Image: (L-R) Prof Guan Yong Liang, Associate Vice President (Infrastructure & Programmes); School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, NTU Singapore; Dr Benjamin Koh, Chief Executive Officer, National Environment Agency; Dr Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment; and Prof Karina Gin, Acting Head, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Design and Engineering, NUS. Credit: NEA
Singapore has launched its first national research centre dedicated to advancing science and innovation in residue and toxic industrial waste management. The Towards Resource Efficiency And Sustainability for URban EnvironmentS (TREASURES) centre was announced today by Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, Dr Janil Puthucheary at Catalyst 2026.
TREASURES Launched as National Research Platform, with NTU as Host Institute, to Advance Waste Innovation
TREASURES is a national research and innovation platform jointly established by the National Environment Agency (NEA) and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore). It brings together the broader Singapore research ecosystem, with the National University of Singapore (NUS) and other Institutes of Higher Learning as key partners. TREASURES is supported with S$35 million under the Closing The Resource Loop Funding Initiative (RIE 2025), with NTU as the host institute for TREASURES from 1 January 2026 to 31 March 2030. NTU has also committed dedicated facilities to support the centre's operations. Beyond being a national research platform, TREASURES connects academia, industry, and government to accelerate the translation of research into practical, scalable solutions.
TREASURES was established to strengthen Singapore's capabilities in managing residue and toxic industrial waste, as part of our broader efforts to build a more resource-efficient and resilient waste management system. As waste streams become more complex and land constraints persist, TREASURES will focus on advancing science and innovation to enable more sustainable, circular approaches to waste management beyond disposal.
TREASURES to Drive Innovation in Waste Solutions and Support Transformation of Semakau Landfill
The centre's research efforts are organised across four dedicated nodes:
- waste flow analytics, which maps and models waste streams across Singapore to identify opportunities for resource recovery;
- landfill transformation, which develops technologies to recover and repurpose materials currently sent to Semakau Landfill;
- toxic industrial waste solutions, which focuses on advanced treatment and recovery methods for complex industrial waste streams; and
- risk assessment and standards, which ensures that repurposed materials meet stringent safety and environmental requirements for broader adoption.
To drive research and innovation in these areas, TREASURES will launch its first grant call from 17 June to 16 August 2026. The grant call is open to all Institutes of Higher Learning, research institutes, and companies, and will support projects that advance practical, scalable solutions for residue and toxic industrial waste management, while strengthening collaboration across academia, industry, and government agencies.
Beyond its core research, TREASURES will build a collaborative innovation ecosystem to support the translation of research to full-scale adoption. This will be achieved through close industry engagement, access to test-bedding and regulatory platforms, capability building, and encouraging knowledge sharing and exchange through local and international partnerships.
These efforts will support longer-term goals, including the transformation of Semakau Landfill to enable more sustainable and circular approaches to waste and residue management, while reducing reliance on landfilling over time.
Mr Ng Keng Wei, Group Director (Joint Operations and Technology Group), NEA, said, "TREASURES strengthens Singapore's capabilities in managing complex waste and residue streams by bringing together our Institutes of Higher Learning, industry partners and government agencies to co‑develop innovative, scalable solutions. Over time, this will support our transition towards a more circular and resource-efficient waste management system, including our long-term ambition to transform Semakau Landfill."
Professor Chu Jian, Co-Director of TREASURES and Chair of NTU's School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, said, said, "Waste management is a long-term challenge for Singapore given our limited land size and research has an important role to play in developing more sustainable and practical solutions. NTU is honoured to host TREASURES and work with NEA, Institutes of Higher Learning, industry partners and government agencies to develop and advance innovative technologies that can help Singapore reduce waste, recover resources and strengthen the resilience of its waste management system."
Professor Karina Gin, Acting Head, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Design and Engineering, NUS, said, "As a key partner in the TREASURES initiative, the National University of Singapore looks forward to contributing our multidisciplinary expertise to address Singapore's pressing landfill capacity challenges by translating scientific advances into practical environmental solutions. We aim to accelerate the transformation of Semakau Landfill from a conventional waste disposal site into a hub for circularity, extending its operational lifespan and ensuring a more resilient, resource-efficient future for Singapore.
