Ravi Chandran
Jurong Innovation District provides many exciting opportunities
By: Hitesh Khan/
According to the Draft Master Plan 2019, the West Region of Singapore will remain as the country’s largest manufacturing hub. Three new employment areas in this location will provide exciting opportunities for the labour force: Jurong Lake District (JLD), Jurong Innovation District (JID) and Tuas Port.
Envisioned as the second Central Business District (CBD) of Singapore, JLD will be the largest mixed use business district in the suburbs, spanning across 360 hectares of land. By 2035, JLD will be served by four mass rapid transit (MRT) lines to give residents, workers and visitors access to the rest of the island. The four key themes which guide the development of JLD are:
- Hub for future economy
- New paradigm of mobility
- Smart and sustainable district
- District of gardens and waters
Jurong Innovation District will be the industrial park of the future, set aside for advanced manufacturing, to support an ecosystem of manufacturers, technology providers, researchers and education institutions.
Table of Contents
The key themes of JID are:
- A vibrant ecosystem for advanced manufacturing
- Liveable and sustainable industrial district of the future
- Home to thriving industry-academia collaborations
Tuas Port is set to be a next-generation port which can handle 65 million TEUs when fully operational by the 2040s, twice the volume handled by our ports today. In addition to the port’s global reach, it will leverage on advanced automation and more efficient processes to benefit factories in Tuas and Jurong with quicker production-to-market turnarounds.
A closer look at Jurong Innovation District
Around 600 hectares of land has been set aside for the development of JID. It will comprise five unique precincts that will host the full value chain of manufacturing activities from modelling and test-bedding to production and distribution.
The new hub for advanced manufacturing is welcoming six new entrants over the next three years: German conglomerate Siemens; American multinational Flowserve; German engineering firm Bosch Rexroth; Singapore-listed motion control systems specialist ISDN; the Agency for Science, Technology and Research’s (A*Star), Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology; as well as the National Metrology Centre. The first phase of the district is expected to be completed by around 2022, creating over 95,000 new jobs.
Nanyang Technological University (NTU) will helm research initiatives as well as conduct training pogrammes to enable executives to keep pace with the digital revolution. Rolls-Royce, Volvo, Hewlett Packard and Alibaba are some of the industry leaders that have set up labs on NTU campus.
Singapore’s first underground logistics network will be built to move people and goods in and around JID for the purposes of storage, packing and distribution.
Transport network and new housing
JID will be served by the Jurong Region Line (JRL), which is Singapore’s seventh MRT line. The 24km-long line will have 24 stations above ground, and will connect with the North-South Line and East-West Line with interchange stations at Boon Lay, Choa Chu Kang and Jurong East MRT stations. JRL is scheduled to be opened in three stages starting from 2026 up to 2028.
New housing and community facilities and also underway. On 12 November, Housing & Development Board (HDB) released new flats in the up-and-coming Tengah new town for sale. It will be the first town to integrate with the area’s surrounding greenery and biodiversity. A total of 3,460 new flats of various room types are offered in three precincts: Garden Vines, Plantation Grange and Plantation Village. These precincts are located near upcoming amenities such as a neighbourhood centre and a community club. Residents will be able to move in two to three years’ time.
With so much in-store, there is much to look forward to when Jurong Innovation District comes into fruition.
The Jurong Lake District transformation will see a 7-hectare site being redeveloped to include new integrated tourism attractions.
The Draft Master Plan 2019 also gives Jurong Lake District a big boost. The 360-hectare Jurong Lake District (JLD) will be the largest mixed-use business district outside the city centre, with quality offices, housing, amenities and abundant green spaces. A complementary leisure and recreational cluster has also been planned around Jurong Lake to leverage on the area’s unique lakeside and garden setting.
Offering pedestrians shelter in JLD come rain or shine, the existing J-Walk network will be extended to more developments. Beyond being just a linkway between malls, the elevated pedestrian network will also have programmes for fitness enthusiasts to clock more steps while moving around the district.
With 4 MRT lines serving the district by 2035, residents, workers and visitors will have enhanced accessibility to the rest of the island, including direct connections to the CBD, Changi Airport and Jurong Innovation District (JID).
The development of JLD will revolve around 4 key themes:
Jurong Innovation District
Served by 6 future Jurong Region Line stations, JID will be an industrial district for advanced manufacturing, supporting an ecosystem of manufacturers, technology providers, researchers and education institutions with Nanyang Technological University nearby.
Workers and residents of nearby Jurong West and Tengah towns can look forward to a new 11-kilometre-long sky corridor that allows pedestrians, cyclists and autonomous shuttles to move seamlessly within the precinct to nearby transport hubs and exciting lifestyle options.
Jurong Innovation District is envisioned to be:
Jurong Lake Gardens
Jurong Lake Gardens will be Singapore’s first national gardens in the heartlands, bringing nature closer to homes. It will open progressively from 2019, with new attractions and enhanced community spaces to serve residents, workers and visitors. As a people’s gardens, residents can look forward to nature-themed and water play areas, lifestyle and sports facilities, as well as a restored swamp forest and wetlands.
There is now some 160 hectares of land that is yet to be developed within the 360-hectare district. Draft Master Plan 2019 promises to design a greener way of life. New housing and community facilities in the West will be nestled within lush green spaces, close to parks and nature corridors. They will be developed sensitively, allowing biodiversity to thrive and co-exist in harmony with humans. By integrating developments with greenery, residents will be able to enjoy a good quality living environment.
Draft Master Plan 2019 will enable the discovering of nature at every corner. With new parks and enhancements to existing green spaces and waterways, communities will be able to get closer to nature for leisure and recreation. These green and blue networks will also help to enhance biodiversity in our living and working environments.
