SMU Urban Institute

What SMU Urban Institute does

SMU Urban Institute is a university-level research institute within Singapore Management University, launched on 17 January 2024 as the first institute in Southeast Asia dedicated exclusively to interdisciplinary research on Asian cities. It operates four research pillars — Urban Growth, Urban Governance, Urban Systems, and Urban Experiences — and serves government policymakers, academic researchers, industry partners, and urban communities across Singapore, Southeast Asia, and selected global cities (notably Toronto, Melbourne, Vienna). Its work combines data science (geospatial analytics, remote sensing, micro-scale sensors, climate modelling) with critical social-science methods, producing peer-reviewed publications, white papers, policy briefs, VR-based risk communication tools, and convening forums such as the City Dialogues series.

The institute is led by Director Orlando Woods, supported by pillar leads Winston Chow (Urban Systems; IPCC Working Group II Co-Chair), Li Jing (Urban Growth), and a bench of Urban Fellows drawn from SMU's College of Integrative Studies and the School of Computing and Information Systems. Notable technical components include the Cooling Singapore 2.0 micro-sensor and remote-sensing platform, a VR-based climate risk communication framework, geospatial data pipelines under the SLA MOU, and digital-twin models for urban agriculture. External data partners include the Singapore Land Authority (geospatial), PropertyGuru (real-estate market), and Microsoft AI Economy Institute (AI policy workshops).

The institute is funded entirely through non-commercial channels: competitive research grants from Singapore government agencies (National Research Foundation, National Environment Agency, Ministry of Education Tier 1/Tier 2, URA), the Climate Impact Science Research Funding Initiative, strategic MOUs with industry and international academic partners, and institutional support from SMU. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and there are no commercial products, pricing, or sales channels; outputs are distributed via publications, events, policy briefings, and direct stakeholder engagement.

Name

SMU Urban Institute

Legal name

Singapore Management University

Website

https://urban.smu.edu.sg

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SMU Urban Institute is a non-profit research institute within Singapore Management University, launched in 2024 as the first in Southeast Asia dedicated to interdisciplinary study of Asian cities. It produces funded research, white papers, and convening forums for government, academia, and industry partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Urban Research Services

NAICS

Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (925120), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Smart Cities & Urban Innovation Programs (Digital Planning, Civic Tech for Cities) (BPAIANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Urban & Regional Planning (Land Use, Zoning, Master Planning) (BPAIANAD), Sustainable Cities, Urban Development & Green Infrastructure (BPADALAL)

Keywords

• Urban research services
• Interdisciplinary urban studies
• Climate resilience research
• Smart city governance
• Asian urbanisms

Headquarters

HQ city

Singapore

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Funding: The institute receives competitive research grants from government agencies including National Research Foundation (NRF), National Environment Agency (NEA), Ministry of Education, and Climate Impact Science Research Funding Initiative for specific research projects.
2. Partnership Collaborations: Collaborative research with industry partners, government agencies, and international institutions through MOUs and joint funding initiatives, providing resources for specific research projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SMU Urban Institute conducts multi- and inter-disciplinary research on cities in Asia, organized across four pillars — Urban Experiences, Urban Growth, Urban Systems, and Urban Governance. It delivers research projects such as Cooling Singapore 2.0 and Cool Paints Trials in Schools, produces white papers, academic publications, and policy-relevant insights, and runs the City Dialogues series and the Urban Data Management Programme.

Product overview

SMU Urban Institute is a university-level research institute at Singapore Management University, launched in January 2024, dedicated to multi- and inter-disciplinary research on cities in Asia. Rather than a commercial product company, it offers a portfolio of research services including published white papers on urban resilience and sustainable development, peer-reviewed academic publications, ongoing research projects (such as Cooling Singapore 2.0 on urban climate risks), seminars and public events, and the Urban Data Management Programme. The institute operates through three research pillars (Urban Growth, Urban Governance, Urban Systems) and serves as an interface between theoretical and applied research, data science and critical social sciences, industry and academia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cooling Singapore 2.0 A multi-institute initiative examining how Singapore's urban climate risks will change as its climate warms, and examining measures to reduce these risks through micro-scale sensors, remote sensing platforms, and policy interventions. Audience: policymakers, urban planners, and government agencies.
• White Papers on Urban Studies Published white papers addressing urban resilience value, sustainable urbanization in Asia, and reconciling costs of sustainable cities, produced through SMU City Dialogues sessions. Audience: policymakers, researchers, and the broader urban community.
• Urban Research Projects Ongoing research projects covering topics such as urban heat mitigation, edible gardening heritage, migrant integration, climate risk assessment, and smart city governance across Asian cities. Audience: academic, policy, and practitioner stakeholders.
• Urban Data Management Programme Programme focused on leveraging geospatial data from Singapore Land Authority to address urban heat challenges, aligned with SG Green Plan 2030. Audience: geospatial talent, government agencies, and researchers.
• City Dialogues Series Signature dialogue series convening business, government, and academic experts for frank discussions on urban challenges, including events such as City Dialogues Vienna in partnership with Urban Innovation Vienna. Audience: city leaders, policymakers, academics, and industry.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10.77% reduction in taxi waiting times through information-based interventions
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered key and core.

• Urban Innovation ViennakeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 July 2025Partnership for City Dialogues Vienna event at Vienna City Hall, bringing together urban leaders, policymakers, and academics from Europe, Asia and beyond.
• PropertyGuru GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 August 2024Strategic partnership focusing on leveraging data to deepen insights into changing urban landscape in Singapore and Southeast Asia through research collaboration, data sharing, and education including capstone projects and internships.
• Singapore Land Authority (SLA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 20243-year MOU for utilizing SLA's geodata to tackle urban heat challenges through projects like Cooling Singapore 2.0. Supports SG Green Plan 2030 and nurtures geospatial talent through joint research and educational activities.
• MIT Asia Real Estate Initiative (MIT Center for Real Estate)keyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024Partnership as part of Sustainable Urbanisation in Asia Symposium, exploring critical drivers and consequences of sustainable urbanisation in the region.
• Thammasat UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 January 2024MOU signed for exchange of data, documentation, and research materials; student and researcher exchanges; joint organization of seminars and symposiums. Partnership aligns with SMU's Overseas Centre in Thailand.
• University of TorontocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 January 2024Joint grant call fostering collaborative urban-related research on theme of 'Migration, Thriving and Belonging'. SMU-University of Toronto grant call supporting innovative urban solutions research.
• University of Melbourne / Melbourne Centre for CitiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 January 2024Planning partnership for joint event for ASEAN city leaders at World Cities Summit. Collaboration through Global Alliance on Sustainable Urban Societies (GASUS) with Boston University Initiative on Cities.
• University of Hong Kong - Urban Systems InstitutekeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Sustainable Urbanisation in Asia Symposium exploring drivers and consequences of sustainable urbanisation in Asia.
• PropertyGuru (Symposium Partner)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner in Sustainable Urbanisation in Asia Symposium examining sustainable urbanisation in Asia.
• ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) - World Meteorological Organization (WMO)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted inaugural ASMC-WMO regional forum fostering critical discussions on climate resilience, adaptation, and early warning systems in Southeast Asia.
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerAsia Real Estate Initiative affiliation for joint research on urban development and real estate economics in Asia.
• Microsoft AI Economy InstitutekeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosting workshops on AI Developmental States and research collaboration on AI policy in Southeast Asia.
• University of Waterloo - SULTREE LabkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch exchange between SULTREE Lab and SMU Urban Institute strengthening international collaboration in urban climate and sustainability research.
• National Heritage BoardkeyImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCollaborator on research including edible gardening heritage documentation and UNESCO inscription bids case study.
• National Environment Agency (NEA)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFunding agency for Cool Paints Trials project and climate risk research, supporting Singapore's environmental goals.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• UN-Habitat: United Nations agency for sustainable urbanization. Comparable in mandate around Asian urban policy and planning, and an existing SMU Urban Institute partner, but vastly larger in scope and resourcing.
• C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group: Global network of mayors addressing climate change through urban action. Comparable in its climate-and-cities remit and Asian city engagement, though focused on network convening rather than academic research.
• World Resources Institute Ross Center for Sustainable Cities: Global non-profit programme dedicated to sustainable urban development. Comparable in its focus on climate-resilient, sustainable cities research and policy engagement, but operates at a global, non-academic scale.

Direct peers

• LSE Cities: Research centre at the London School of Economics producing interdisciplinary urban research and policy advice. Highly comparable as a university-based urban research programme that bridges academic research with city policymaking.
• Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program: Policy research programme producing data-driven analysis on cities and metropolitan areas. Comparable as a research-to-policy urban think tank, though US-focused rather than Asia-focused.
• MIT Senseable City Lab: MIT research laboratory applying data science, sensing, and design to urban challenges. Comparable in its interdisciplinary data-and-social-science methodology, sensor deployment, and use of advanced visualization for urban insight.
• Lincoln Institute of Land Policy: Non-profit research organization focused on urban land policy, planning, and economics globally. Comparable in producing urban policy research with academic rigor and practical applicability.
• Urban Innovation Vienna: Vienna-based organization convening city leaders, policymakers, and academics on urban challenges. An existing SMU Urban Institute partner through City Dialogues Vienna, comparable as a city-focused research and convening body.
• Melbourne Centre for Cities: University of Melbourne research centre focused on urban governance, planning, and sustainability. Comparable as an academic partner conducting interdisciplinary urban research with strong policy engagement.
• University of Toronto School of Cities: Interdisciplinary urban research and education hub at the University of Toronto, an existing SMU partner. Comparable as a university-level urban research entity working at the intersection of urban planning, data, and policy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sgsmu
• YouTubeyoutube.com/smutubesg
• Facebookfacebook.com/sgsmu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sgsmuui
• Instagraminstagram.com/sgsmu
• TikToktiktok.com/@sgsmu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SMU Urban Institute