Shanghai, Singapore join hands in making sustainable solutions for megacities

The "Song of Our Homeland" China-ASEAN International Media Tour 2023 visits the SJTU Asia-Pacific Graduate Institute in Singapore on Friday. The SJTU-APGI was incorporated in June 2019, which is an extension of SJTU's education and research efforts, as well as a platform for overseas resource integration and internationalization. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

In certain reservoirs in Singapore, people can spot several floating "swans". However, these are not real swans, but rather robotic devices disguised as swans for water quality monitoring.

These low-cost autonomous robotic swans are capable of real-time sampling in freshwater bodies with centralized data storage tools for diverse data acquisition by autonomous sensing nodes, effective visualization as well as interoperability with existing database and prediction models.

This is just one application case of the Energy and Environmental Sustainable Solutions for Megacities (E2S2) Programme, led by Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) and the National University of Singapore (NUS), and funded by the National Research Foundation of Singapore.

E2S2 seeks to study sustainable solutions for coupled problems in the field of waste management and emerging contaminants in Shanghai and Singapore. It also aims to develop a platform to facilitate the understanding, design, and implementation of infrastructure and sustainability solutions for future cities, and serve as inputs for strategic policymaking and real-time environmental monitoring and response for coupled problems in future cities.

The "Song of Our Homeland" China-ASEAN International Media Tour 2023 visits the labs of E2S2. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

E2S2 also provides a platform for technology transformation. One such instance is Aquashield Solutions, an innovative Sino-Singapore joint project, led by Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the National University of Singapore, which is at the forefront of digital water quality monitoring and modeling sector.

Founded in 2023, Aquashield Solutions received support from NUS's research innovation project. With joint founders possessing over 20 years of research experience, the company has forged stable partnerships with leading entities in the industry, including local and international private firms and water agencies.

Their core technology comprises an integrated monitoring and modeling platform for digital water quality management, leading the field in monitoring and alerting against water pollution. Providing comprehensive, real-time and precise dynamic water quality simulations combined with cutting-edge analytical and modeling techniques, it sets a new standard in the industry.

Shanghai Jiao Tong University has a thirty-year history with its MBA program and over a decade of remarkable joint research experience in Singapore, as well as longstanding dedication in facilitating talents and scientists exchange between SJTU and its Singaporean partners. This pioneering effort represents one of the earliest instances of Chinese higher education exploration overseas, especially in the Belt and Road countries.