December 8, 2023
SINGAPORE – Singapore and Tianjin will set up a new shipping corridor at Tianjin Port – the largest port in northern China – to support the greening and digitalisation of the maritime industry.
The corridor will serve as a test bed for digital solutions, alternative fuels and technologies, as well as facilitate manpower development. Both sides will work with researchers and industry stakeholders such as shipping lines, port operators and shipbuilders to enable more efficient port clearance, among other things.
The corridor is one of the ways that Singapore and China are broadening cooperation in the Tianjin Eco-City (TEC) government-to-government project. The city was launched in 2008 and is shifting from sustainable urban development to being a model for high-quality, low-carbon growth.
A total of 15 initiatives to deepen partnerships across the public sector, businesses and academia in both countries under a new collaboration framework were unveiled.
The framework broadens bilateral cooperation to span green growth, low-carbon living, ecological resilience, innovation and talent development, as well as governance.
Both sides will jointly develop the Tianjin Eco-City to exemplify high-quality, low-carbon economic growth and serve as a model for other cities in China and beyond, said the Ministry of National Development (MND).
The 15 initiatives include an agreement between MND and China’s Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development to enhance cooperation in promoting climate-friendly and liveable cities. This will be driven by an annual ministerial-level dialogue and exchanges between officials that started in April 2023.
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To strengthen the Eco-City as an incubator of low-carbon businesses, Keppel Corporation has established a new industry alliance of enterprises developing solutions for low-carbon and smart cities. This aims to accelerate the expansion of Singapore enterprises in China.
Four small and medium-sized enterprises, such as one working on nano disinfection coating and another on eco-friendly furniture, have piloted their solutions in the Eco-City.
A new Eco-City research and innovation centre will be launched by the Singapore University of Technology and Design to support joint research projects, enterprise development, education and training, as well as talent exchanges.
The university will also start an undergraduate programme in sustainable built environment that allows students to participate in study trips, exchanges and internships in Tianjin.