YITU opens AI research and development center in Singapore

Jan 31, 2019, 12:23 pm EST | Stephen Mayhew

YITU Technology today announced the launch of the YITU Singapore Research & Development Center. This is the company’s first R&D center in Southeast Asia and it will play an important role in supporting innovation-led growth in Singapore and the region, reaffirming the company’s commitment to deepen partnerships within the local AI ecosystem.

According to the announcement, YITU sees Singapore as a critical hub for AI innovation as its advanced digital infrastructure, government support and talented STEM workforce have created a thriving AI ecosystem that promotes public, private and academic sector collaboration.

In the initial phase, the focus of the YITU Singapore R&D Centre will be on developing AI solutions for smart buildings, enhancing natural language and speech processing technologies for commercial applications, and optimizing computer vision methods for medical diagnostics. An essential 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,” commented Mr Ang Chin Tah, Director, Infocomms and Media, Singapore Economic Development Board. “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.”

The YITU Singapore R&D Center currently houses 30 staff comprised of AI algorithm researchers, system researchers, hardware experts, and 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.

“The R&D Centre 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,” Dr Zhang added.

The YITU Singapore R&D Centre will work with industry partners, local universities and research institutes to carry out research and development and has started to explore collaboration opportunities with local partners such as Keppel Land and Nanyang Polytechnic to boost AI education and research. Plans also include an AI hackathon open to local tertiary students to bring in the next generation of AI talent.