New Tech Innovation Centre a boost for Changi

SINGAPORE — Gearing up for the expansion of Changi Airport, airport services and inflight catering company Sats yesterday officially launched its S$110 million Technology Innovation Centre, which aims to boost productivity and service standards.

Several of the centre’s projects are already being tested at Changi Airport, including a smart wheelchair system which allows one employee to handle a convoy of three wheelchairs at a time, an automated guided vehicle that enables one person to move more than one food trolley — weighing about 200kg — per trip, and a robotic chef that can prepare laksa.

The launch was officiated by Second Minister for Transport Ng Chee Meng. Reiterating the need to raise productivity, Sats president and CEO Alex Hungate said the company now employs about 13,700 people, down from about 14,300 some two years ago, due to “natural attrition”. At the same time, its wage bill and profit margins have gone up.

“As the volume of business increases, we can increase productivity (by tapping on technology) with the current workforce … Our wage bill has increased although we are now employing (fewer) staff, which means we are paying them better salaries,” he said.

Sats operates at some 47 airports across 14 countries in Asia and the Middle East. These airports will have access to the company’s new technologies and innovative services, which give Sats an edge over other airport services operators, said Mr Hungate.

With no physical location, the centre — which is named TechnIC@SATS — takes a “bottom-up approach” by collaborating with various business units on their transformation initiatives, said Ms Pauline Tan, senior vice-president (technology) at Sats. The centre focuses on digital business, robotics and the Internet of Things. “By tapping (on) data and technology, we can make better business decisions.”

TechnIC@SATS is supported and co-funded by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and Singapore Economic Development Board. Some of the other technology-driven innovative solutions being trialled by Sats include AGVs for cargo document delivery, baggage container trailers, odd-sized baggage handling, and a real-time personal interpreter device supporting 37 foreign languages to help staff to guide passengers.

By 2025, Changi Airport will more than double its capacity to handle over 135 million passengers a year. In a press release, Mr Ng said the centre was in line with the Industry Transformation Map launched last month for the air-transport sector. “Through this initiative, we can leverage technology to automate manpower-intensive processes, thus raising Changi’s productivity and efficiency, as well as transforming manual jobs into high-quality ones,” he said. “We hope to see more partnerships and new ideas being developed, so as to enhance Changi’s competitiveness through innovation and productivity.”

Sats said it is also looking at installing a faster and more secure wireless network connection across its entire airport operations.