• The YITU Singapore R&D Center is YITU Technology’s first  in Southeast Asia

• The Center aims to strengthen collaboration within the local AI ecosystem and spearhead innovation in AI technologies that will improve lives and transform businesses 

• The Singapore R&D team is expected to expand by more than threefold over the next three years

Singapore, 31 January 2019 – YITU Technology (YITU), a pioneer in Artificial Intelligence (AI) research and innovation, today announced the launch of the YITU Singapore Research & Development (R&D) Center, YITU’s first in Southeast Asia. 

The R&D Center plays an important role in supporting YITU’s innovation-led growth in Singapore and the region, reaffirming the company’s commitment to deepen partnerships within the local AI ecosystem. A focus of the YITU Singapore R&D Center in the initial phase will be developing leading edge AI solutions for smart buildings, enhancing natural language and speech processing technologies for commercial applications, and optimizing computer vision methods for medical diagnostics. 

With the launch of the Center forming a key part of YITU’s plans to tap into the potential of Singapore and the Southeast Asia region as a key driver of global growth, a crucial component of the Center’s activities will also include customizing AI applications to address specific local needs.

“Singapore aims to be a world-class leader in AI where global AI companies build and deploy solutions that not only transform businesses but change the way we live. With YITU’s ambition to be at the forefront of AI innovation, its newly-launched Singapore R&D Center is a welcomed addition to our ecosystem. It will create new and exciting job opportunities in AI for Singaporeans and accelerate the export of made-in-Singapore solutions to the world,” said Mr. Ang Chin Tah, Director, Infocomms and Media, Singapore Economic Development Board.

Located at Mapletree Business City, the YITU Singapore R&D Center currently houses 30 staff, a diverse talent pool comprising AI algorithm researchers, system researchers, hardware experts, and experienced engineers. YITU plans to triple its R&D staff count over the next three years, bringing the team size to around 100 employees, specifically to drive R&D efforts.

“Following the launch of our YITU Singapore office a year ago, the opening of the YITU Singapore R&D Center marks a new milestone in YITU’s AI journey and reflects our ongoing commitment to Singapore’s AI community,” said Dr. Zhang Zhenjie, R&D Director of YITU Singapore.

Emphasizing the Center’s focus on nurturing talents and strengthening local AI capabilities and skillsets, Dr. Zhang added, “The R&D Center will provide a platform for local AI talent from both academia and industry to translate cutting-edge research into innovative AI technologies and solutions that create a better quality of life for citizens, from smarter healthcare to improved infrastructure.” 

YITU sees Singapore as a critical hub for AI innovation. Singapore’s advanced digital infrastructure, strong government support and talented science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) workforce have created a thriving AI ecosystem that promotes public, private and academic sector collaboration. The YITU Singapore R&D Center intends to work closely with industry partners, local universities and research institutes to carry out pioneering R&D and has started to explore collaboration opportunities with local partners.

Initiatives include conducting trials with industry partners such as Keppel Land and working with Nanyang Polytechnic to boost industry-relevant AI education and research. Attracting top talent will also be a priority for the YITU Singapore R&D Center as it seeks to build YITU’s talent capital. Plans include rolling out an AI hackathon open to local tertiary students to bring in the next generation of AI talent.

For more information on YITU Singapore, please visit www.yitutech.sg.

 

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