Grundfos Commercial Building Services unveils new global headquarters in Singapore
Grundfos, a global leader in advanced pump solutions and water technologies, inaugurated the global headquarters of its Commercial Building Services (CBS) division in Singapore. The move comes off the back of heightened demand for resource-efficient solutions to foster a sustainable built environment in Singapore and the region, where almost 56% of ASEAN’s population will be urban by 2030.
Serving commercial buildings such as hotels, hospitals, office towers, airports, and data centres, Grundfos’ CBS division delivers water pump systems that serve various applications supporting the successful operation of these buildings, including air-conditioning, cooling, heating, fire protection, to wastewater and water disinfection.
A critical component of Grundfos’ relocation strategy will be the Singapore Innovation Hub, which aims to leverage local knowledge to pioneer future solutions for energy-efficient commercial buildings. The facility will look to bring Grundfos’ R&D capabilities closer to customers and the market, as well as provide a platform for collaboration with industry partners, customers, and researchers to co-develop energy and water efficient smart solutions.
As part of developing the Singapore Innovation Hub, Grundfos has engaged in various feedback, steering and risk management efforts since March, following which the company will embark on identifying and developing key innovation initiatives, establish governance structure, and discuss areas of collaboration with potential partners. All this will contribute towards a comprehensive working plan for the new Singapore Innovation Hub by the third quarter of 2023.
Singapore was selected for the relocation based on its strengths in innovation and talent, and its nation-wide commitment to sustainability through its Singapore Green Plan 2030. Singapore’s strategic location as the gateway to other ASEAN countries also allows Grundfos to work more closely with customers in these markets and support their sustainable urbanisation needs.
Recent reports of climate change and rapid urbanisation has called for countries to examine their buildings’ environmental impact. The region’s building sector accounts for nearly a quarter of total energy consumption and energy-related carbon emissions, and this is still projected to grow by around 60 per cent by 2030 and 120 per cent by 2040[2]. Specifically, space cooling is the fastest-growing use of energy in buildings globally and in ASEAN[3]. Being one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change, the sector’s sustainability ambitions are high on the region’s agenda.
Poul Due Jensen, Group President & CEO, Grundfos, said, “Locating our CBS headquarters in the heart of Asia is part of our wider business strategy of operating as a truly global company. We also recognise Singapore’s strong potential in becoming a hub for green innovation, which aligns with our business focus of driving global sustainability. At Grundfos, we are committed to delivering on our net-zero targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to ensure our growth is sustainable. This includes designing our products and solutions to help our customers reduce their energy consumption, conserve resources, and minimise their environmental impact, and ultimately advance the global green transition.”
Bent Jensen, Group Executive Vice President & CEO Commercial Building Services, Grundfos said, “Cities are here to stay, and the future of humanity is undoubtedly urban. With that in mind, there is great urgency in driving a sustainable built environment globally that conserves energy and water use. This is especially important for ASEAN as this region’s urbanisation is unprecedented. Today’s milestone demonstrates our commitment to introducing cleaner, more energy efficient technologies that can help existing and future buildings reduce their energy consumption and overall carbon footprint. We look forward to advancing a sustainable built environment both regionally and globally with Singapore at the heart of our innovation and operations.”
Under the new CBS headquarters, Grundfos will also be strengthening its talent pipeline to over 200 employees, by bringing in global expertise and the hiring of local talents. The company will also continue its efforts in collaborating with public and private players locally.