The Research Collaboration Agreement Signing Ceremony for the 6G MediaTek-SUTD Joint Research Laboratory. From left: Mr Dino Tan, Senior Vice President and Head of Europe, EDB; Prof Tony Quek, Associate Provost for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and FCP Director, SUTD; Mr Chuang Cheng-Te, Corporate Executive Vice President, MediaTek; and Mr Joe Chen, President, MediaTek.
Singapore, 3 March 2026 – Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), the world’s first Design AI university, and global fabless semiconductor leader MediaTek, have launched a joint research laboratory with a total investment of over S$34 million to accelerate the development of 6G technology in Singapore.
The MediaTek-SUTD Joint Laboratory brings together SUTD’s research expertise and MediaTek’s industrial reach to address some of the most pressing challenges in communications: non-terrestrial networks, AI-native radio access, and the drive to make telecommunications infrastructure more sustainable. While wireless networks now underpin everything, from smartphone video calls to autonomous vehicle communications, even the most advanced 5G systems have their limits. The next generation of connectivity promises to push far beyond them. With 6G commercialisation targeted for around 2030, the MediaTek-SUTD Joint Laboratory will close the gap between theoretical research and industrial application, strengthening foundational research in this area while developing prototypes.
The joint laboratory is part of the ongoing collaboration between SUTD and MediaTek on 6G technology research, which began in June 2024 with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This collaboration builds on SUTD’s central role in developing Singapore’s 6G ecosystem through the Future Communications Research and Development Programme (FCP), a national strategy launched in 2021 by the Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore (IMDA) and the National Research Foundation, Singapore (NRF) to advance the nation’s communications and connectivity infrastructure. Hosted and led by SUTD, the programme reflects the University’s ethos of blending design thinking with technological innovation. Work under the MediaTek-SUTD Joint Laboratory will commence in April 2026, with research projects expected to run over the next three to five years.
As the world’s fifth largest fabless semiconductor company, MediaTek brings proprietary data, engineering rigour, and deep roots in the global chipset market. Its established R&D presence in Singapore and robust global innovation network make it the ideal industry partner to advance communications research and accelerate the development of 6G technologies.
Speaking on the partnership, Mr Chuang Cheng-Te, Corporate Executive Vice President at MediaTek, said: “We believe 6G will offer personalised, intelligent, and sustainable mobile service with pervasive coverage. The 6G infrastructure will natively support computing infrastructure, which could enable new AI applications everywhere. It can also offer ubiquitous coverage around the world, while improving energy efficiency to minimise the total cost of ownership for operators.”
Professor Tony Quek, Associate Provost of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation as well as FCP Director at SUTD, said the joint laboratory represents the next strategic step in SUTD’s 6G collaboration with MediaTek—one made all the more urgent by the rapid evolution of AI. “A key lesson from FCP is that impactful innovation requires tight coupling of end-to-end experimentation with long-term industry partnership,” he said. “As 6G becomes AI-native by design and AI capabilities advance at unprecedented speed, rapid prototyping and high-fidelity validation become even more critical.”
Mr Koh Wee Sain, Cluster Director (Engineering), BizTech Group, IMDA said: “IMDA’s Future Communications Research and Development Programme is powering Singapore’s next-generation communications ecosystem through three key pillars: driving 6G research, cultivating local talent via scholarships and industry partnerships, and forging global alliances. The MediaTek-SUTD Joint Laboratory supports this by leveraging MediaTek’s AI chipset expertise to accelerate breakthrough mobile technologies. This strengthens Singapore’s position as a trusted Digital Hub where research delivers real-world impact.”
Building on FCP’s foundations, SUTD’s O-RAN Alliance and AI-RAN Alliance-endorsed laboratories already provide a proven platform for translating ideas into deployable systems. The MediaTek-SUTD Joint Laboratory takes this a step further by integrating MediaTek’s expertise in wireless modems and AI chipsets directly into early-stage co-innovation.
The MediaTek-SUTD Joint Laboratory also carries national significance. The technical standards that govern how 6G networks will be built are shaped through international bodies like 3GPP, and countries that contribute credible research have influence in this area.
With its open innovation environment and strategic yet diplomatic position as an international business hub, Singapore is both an active participant and a natural bridge-builder in the global race to 6G commercialisation.
Said Ms Cindy Koh, Executive Vice President, at the Singapore Economic Development Board: “Public-private research partnerships like the SUTD-MediaTek joint lab help advance research and development of new standards and applications of frontier technologies, including 6G and AI. MediaTek is an industry leader in wireless communications technology, and its partnership with SUTD is a strong testament to Singapore’s position as a global hub for cutting-edge semiconductor innovation. It will also create exciting research and engineering roles for Singapore’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) talent.”
Key researchers at the MediaTek-SUTD Joint Laboratory in SUTD showcase 5G-enabled intelligent robots powered by Vision-Language and Large Language Models on the AI-RAN 5G platform. Using the NVIDIA GH200 superchip and NVIDIA Aerial, the platform runs a full 5G base station, offering ultra-low latency and high-speed connectivity. The robots can understand and respond to natural speech, enabling real-time, interactive user engagement. This blend of 5G and edge AI creates new opportunities in 6G for human-robot interaction in smart settings.
Background:
About Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD)
The Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) is the world’s first Design AI university. With Design AI, artificial intelligence is treated as a partner and a member of the team — not just a tool. As a result of this unique SUTD treatment, AI and humans brainstorm, spar and prototype together, resulting in solutions that are elevated several-fold. This human–AI team concept has been made possible because of SUTD’s unique cohort-based interdisciplinary pedagogy, which has been in place since the University’s formation in 2009.
As a trailblazer in the field of design and technology, education and research, SUTD has been pioneering innovative programmes and initiatives since its inception — including launching the world’s first Design and AI (DAI) degree in 2020 — well before AI was even a buzzword. In January 2026, SUTD broadened the scope of its DAI programme by integrating social sciences into a technology degree, recognising the growing need for solutions to be more human-centred. SUTD has also revamped its Freshmore curriculum by embedding Design AI across all first-year courses, reinforcing its commitment to reimagining higher education while nurturing the next generation of human-centric design-tech innovators and leaders.
For more information on SUTD, please visit www.sutd.edu.sg.
For media queries, please contact:
Ms Yvonne Tang
SUTD
M: 9754 7670 E:[email protected]
Ms Low Ming Li
SUTD
M: +65 9276 1438 E: [email protected]
