SIA unveils innovation lab

KrisLab will explore the use of virtual reality to allow designers to step on board and explore future design concepts quickly.

Singapore Airlines (SIA) opened the doors to its new digital innovation lab known as KrisLab which will serve as a workspace for its staff to develop and co-innovate ideas with external partners to bulk up the airlines’ technology and business operations, an announcement revealed.

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According to SIA, staff may submit ideas and solutions which will be evaluated by the digital innovation lab team based on technological and implementation readiness, on top of market and strategic attractiveness. “Once an idea has been approved, seed funding along with expertise provided by the lab’s team is provided to help further develop it into a prototype, before moving to the implementation stage,” the firm added.

One such innovation being explored at KrisLab involves the use of virtual reality technology to allow SIA’s designers to step on board and explore or alter future cabin design concepts quickly, the statement revealed.

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KrisLab’s team will also work with institutions such as the National University of Singapore and A*STAR on research in deep-tech areas in an effort to give SIA a competitive edge in areas such as revenue management, smart seats, virtual training and predictive maintenance for aircrafts.

The lab is said to be part of SIA’s digital innovation blueprint which was launched in 2018 that aims to develop and enhance the digital aviation and travel technology community in Singapore through partnerships with organisations such as the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) with support from the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and the Economic Development Board (EDB).