YCH Group Championing Green Logistics with NTU’s EcoLabs

Apr 16, 2019 12:00:00 AM

YCH and EcoLabs will explore innovations into YCH’s business operations such as ambient cooling technologies and sensors in robotic fleet management to enhance warehouse operations.

Singapore, 16 April 2019 – YCH Group, Asia Pacific’s leading integrated end-to-end supply chain management and logistics partner joined in the signing of an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Nanyang Technological University’s EcoLabs Centre of Innovation for Energy to look at innovations that can be implemented in the supply chain and logistics industry.

Under this MoU, YCH’s flagship facility, Supply Chain City® (SCC) will be a testbed for small, medium enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups looking to implement innovative sustainable solutions not only for conventional logistics but also in areas like energy efficiency and electric mobility, applicable for supply chain management. This bodes well with SCC, being Asia’s centre of supply chain excellence that has embraced green logistics with its eco-friendly architectural design and has attained the BCA Green Mark (Platinum) and US Green Building Council LEED Platinum certification.

In partnership with Enterprise Singapore, EcoLabs Centre of Innovation for Energy will also collaborate with Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore and will provide the technical know-how SMEs and start-ups to turn their energy research into scalable, industry-applicable technology for commercialisation. The Centre will also work as an incubator for energy sector start-ups and link them with private sector-owned test beds, such as SCC, to trial their projects.

This joint initiative also aligns with Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat’s call during the Budget 2019 announcement in cementing Singapore as a Global-Asia node of technology, innovation and enterprise.

YCH Group’s Chief Investment Officer, Mr James Ong (standing, fourth from right) pictured together with GOH, Mr Chee Hong Tat, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry, and Education (seated, third from left), together with the partners of EcoLabs.

“This partnership with EcoLabs is aligned with our work at SCAngels® (Supply Chain Angels), YCH’s corporate venture arm, where we invest in start-ups that are synergistic and complementary to YCH’s supply chain and logistics business with the aim of “Nurturing Disruptive Innovators’. Continuous innovation and improvement are keys to maintaining a market lead in the current business climate. We look forward to working with SMEs and start-ups that align with our drive towards a sustainable and eco-friendly supply chain and logistics,” said Mr James Ong, Chief Investment Officer of YCH Group and Partner of SCAngels.

As part of its continuous drive towards green logistics, YCH recently announced the completion of a 2.8-megawatt peak solar farm built atop of SCC, making it one of the biggest solar powered warehouses in Singapore, in partnership with integrated energy player, Sembcorp Industries. SCC also houses Sembcorp’s Solar Performance Monitoring Centre in its facility while YCH provides supply chain services for Sembcorp’s solar panels. Both companies will further continue their collaboration in powering YCH’s other regional facilities with solar energy in the coming years.

 

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About YCH Group
YCH Group is a leading homegrown, end-to-end supply chain solutions partner to some of the world's largest companies and favourite brands across the Asia Pacific region. YCH works across five distinct industries, from electronics and chemicals to consumer goods, always customizing solutions to suit its clients’ products. Due to the versatility, YCH is able to provide sophisticated management of its clients’ assets.

Connectivity Network
From establishing regional connectivity to setting up greenfield operations in emerging markets or expanding product scope, YCH’s robust distribution networks and innovative solutions offer compelling value to companies that desire to grow and scale across Asia and beyond. With deep-rooted understanding of local terrains and in-depth presence, YCH’s regional connectivity complements its wider range of specialised services. Its DistriParks and supply chain hubs are strategically located in more than 100 key cities across countries such as Greater China, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam and South Korea.

YCH is also working with partners in Vietnam and Philippines, to establish Smart Growth Centres as part of SGConnect™ (Smart Growth Connect), ASEAN Business Advisory Council’s (ASEAN-BAC) fifth Legacy Project. The Smart Growth Centres in Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi aims to be the supply chain hub for urban cities, that will distribute and manage a range of different products for the city population while reducing socio-economic burden such as pollution, congestion and noise by leveraging of technologies to maximise distribution efficiencies and quality.

YCH’s footprint is also strengthened with distribution development such as the China-ASEAN Regular Shuttle Service. This Chongqing to Singapore cross-border cargo transportation service was borne from the strategic partnership with Chongqing ASEAN International Logistics Co. Ltd (CAIL) and Chongqing Banan District Government, which started back in 2016, strengthening YCH’s expansive connectivity between the two countries.

By jointly developing a southward trade route and logistics passage connecting China and ASEAN as part of the CCI (Chongqing Connectivity Initiative), the successful completion of the China-ASEAN Regular Shuttle Service, is open to new opportunities to further promote trade between China and ASEAN region by allowing regional businesses to enjoy an avenue of fast and on-demand cargo transportation service, with Singapore and Chongqing playing the role of mutual hubs in ASEAN and Western China respectively.

Productivity Through Innovation
With its mantra of “innovate to survive”, YCH launched Supply Chain City® in 22 September 2017. Headquarters for YCH and located at heart of Jurong Innovation District in Singapore, the 2 million square-foot equivalent state-of-the-art facility serves as Asia’s supply chain nerve centre that aims to accelerate industry best practices, support Singapore growth as a leading logistics hub and set new industry standards in Asia Pacific. Through the unique LEARN™ ecosystem, YCH synergises various business activities and entities to create a dynamic and vibrant community, where ideas can be exchanged freely, and businesses, including YCH, are able to leverage one another’s strengths to innovate and grow.

Supply Chain City also features the world’s first patented FusionARIS® - a seamless fusion of an Automated Storage Retrieval System (ASRS) and ramp-up warehouse integrated solution - along with inventory-counting drones and advanced robotics such as AGVs (automated guided vehicles). The ASRS is the largest in the region, and the tallest at 50m in height.

Technology and innovation have always been embedded in the DNA of YCH’s business. From moving people to moving cargo, giving existing facilities new leases of life, introducing IT into our supply chain operations, and creating an ecosystem to enhance the supply chain industry – all these are landmarks in YCH’s vision to transform supply chain and logistic in the region.
 


 

For media enquires:

Yvonne Wong (Ms)
Executive Chairman Office, YCH Group
DID   : (65) 6417 2773
Email : yvonne.wong@ych.com

Dzulhairi Suhod (Mr)
Executive Chairman Office, YCH Group
DID    : (65) 6417 2513
Email : dzulhairi.s@ych.com

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