Leading automotive supplier, Schaeffler has teamed up with the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore to set up a mobility research lab on the university’s campus. The lab will utilize the combined funding of USD 5 million over a period of three years to explore new options when it comes to next-generation personal mobility devices.

The Schaeffler Group is helping to set up the lab as part of the Schaeffler Hub for Advanced REsearch at NTU (SHARE at NTU). This is the company’s first SHARE lab which will be located outside Europe. The lab will function out of Nanyang Technological University’s School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. The School has been ranked as the 6th in the world in the recent Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by Subject 2017.

Commenting on the partnership, NTU Vice President (Research) and Chief of Staff, Professor Lam Khin Yong, said that the lab will work on solutions to help tackle the transportation challenges for the country in the context of Singapore’s Smart Nation vision. He said that the two organizations will work on coming up with innovative personal transport solutions that are safer and more efficient, and help to make Singapore a society that depends less on cars.

Professor Dr.-Ing. Peter Gutzmer, Deputy CEO and Chief Technology Officer at Schaeffler AG, said that Schaeffler has a history of working closely with universities mainly in Europe. The decision to establish of the first SHARE lab outside Germany will lay the groundwork for long-term collaboration with institutions in the Asia Pacific region.

Both organizations signed a master research agreement pertaining to the lab at NTU’s campus. At the signing ceremony, Schaeffler showcased some of its concepts for personal mobility, including the E-Board, an electronic skateboard-like device that comes with a control stick, and an e-bike called the Bio-Hybrid equipped with an automatic bicycle gearshift system. The Bio-Hybrid offers users the health benefits of cycling while making gearshift as easy as changing gear in a car.
Schaeffler’s focus on investing in research and development has led to the company registering over 2,300 patents in the last year alone and the company has emerged as a leader when it comes to innovations

The new joint lab will study various aspects of personal urban mobility and intelligent transportation systems for mega cities that are likely to be a prominent feature of the world tomorrow.

CEO Schaeffler Asia Pacific, Andreas Schick, said: “Our long-term vision is to develop Singapore as a hub for research and innovation for urban mobility. The proactive efforts from the Government of Singapore make it a highly conducive place for developing technologies for future megacities and Schaeffler is keen to tap into these opportunities, working together with the big and highly educated talent pool.”

NTU and Schaeffler will collaborate on developing applications that will allow personal mobility devices to interact seamlessly and safely with traffic infrastructure and vehicles around them, using vehicle-to-everything (V2X) wireless communication technology.