NTU Smart and Sustainable Campus Mobility wins big at SBR Technology Excellence Awards

The university continues to lead the way in strengthening mobility solutions and collaborating with industry leaders toward a greener, cleaner, and more sustainable future.

The NTU Smart Campus vision is focused on leveraging technology and data to transform mobility on its 200-hectare campus, making navigation and commuting much easier and environmentally sustainable for over 40,000 students, employees, and visitors, including 15,000 students and 750 faculty and their families living on campus. The ambitious project involved several key initiatives.

One of the foundation initiatives is NTU Maps, the first digital indoor and outdoor wayfinding solution in Singapore's education sector. This solution enables users to get real-time and step-by-step driving/walking directions to more than 4,000 locations on campus, enhancing navigation and improving the overall campus experience.

In line with the NTU Sustainability Manifesto, the university also launched a data-driven and greener Eco-Sustainable Campus Shuttle service with a fleet of 19 electric buses. Equipped with telematics devices, including GPS and battery management hardware, the electric buses provide powerful data collection capabilities. The passenger information display system installed in the buses allows commuters to get information about the bus route and next bus stop.

To improve service reliability, the university also implemented the Smart Fleet Management System (SFMS), which enables operations staff to monitor the deployment and performance of electric buses. The data collected through the electric bus fleet is used to understand ridership trends, allowing predictive interventions for a smoother commuting experience, such as deploying more buses to specific routes when ridership spikes.

NTU also introduced the NTU Omnibus App, providing commuters with a new and convenient way to plan their journeys, check the real-time location of buses, and get updates on bus arrival times and passenger occupancy levels. This app offers a seamless experience for users, improving their campus mobility experience. NTU Omnibus attracted more than 22,000 downloads within two months of the launch.

NTU launched Singapore's first and only Smart Mobility Experience Centre (SMEC), in partnership with its campus shuttle operator, ComfortDelGro. Besides tracking real-time ridership and the location of buses, the SMEC also allows visitors to appreciate the environmental impact of their in-campus journeys. Passengers who have commuted on an electric bus are able to view how much carbon footprint they have reduced each time they record their journey on the tablet located at SMEC – serving as a tangible reminder of NTU’s commitment to do good for the environment. 

As a result of its efforts towards smart and sustainable campus mobility, it created a big impact on the environment, contributing to NTU's sustainability commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035, along with a 50% reduction in carbon emissions. The fully electric bus fleet is projected to reduce the CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) emission of their shuttle buses by about 34,000kg per term week.

For these innovative projects, the university was given the Smart City – Education award in the recently concluded SBR Technology Excellence Awards, hosted by Singapore Business Review. 

The annual awards programme highlights technological innovations, recognising exceptional companies in Singapore that are riding the digital disruption wave and leading the technological revolution and digital journeys of their respective industries. 

The SBR Technology Excellence Awards is presented by Singapore Business Review Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2024 awards programme and be acclaimed for your company's outstanding contributions in pursuit of technological innovation, please contact Jane Patiag at [email protected].