- Aims to drive AI-led transformation across energy, infrastructure, transport & manufacturing
- IAL accelerates AI & IoT innovation, combining technology & academia to deliver edge-to-cloud intelligence
Univers has announced the launch of what it claims to be the world’s first Global Impact AI Lab (IAL), in collaboration with AMD, Microsoft, and the National University of Singapore (NUS), and supported by the Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore.
In a statement, the global leader in AI for energy noted that the IAL is designed to fast-track enterprise-scale AI and IoT/Edge innovation through its incubation programme, bringing together leading technology, governance, and academic expertise to deliver edge-to-cloud intelligence at unprecedented speed and impact.
The IAL unites leading technology and industry expertise to accelerate AI-driven transformation across the energy, infrastructure, transportation, and manufacturing sectors. Its mission focuses on three strategic vectors of efficiency that together deliver systemic value:
- Energy efficiency – making every kilowatt count through AI-driven optimisation of generation, storage, and consumption.
- Operational efficiency – making every operation smarter by connecting assets, systems, and processes for greater reliability and productivity.
- System efficiency – making every connection meaningful through AI-enabled orchestration that unites ecosystems across energy, infrastructure, and industry.
The launch was officiated at the One Univers event on 28 October by Tan Kiat How, senior minister of state, Ministry of Digital Development and Information, underscoring Singapore’s commitment to fostering close public–private collaboration to advance digital and AI innovation.
Michael Ding, global executive director of Univers, said, “AI and IoT achieve their full potential when powered by strong partnerships. The IAL unites leading industry and academic expertise to transform innovation into enterprise advantage.”
In a business environment where digital adoption alone is no longer enough, the IAL leverages deep collaboration with its partners to incubate solutions to real-world business challenges, turning AI and IoT concepts into scalable, commercially viable solutions. Enterprises gain faster decision-making, operational agility, and sustainable competitive advantage through this unique ecosystem approach.
Univers was recently recognised as a leader in the latest Gartner Magic Quadrant for Global Industrial IoT Platforms, reflecting its strong execution capabilities and clear strategic vision. The report also highlighted Univers’s strength in building strategic partnerships that blend deep domain expertise with advanced technology.
These partnerships are exemplified in the Global Impact AI Lab’s collaboration with AMD, Microsoft, and NUS, each bringing unique expertise to power AI innovation across industry and academia.
AMD contributes real-time, secure AI at the edge for mission-critical distributed operations. “AMD is collaborating with Univers on the IAL to accelerate innovation and showcase the benefits of heterogeneous computing for powering edge AI and enabling enterprises to operate smarter, faster, and more securely at scale,” said Yousef Khalilollahi, corporate vice president and general manager, embedded business group, AMD.
Microsoft optimises infrastructure and operations through integrated AI and cloud platforms. “This collaboration accelerates enterprise digital transformation by bringing intelligent, AI-powered solutions from concept to real-world impact,” said Saj Kumar, regional business leader – manufacturing, Microsoft.
Meanwhile, NUS develops future-ready AI talent and bridges research with real-world enterprise applications. “This collaboration reflects NUS’s commitment to building strong industry–academia partnerships that prepare our students to thrive in the age of AI. Through the Global Impact AI Lab, our students will gain hands-on experience, mentorship, and opportunities to apply their learning to address real-world challenges — helping to shape the next generation of AI-ready talent,” said Professor Bernard Tan, senior vice-provost (undergraduate education), NUS.
According to Univers, enterprises seeking to differentiate in fast-moving markets must leverage partnership-driven innovation engines. The Global Impact AI Lab provides exactly that — accelerating concepts into scalable, operationalised solutions.
