in the Eco-City. Seasons Garden is the pilot site for a smart speaker installed in residents’ homes. The smart speaker serves as an interactive virtual assistant that provides information relating to education, healthcare, energy consumption and lifestyle needs. This innovation was a result of Keppel Land China’s collaboration with the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Administrative Committee (ECAC) for smart city and smart community development. The smart speaker has so far only been deployed in Seasons Garden, but will progressively be rolled out to other Keppel projects.

Separately, Minister Desmond Lee also officiated at the opening of the Singapore Centre, a shared office initiative in the Eco-Business Park established by Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Co., Ltd. (SSTEC) and supported by Singapore’s Ministry of National Development, Enterprise Singapore and ECAC. The initiative aims to support Singapore and Singapore-based international companies that are looking to establish and grow their presence in the Eco-City, greater Tianjin and North China markets. SSTEC, the master developer for the Eco-City, is a 50/50 joint venture between a Singapore Consortium led by the Keppel Group and a Chinese Consortium led by Tianjin TEDA Investment Holding Co., Ltd.

At the opening ceremony of the Singapore Centre, Keppel Land signed a non-binding Smart City Strategic Cooperation Agreement with ECAC. As part of the agreement, the partners will develop the Sino-Singapore Smart City Innovative Research Cooperation Platform where both parties will conduct research and explore various smart applications. The cooperation will focus on Keppel Land China’s current residential and commercial projects in the Eco-City, as well as a future 166-hectare smart precinct in the northern district of the Eco-City to be jointly developed by Keppel Land China and Keppel Urban Solutions. The research and applications will look into areas such as smart buildings, smart energy management, clean energy, community living and environmental protection.

Dr Lee Boon Yang said, “For the past 11 years, the Keppel Group has been working closely with the two governments and our Chinese partners to develop the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City. The Keppel Group has also supported the Eco-City’s development with our diverse capabilities in property, environmental infrastructure and connectivity to create a sustainable and highly liveable community. We are very pleased to extend our partnership with the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Administrative Committee to enhance research and application of smart technologies, thus further strengthening the Eco-City’s position not just as a model for sustainable development, but also a smart city.”