SINGAPORE - Singapore Technologies (ST) Electronics and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) launched a $44.3 million joint cybersecurity laboratory on Friday (May 13), which is aimed at researching and coming up new solutions to current and future cyberthreats.

The ST Electronics-SUTD Cyber Security Laboratory, in the university's Changi campus, is supported by the National Research Foundation under the Corporate Laboratory@University Scheme. It is the first laboratory under the scheme to focus on cybersecurity.

It will allow industry partners, such as cybersecurity engineers, to work with academics from the university on cybersecurity research and development. These solutions can then be commercialised and applied on an industrial or national level.

"The lab is a tripartite partnership that the Government is co-investing in to better align academic research with industry needs, so that research efforts will be directed towards solutions that can be readily commercialised in the marketplace," said Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim, who was the guest of honour at the launch.

The laboratory, which will be fully operational by Aug 1, will focus on three cyber security areas: cyber security for big data analytics, monitoring and mitigating techniques, and better detection of malicious activity, especially from inside the company.

The laboratory will also help to nurture pool of cyber security experts in Singapore, said ST Electronics president Lee Fook Sun.

"SUTD will involve their students in the cutting-edge cyber security research. ST Electronics will offer exciting and rewarding career opportunities for the graduating students," said Mr Lee.

SUTD President Professor Thomas Magnanti said the lab is a natural extension of the cyber security work already being done at the university.

"The new cyber security lab will enhance this research by transforming it into commercial products and services," he said.