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At CapitaLand, innovation and culture are more than just buzzwords; they are a way of life. As one of Asia’s largest diversified real estate groups, CapitaLand is dedicated to fostering a culture of innovation that enables employees and partners to push boundaries, solve complex problems, and contribute to the company’s strategy and long-term goals.

Aylwin Tan, Chief Customer Solutions Officer at CapitaLand Investment (CLI), believes that a strong culture of innovation is essential for staying ahead in an increasingly competitive global market. "Innovation is essential for us to stay relevant, to stay ahead, and to build the future, which is why we set-up the CapitaLand Innovation Fund."

By creating an environment where every employee is empowered to think creatively, collaborate across departments, and pursue innovative solutions, CapitaLand is not only staying ahead of the curve – it is giving itself the opportunity to set a new standard for the built environment industry.

The journey toward a culture of innovation was formalised through the creation of the CapitaLand Innovation Fund (CIF), which not only funds good ideas but more importantly, nurtures a company-wide culture of innovation. The CIF encourages employees to be curious about how we can do things better and differently, propose and develop ideas, even if those ideas do not have a clear path to immediate implementation. The goal is not just to fund projects but to remove common barriers to innovation, such as time constraints and funding limitations.

“Through our CIF process, we try to break innovation down into manageable parts, so people feel empowered to take action, knowing that they have the support and resources they need. And the CIF is ably supported by the Secretariat and the Innovation Champions, who work with our colleagues on the ground” said Aylwin.

Defining CapitaLand’s Innovation Strategy

CapitaLand’s innovation strategy is built around four distinct but interconnected quadrants – internal innovation, external innovation, open innovation, and digital innovation. These areas form the foundation to address both the challenges faced by different aspects of CapitaLand’s operations, and those affecting the wider built environment sector.

Internal innovation focuses on solving problems that CapitaLand employees encounter in their daily work. Instead of maintaining the status quo, employees are encouraged to propose solutions, knowing that resources like the CIF are available to bring their ideas to life.

CapitaLand’s innovation ecosystem extends beyond the company. External innovation focuses on addressing challenges faced by the built environment industry and the development of smart cities, which directly or indirectly impacts or creates opportunities for CapitaLand, and where domain knowledge is not readily available within the company.

“By being closely involved in the development of smart cities, we are aware of the opportunities being created. We evaluate whether CapitaLand can participate in those opportunities,” said Aylwin.

Open innovation casts the net globally to attract ideas from startups and innovators through platforms such as the CapitaLand Sustainability X Challenge (CSXC). Innovators are invited to propose solutions that align with CapitaLand’s sustainability goals. Since 2021, 30 innovations from CSXC are being piloted in seven countries, including ten shortlisted innovations from CSXC 2023 alone being piloted in four countries.

Digital innovation – with AI playing a leading role – is transforming how CapitaLand internalises and implements cutting-edge technologies, streamlining operations and boosting efficiency across its portfolio. In 2023, The Ascott Limited (Ascott), CLI’s wholly owned lodging business unit, launched a ChatGPT-fuelled web chatbot, Cubby, to enhance the stages of planning and booking as part of the guest journey. Built by the award-winning in-house Data & AI team, the chatbot is built on Microsoft OpenAI and Azure Services, while leveraging real-time data using Bing search, Azure Map (Nearby API), Azure Map (Weather API) and other Azure services, alongside data and insights accessed via Ascott’s global website DiscoverASR.com.

CLI’s retail division and the Digital International team launched Casey, an AI-powered digital assistant that utilises artificial intelligence like Natural Language Processing and Large Language Models. Casey can interpret enquiries intuitively with human-like responses and have personalised interactions with shoppers.

Collaboration at the Heart of Innovation

CapitaLand collaborates with external partners, from startups to industry leaders, to solve challenges that extend beyond the company's operations.

The Smart Urban Co-Innovation Lab is Southeast Asia’s first industry-led lab for smart cities solutions development. The Lab serves as a platform for industry-wide collaboration with external partners to develop solutions and ideas. This co-innovation effort is crucial to CapitaLand’s holistic approach to addressing sustainability, smart cities, and other future-facing goals.

The Lab focuses on a wide array of topics, including intelligent buildings, urban agriculture, and wellness technologies, as part of its broader mission to support the development of smart cities.

“The Lab provides various platforms for companies to trial and test their solutions. It’s a way for us to share our resources with innovators while ensuring that we stay at the forefront of smart city development,” said Aylwin. “No matter where they come from – whether at the lab or from the CSXC – collaborations allow us to tap into a global pool of ideas, technologies, and solutions, further enriching our innovation ecosystem.”

Innovation as a Catalyst for Sustainability and Industry Transformation

CapitaLand’s culture of innovation is inextricably linked to its sustainability mission. The company views sustainability as a guiding principle that shapes its approach to innovation. Smart and intelligent buildings play a critical role in achieving CapitaLand’s sustainability objectives, from reducing emissions to enhancing the overall efficiency of its operations.

“CapitaLand’s innovation efforts are always tied to specific goals—particularly in the realm of sustainability,” said Aylwin. “At CapitaLand, sustainability is at the core of everything that we do. We must look at innovation not merely for the sake of innovating, or because it’s the cool thing to do, but with some idea of what we’re trying to fix or solve.”

By integrating digital tools into its operations, CapitaLand is able to significantly reduce its environmental footprint, with added benefits of improving productivity and enhancing customer experience.

CapitaLand is furthering its sustainability goals by enhancing not only its own capabilities, but also those of the building industry. This aligns with its aim to ensure that every innovation supports long-term sustainability.

“Through our collaboration with partners and Building and Construction Authority (BCA), we aim to uplift the industry’s adoption of technologies to improve productivity, quality and sustainability. We’re not just building smarter, more efficient buildings for ourselves; we are helping the industry as a whole. If our sector is more productive and more competitive, we can decarbonise faster. Everyone, including CapitaLand, benefits," said Aylwin.

Real-World Impact: Transforming Ideas into Action

CapitaLand’s culture of innovation has produced tangible, impactful results that are reshaping the built environment. One such example is an energy-saving innovation initiated by its very own Group Technology team, and currently being trialled at the Smart Urban Co-Innovation Lab (tenant level) and The Galen (building level) at the Singapore Science Park. The project has demonstrated significant energy savings, paving the way for the technology to be rolled out on a larger scale.

“This particular innovation is exciting,” said Aylwin. “We’ve seen double-digit energy savings after just a couple of trials. Not only does this reduce our energy consumption and bills, but it also strengthens our competitive position, especially when bidding for commercial management projects. Most heartening is that this is a great example of internal and external innovation coming together.”

Another example of innovation in action is the development of an IoT-based system that automates the safety checks for emergency exit lights. Previously, employees had to physically inspect and test each emergency light floor-by-floor —a process that was both time-consuming and inefficient. Thanks to IoT technology, this task is now automated, improving operational efficiency and reducing labour costs.

Innovating for the Future

While CapitaLand has made impressive strides in fostering a culture of innovation, Aylwin is quick to note that innovation is a journey. Looking ahead, he sees opportunities to turn successful projects into commercial ventures that can generate new revenue streams.

“What I would like to see more of is monetisation of our innovation efforts,” said Aylwin. "We need to continue focusing on developing a pipeline of great ideas that align with our business goals and our sustainability master plan."

He also emphasised the importance of creating excitement both internally and externally about innovation at CapitaLand. By inspiring employees and collaborators alike to think creatively and push boundaries, CapitaLand can continue to differentiate itself in the market and build long-term value.

As he puts it, "CapitaLand is a company that works hard, plays hard, and where employees succeed together. Not only are we empowering our employees to innovate, we are also collaborating with external partners, and aligning our innovation efforts with sustainability goals. We’re building a stronger CapitaLand that can compete even better in the global arena. Innovation is key to making that happen."