Keppel : forms new unit to capture opportunities in integrated master development

Capitalising on the mega trends of rapid urbanisation and the increasing global focus on sustainability, Keppel Corporation will establish a new business unit, Keppel Urban Solutions (KUS) (吉宝城镇化方案), which aims to be an end-to-end integrated master developer of smart, sustainable precincts in the Asia-Pacific region.

Mr Loh Chin Hua, CEO of Keppel Corporation, said, 'The formation of KUS is a strategic move which harnesses the Keppel Group's strong track record in large scale urban developments as well as our strengths and diverse solutions in energy, property, infrastructure and connectivity to create efficient and vibrant smart precincts and cities of the future. It will also advance Keppel's goal of being a choice solutions provider for sustainable urbanisation.'

KUS will leverage the Keppel Group's more than two decades of experience as the master developer of large scale projects in Asia, including the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park, Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City, Sino-Singapore Jinan Smart City, as well as Keppel Bay in Singapore. The 30 sq km Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City, in particular, which is now in its 10th year of development, has been transformed from formerly barren land into a well-planned green city with over 70,000 inhabitants to date. The Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City has been named China's first National Green Development Demonstration Zone and has received international recognition as a pioneer in sustainable city development.

KUS will be an integrator of the latest urban solutions, bringing together the capabilities of the Group to create highly liveable and digitally-connected communities that meet the evolving needs and aspirations of a new generation of urbanites. KUS' offerings will include masterplanning, the development and operation of efficient horizontal infrastructure such as smart utilities and district-level heating and cooling, connectivity and urban logistics, as well as innovative programming to create active and engaging communities.

KUS will operate an open platform, which allows partnership with the best in class technology providers to create smart infrastructure ecosystem. KUS will enter into a strategic collaboration with Microsoft to develop and provide modern smart urban applications using sensing technology and the Internet of Things (IoT) as well as to effectively manage infrastructure and community services in KUS' projects.

KUS' capabilities will first be applied in Saigon Sports City (SSC), a 64-hectare township that Keppel Land is developing in the prime District 2 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where there is a growing middle class and increasing demand for high-quality urban spaces. SSC is envisaged to be a bustling hub, combining high-quality urban living with vibrant and healthy lifestyles, which can be a model for other urban developments in Asia.

SSC will include iconic features such as a waterfront boulevard, an open public plaza and Vietnam's first one-stop lifestyle hub with comprehensive facilities for sports, entertainment, shopping and dining. Biophilic design principles will be incorporated into the development, such as natural lighting and ventilation, a linear park, vertical greenery and picturesque water features with natural filtration, to create a green and beautiful environment.

In addition, KUS will collaborate with Microsoft to empower SSC with Azure, Microsoft's intelligent and trusted cloud, to enable essential services such as security and access control, remote monitoring and control of smart infrastructure, and monitoring of community vitals such as air quality. KUS will also launch an integrated mobile app which would deliver convenient lifestyle, transport and other value-adding services to residents and businesses in SSC.

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