A new Jurong Innovation District (JID) will be built as part of the Government's push to encourage more innovation, envisioned as the industrial park of the future. This was announced by Finance Minister, Mr Heng Swee Kiat during his budget 2016 speech.

 

Jurong Innovation District, or “JID”, will be a 600ha innovation district covering Nanyang Technological University (NTU), CleanTech Park, and the surrounding areas of Bulim, Bahar and Tengah.

 

The first phase of the district located in Jurong West, is expected to be completed by around 2022.

 

Singapore's earlier industrial estates were developed for specific industries focused mostly on production but nowadays, research, innovation and production are closely intertwined said Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat.

 

The district will bring together researchers, students, innovators and businesses to develop products and services of the future. It will also create an environment to house different activities within a single next-generation industrial district.

 

It will be the future of innovation for enterprise, learning and living, Mr Heng added.

 

"Fifty years ago, we transformed Jurong from swampland into a thriving hub for the manufacturing industry that powered Singapore's economic growth. Now, we will take another leap to create the industrial park of the future," he said.

 

"This has the potential to transform how we live, work, play, learn and create."

 

JTC, the national developer of industrial infrastructure, is currently constructing Launchpad@JID, to serve as a space for entrepreneurs, researchers and students to design, prototype, and test-bed their new innovations.