Officiated by Mr Teo Chee Hean, Deputy Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security, Minister for Home Affairs and Chairman of the National Research Foundation (NRF), and witnessed by over 300 guests comprising the academia, industry partners and senior representatives from private and public sector organisations, SMU and StarHub jointly launched two Interactive Digital Media (IDM) initiatives - LiveLabs Urban Lifestyle Innovation Platform (LiveLabs) and SmartHub, on 5 November 2012. Both city-scale test-beds aim to strengthen Singapore’s standing as a preferred location for innovation and research, particularly in the area of consumer and social analytics.
LiveLabs is SMU’s newest research facility, funded by NRF through the IDM Programme Office (IDMPO), that focuses on developing technologies used in data analytics. From April 2013 onwards, it will collect fine-grained, context-based data from the mobile devices of more than 30,000 consenting participants across Singapore at four locations, namely Changi Airport, Sentosa, the SMU campus and one CapitaMalls Asia property. These data on the participants’ lifestyle and behavioral patterns will be converted into useful information for businesses in the retail, hospitality and tourism sectors to refine their marketing strategies and product/service development to meet the needs and preferences of the customers better.
The establishment of LiveLabs complements the strengths and functions of the Living Analytics Research Centre (LARC) set up by SMU in March 2011. Collectively, LiveLabs and LARC form the foundation of SMU’s strategic focus on, and commitment to, analytics for business, consumer and social insights. Enhanced capabilities in data analytics will help Singapore attract more global players in the consumer and lifestyle industry to establish a presence here, which in turn contribute to more employment opportunities and growth of the economy.
Photo caption: SMU Vice Provost (Research) & Dean, School of Information Systems, Prof Steven Miller (1st from left) sharing his vision and plans for LiveLabs with Guest-of-Honour, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean (2nd from left); SMU President, Prof Arnoud De Meyer (1st from right) and CEO of StarHub, Mr Neil Montefiore (2nd from right), before the launch ceremony.