On 2 March 2023, PUB launched Singapore’s first research programme dedicated to strengthening coastal protection and inland flood management capabilities. The $125 million Coastal Protection and Flood Management Research Programme (CFRP) is intended to advance knowledge in coastal and flood resilience and spur the growth of a vibrant research and development ecosystem for coastal and flood resilience in Singapore.

As part of this initiative, it was announced that a new multi-institutional Centre of Excellence (CoE) will be set up to conduct research in the above areas and that it will be hosted at the National University of Singapore (NUS), with the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) and Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) as partner institutes. This community will grow to include international institutions as well as industry partners.

It was intended that the CoE would anchor in-house research with the aim of growing the local talent base of research scientists and engineers. Institutes of Higher Learning can capitalise on the synergies with research work to enrich education and professional training in coastal engineering and flood management.

This is in line with PUB’s objective to develop long-term capability in coastal protection and flood management and groom a sustained pipeline of local professionals for coastal protection and flood management work.​​​

Read more about the statement here: https://www.pub.gov.sg/news/pressreleases/2022pr22

The CoE, now named the Coastal Protection and Flood Resilience Institute (CFI Singapore), was launched on 7 September 2023.