International. Johnson Controls announced the official opening of its $50 million OpenBlue Innovation Center to create a future-proof building environment for Singapore and the region.
The new facility, located within the School of Design and Environment (SDE), at the National University of Singapore (NUS), will be a living laboratory for a new class of customizable, contactless applications based on Johnson Controls' suite of unifying digital technology, OpenBlue. Together with its ecosystem of partners, which includes NUS and Microsoft, the center is pioneering the use of a common configuration language that unites the building's core technology as well as behavioral, well-being and spatial data to develop solutions that meet new demands for safety and sustainability in connected spaces.
This novelty will also allow the company to continue developing technologies and innovations from similar state-of-the-art sites in which it currently operates:
- Cork (Ireland)
- Milwaukee and Birmingham (USA)
- Wuxi (China)
- Pune (India)
- San Jose (Costa Rica)
All of these centers are designed to accelerate the reinvention of urban life, with significant investments aimed at digital innovation.
"Artificial intelligence and machine learning will play a leading role in revamping the way we create comfort for people and energy efficiency in a building," said Mike Ellis, executive vice president and chief customer officer and digital technology officer at Johnson Controls. "Our unprecedented approach to co-innovating cutting-edge technologies through collaborations like the NUS will lead to greater innovation and true differentiation for our customers."
The 240-square-meter center, located in SDE4, the first newly constructed net-zero energy building in Singapore, will have sensors installed throughout the interior space, including ventilation located at the top to measure airflow. Laboratory staff and researchers
collect and analyze data using Johnson Controls' suite of unifying technology and analytics to gain a qualitative and quantitative understanding of the interactions between technology, wellness, and indoor environments. The partner ecosystem will leverage the intelligence generated from the center in order to create evidence-based solutions for healthier and safer connected indoor spaces.
The NUS will serve as a test bed for the OpenBlue Innovation Center's solutions, which will assist the university in its ongoing efforts to develop a smart, sustainable and safe campus for its staff and students. The collaboration also includes joint research and innovation in the areas of built and urban environments, particularly in data analysis, sustainability and operations, as well as people and well-being. There will also be opportunities for collaboration in teaching and internship programs.
OpenBlue is a suite of connected solutions and services and open digital platform that when integrated with Johnson Controls' core building systems and optimized by ecosystem partners, connects traditionally separate systems to create new capabilities for safer, more agile and sustainable space uses.
With the support of the Singapore Economic Development Board, the facility is expected to have more than 100 employees within four years. Johnson Controls currently employs around 800 people across Singapore and has its products installed in many of singapore's commercial buildings. The investment marks the company's commitment to spearhead the creation and adoption of revolutionary solutions for the built environment sector in the region.
