SINGAPORE - An agreement signed on Wednesday (Dec 6) between the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and an American tech firm will boost advanced research here in a range of fields.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) inked with Keysight Technologies (Keysight) has two strands - the start of a research partnership and the opening of the Measurement Technologies Lab (MTL).

Keysight, which began operations in Singapore as Hewlett-Packard in 1970 but since evolved into its own company, has donated $8 million worth of equipment to the laboratory.

It also provided $2 million in research grants in the areas of advance manufacturing, data analytics and cyber security for industrial Internet of Things devices.

The $10-million investments make Keysight the largest sole investor in SUTD's history.

Mr S. Iswaran, the Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry), launched the laboratory after the MOU signing between SUTD president Professor Thomas Magnanti and Keysight's senior vice-president and electronic industrial solutions group president, Mr Gooi Soon Chai, at the university's campus.

SUTD researchers and Keysight specialists will work together to develop technologies in three research grant areas.

One involves developing sensors to detect and isolate faults in printed circuit boards without needing to come into contact with the board itself, a process that will increase the efficiency and reliability of tests to create more robust products, like phones or laptops.

Mr Iswaran told the MOU ceremony that the technologies developed will affect "not just companies in Singapore, but also the global market".

Prof Magnanti added: "These technologies are critical to... many industries, including aerospace, engineering, manufacturing and defence, just to name a few."

SUTD Provost Professor Chong Tow Chong added that the collaboration will allow SUTD students to carry out their research studies and projects at the lab while interning at Keysight to apply their knowledge in a company environment.