Toll Group launches S$20 million global innovation centre in Singapore to create next generation supply chain

Toll Group, one of Asia Pacific’s leading supply chain and logistics companies, today launched the global Toll Innovation Centre in Singapore, representing a S$20 million investment over the next five years.

The Toll Innovation Centre brings together business, leading startups, and academia to foster collaboration and innovation in supply chain.

In attendance at the event were Guest of Honour, Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Trade and Industry, Hon William Hodgman, the Australian High Commissioner to Singapore, and Ms Poh Li San, Member of Parliament for Sembawang GRC and Deputy Chair of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Sustainability and the Environment.

Also attending the event were eight local startups developing technologies that can be leveraged in supply chain innovation. Working closely with the Singapore Economic Development Board and Enterprise Singapore, the startups included: Botsync, xSquare, Hand Plus, Cosmiqo, Viatick, Trames, Calista and CO2 Connect.

The investment over the next five years will put Toll and Singapore at the forefront of supply chain innovation globally, and will bring real benefits to their customers and communities. The centre will lead the development of new technologies, such as the Internet of Things to improve resilience and transparency which will create greater certainty for businesses and consumers.

The centre will also explore how Toll can make supply chains more efficient with leading edge robotics, automation and artificial intelligence, and help to build sustainability into global networks such as using blockchain technology to provide end to end visibility on supply chains.

Mr Alan Beacham, Group Managing Director, Toll Group, said: “The global events we’ve witnessed over the past two years have shone a spotlight on the importance of the logistics industry. The Toll Innovation Centre will bring together businesses, industry groups, and research institutions to create new solutions to advance our supply chain. Together, we will share ideas and scale up new products and solutions to create a more resilient, adaptable, and sustainable supply chain that will benefit business and the community.”

Junie Fo, Vice President, Commercial & Professional Services, Singapore Economic Development Board, said “The Toll Innovation Centre is a welcome addition to our growing ecosystem of global and regional innovation hubs by leading logistics companies. Developing more productive and sustainable supply chain solutions will strengthen Singapore’s role as a critical node in global supply chains and create good job opportunities for Singaporeans. Toll’s collaboration with local companies and startups will help them acquire new capabilities and position Singapore as a world-class logistics hub in Asia.”

Mr Nephy Perez, Senior Vice President, Innovation and Supply Chain Solutions, Toll Group, said: “The Toll Innovation Centre is focused on innovation to create better outcomes for business and consumers. We are pleased the global centre is based in Singapore, a testament to the country’s critical role in Asia as a trading hub and epicenter for innovation in the region. We’re creating new specialist jobs, investing in new technology, and forging new collaboration with start-ups and institutions leading to broader social and economic benefits for Singapore.”

The Toll Innovation Centre is located at Toll City, a state-of-the-art multi-storey warehouse and office space in Tuas. The centre spans over 500 square metres and has four zones including the kinetic exploration garage, the digital experience centre, the innovation and collaboration zone, and the visionary lab.

About Toll Group

At Toll, we do more than just logistics – we move the businesses that move the world. Our 16,000+ team members can help solve any logistics, transport or supply chain challenge – big or small. We have been supporting our customers for more than 130 years. Today, we support more than 20,000 customers worldwide with 500 sites in 26 markets and a forwarding network spanning 150 countries. We are proudly part of Japan Post.

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Group Corporate Affairs - Toll Group

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Supplementary information:

The four key areas of the Toll Innovation Centre:

• Kinetic Exploration Garage - an exploration and test environment for automation, robotics and advance technologies in intralogistics and transportation. This includes incorporating advanced technologies that enable autonomous logistics and transportation.
• Digital Experience Centre - an interactive and exploratory adventure into digital technologies such as supply chain orchestration, digitization and optimization, traceability and visibility, Artificial Intelligence (A.I.), metaverse and its digital twin, data science and analytics, Internet of Things (IoT) enabling interconnectivity through the value chain, inclusive of smart detection devices and sensors. Toll’s integrated eCommerce and Omnichannel Logistics technologies are also featured.
• Innovation and Collaboration Zone - a modern co-working space for customers, external partners, technology start-ups and educational institutions to collaborate on innovation projects. This space houses the Toll Accelerator Program that supports start-ups, as well as a platform for technology talks and industry networking events.
• Visionary Lab – an in-house innovation research and development laboratory based on the technologies upon us today inclusive of digital, robotics and automation realms. Toll’s specialists provide expertise coupled with a customer centric spirit to develop supply chain and business specific innovative solutions.