NUS to build new AI R&D hub in collaboration with IBM

The National University of Singapore (NUS) will enter a strategic collaboration with IBM to establish a new artificial intelligence (AI) research and innovation centre at the NUS School of Computing. 

The centre will aim to accelerate scientific research, leveraging IBM’s full-stack AI infrastructure as well as a selection of open-source models, including IBM’s flagship series of Granite models. 

It will also feature the first full-stack AI infrastructure system installed on a university campus in the Asia Pacific region by IBM. 

According to NUS and IBM, the centre will aim to serve as an innovation platform for Singapore agencies, academic and research institutions, as well as companies to jointly conduct cutting-edge AI research with significant potential to translate to real-world applications.  

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The focus will be on an open innovation approach to developing AI technologies across the stack, to have a much broader potential to improve the quality and pace of adoption of new AI technologies.

Additionally, the centre will focus on developing tools and methodologies that help build trust in AI.

NUS and IBM are proposing to install a full-stack AI-optimised computing infrastructure that will include IBM’s AI Acceleration Unit (AIU) accelerators that are optimised for the efficient inferencing of AI workloads.  

The AI-optimised computing infrastructure would operate on the IBM watsonx data and AI platform along with a Red Hat hybrid cloud platform. The proposed collaboration would leverage NUS’ expertise to drive technological progress in AI, enabling more powerful, efficient, and versatile AI systems that can tackle increasingly complex tasks.  

It will also enable the NUS Graduate Research Innovation Programme (GRIP), a deep tech entrepreneurship programme run by the university, together with local start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises, to gain access to the AI innovation platform with Red Hat OpenShift AI for management and runtime needs and IBM's watsonx platform.  

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Commenting on the collaboration, NUS Deputy President (Research and Technology), Professor Liu Bin, said the university envisions a future where an open ecosystem is most vital to harness the best of collective intelligence.  

“Building on the new NUS AI Institute announced earlier this year and the university’s commitment to green computing and sustainability, we aim to be the leading force in addressing rising industry demand for AI intelligence, cultivating a robust talent pool and contributing to Singapore’s decarbonisation efforts,” the professor said in a press release.