Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) on Tuesday signed an agreement with Japanese firm Fujitsu in Tokyo, to use real-world data to develop transport, energy management and other solutions.

They will use data from various agencies in Singapore to understand the city's complex dynamics, and build models and simulations to test solutions.

They will also work with the National University of Singapore, Singapore's National Research Foundation, and Fujitsu Laboratories Limited, Fujitsu's research and development organisation, and hold a series of workshops starting from April. Fujitsu will contribute its big-data and supercomputing-enabled simulation capabilities.

"By participating in building a smart city through the use of high-performance computing and big data, Fujitsu's goal is to develop new skills and practical experience, create the next generation of solutions, and establish new business models for global or Asean companies moving into Singapore," said Mr Masahiko Yamada, president of Fujitsu's technical computing solutions unit.

A*STAR is not the only agency to work with industry on big-data collaborations. Last July , the National Environment Agency and IBM announced a three-year research collaboration to model and predict environmental issues such as air quality, extreme weather events, and dengue outbreaks.