NEC Corporation and NEC Asia Pacific have opened NEC’s first Advanced Centre for Experimentation (ACE) in Singapore. The establishment aims to facilitate the company’s global research and development efforts and it will be a key component of NEC’s growth strategy in APAC.
Operated by NEC Laboratories Singapore (NLS), ACE will leverage NEC’s core technologies and advanced solutions, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and ICT platforms, to create new value and contribute to a safer, smarter living environment for people and communities.
In conjunction with the opening of the ACE, NLS, which currently is staffed with 33 researchers/solution engineers, will hire an additional 50 researchers/solution engineers within the next three years, mainly specialising in AI, the Internet-of-Things, Cognition and cyber security.
The facility allows co-creation of solutions and provides a “living lab” for proof-of-concepts for advanced solutions that help customers and partners, including governments and enterprises, in areas such as public safety, transportation and healthcare.
Tetsuro Akagi, senior vice president of NEC Corporation and CEO of NEC Asia Pacific, said: “The establishment of the ACE is a significant milestone for us as it is the first of its kind for NEC globally. NEC is investing more than S$100 million in the Asia Pacific region over the next five years mainly for research and development, and the set-up of the ACE in Singapore is the heart of this investment. This experiment facility underscores NEC’s strong commitment to business in Asia Pacific."