Digital factory to drive innovation opened by Changi Airport Group

Changi Airport Group (CAG) has announced the establishment and beginning of operation of a digital factory at Singapore Changi Airport (SIN), designed to encourage the continuous re-invention of the airport’s passenger experience and transformation of operations.

Created in partnership with Accenture, the purpose of the new facility is to help CAG develop, experiment and launch new digital products and services, from conceptualisation to market launch, by using new ways of working.

Known as DIVA – Digital, Innovation, Ventures and Analytics – the digital factory utilises the latest innovative technologies and capabilities, including artificial intelligence (AI), digital marketing, big data and analytics, predictive maintenance and the internet of things (IoT).

A look inside DIVA in Terminal 2

Jeffrey Loke, Senior Vice President at Changi Airport Group, said: “By establishing DIVA with Accenture, we hope to continue to foster a culture of innovation and experimentation, by injecting new ways of working within our organisation. DIVA is helping CAG implement digital innovations, at speed and at scale, at the enterprise level, serving all CAG departments, including commercial, operations, engineering, IT and corporate marketing and communications.”

By focusing on delivering business outcomes at scale – with lines of production, predictable delivery schedules and quality controls – the facility enables new ways of working, with design thinking, rapid prototyping and experimentation at the heart of its operation.

Features of the new facility include an AI-powered virtual assistant for airport operations, a predictive maintenance solution for engineering, and next-generation commercial digital marketing campaigns.

Accenture’s market unit group lead – responsible for managing business across Australia and New Zealand, South East Asia, India, Africa and the Middle East – Fabio Vacirca, said: “Picture a start-up environment where employees begin by thinking about what the customer wants and work backwards from there – experimenting rapidly to develop innovative products and services. DIVA is enabling CAG to re-evaluate how the airport operates and develop digital solutions to ensure that it remains a world-class leader.”