SMART

The Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) is a leading research centre in Asia established by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the National Research Foundation (NRF) of Singapore to identify and conduct research on critical problems of societal significance for today and the future.

Exemplifying the MIT spirit of research excellence and Singapore’s commitment to R&D, SMART advances high-impact research within and beyond CREATE, building strategic partnerships with universities, research institutes, hospitals, government agencies and industry.

SMART fosters a creative and collaborative environment that stimulates major discoveries through its interdisciplinary structure. Its five Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs) are as follows:

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
- AMR leverages the scientific and clinical strengths of MIT and Singapore to develop transformative technologies to identify, respond to, and treat drug-resistant microbes.

BioSystems and Micromechanics (BioSyM)
- Developing innovative healthcare technologies of the future by merging diverse engineering and bioscience disciplines

Center for Environmental Sensing and Modeling (CENSAM)
- Combining measurements and models to develop accurate representations of the natural and built environment of Singapore to serve in urban planning, environmental forecasting and environment impact assessment

Disruptive and Sustainable Technologies for Agricultural Precision (DISTAP)
- Aims to revolutionalize how food is produced to meet the demands of a growing population in an increasing resource constrained world.

Future Urban Mobility (FM)
- Developing a new paradigm for the planning, design, and operation of future urban passenger and freight transportation systems that enhance sustainability and societal well-being

Infectious Diseases (ID)

Investigating infectious diseases with a focus on influenza, tuberculosis, malaria and dengue

Low Energy Electronic Systems (LEES)

Developing new integrated circuits with reduced energy per function for applications in wireless communication, power electronics, LED lighting, printing, displays and computing

SMART also consists of the SMART Innovation Centre - the translational research arm of SMART - which is modelled after MIT’s Deshpande Center. It uses Adaptive Innovation to assist researchers from Singapore to pursue novel avenues of market-driven research and helps accelerate their innovations toward commercialisation.

SMART at a glance

First CREATE entity, established in 2007
First, and to-date largest, MIT research centre outside the US
Engages about 800 MIT & Singapore researchers
In the NEWS for its breakthroughs and discoveries
Collaborates with universities, research institutes, hospitals, government agencies and industry
Offers opportunity to work with MIT faculty, researchers and students
Offers Innovation Grants to inspire commercialisation