L to R: Antoine Petit (CNRS), Luke Ong (NTU), Emily Tan (Thales)
Thales has renewed its partnership with Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) for a fourth tenure in running the CNRS International NTU Thales Research Alliance (CINTRA) laboratory.
Entering the fifteenth year since it was established in 2009, the CINTRA lab is focused on upstream research and development in the field of carbon-based materials, nanostructures and nano-photonics.
In this renewed partnership, Thales will focus on strengthening capabilities through four main application areas on how research outcomes can be used for energy, sensors, acoustic and microwave devices and nano-photonic circuits – areas relevant for the development of materials for Thales’ solutions.
Over the years, the lab has progressed to focusing on the understanding and application-based research of 2D materials and metamaterials, as well as on artificial intelligence (AI) for materials design.
Physically situated at the NTU campus, the extension of the lab highlights Singapore's strategic importance for research and technology for Thales.
“The CINTRA lab is one of our early examples of upstream research collaboration in Singapore, back when the country was enhancing its reputation as a leading R&D [research and development] hub in the region,” said Emily Tan, CEO and country director of Thales in Singapore.
“I am proud that this spirit of co-designing and prototyping continues with the extended tenure of the lab, working together with our esteemed partners CNRS and NTU. The established credentials of CINTRA demonstrate Thales’ influence within the scientific and technical communities and is especially significant as Thales celebrates its fiftieth year in Singapore this year.”
Thales continues to remain committed to working with institutions in Singapore. Last year, the vendor was part of a trial by the National University of Singapore (NUS) to launch the National Quantum-Safe Network for government agencies and private enterprises.
The initiative, called the Quantum Engineering Program, was expected to cost about S$8.5million over three years and involve over 15 private and government collaborators, including Thales and Amazon Web Services (AWS).
