Microsoft Research Asia has launched its first research lab in Southeast Asia, setting up operations in Singapore to drive cutting-edge advancements in artificial intelligence (AI). The new facility aims to foster an AI-driven ecosystem through industry collaboration, talent development, and solutions addressing real-world societal challenges.
At the launch event, Peter Lee, President of Microsoft Research, described Microsoft Research Asia as not just a hub for talent and foundational research, but as “a bridge—between theory and practice, East and West, academia and industry, and between Singapore and Microsoft.”
Lidong Zhou, Corporate Vice President and Managing Director of Microsoft Research Asia, added that by partnering closely with Singapore’s innovation ecosystem, the lab seeks to accelerate scientific progress and create impactful AI technologies for industries and individuals alike.
The Singapore lab will focus on applying AI across key sectors such as healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, transport and logistics, and sustainability. In healthcare, the lab has already initiated a partnership with SingHealth to develop AI tools for personalised diagnostics and treatment planning.
Professor Ng Wai Hoe, Group CEO of SingHealth, explained that the collaboration aims to enhance pathology research by integrating AI-powered image analysis with patient data, allowing for more accurate outcome predictions and personalised treatment—starting with colorectal cancer and potentially expanding to other diseases.
This effort will build on Microsoft Research Asia’s multimodal biomedical foundation model and leverage SingHealth’s high-resolution pathology data to continuously enhance AI capabilities.
The lab’s mission also aligns with Singapore’s National AI Strategy 2.0, which seeks to unlock the transformative potential of AI in key national sectors. Dr. Tan See Leng, Minister for Manpower and Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science & Technology at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, welcomed the lab’s launch, expressing hope that Microsoft’s presence will inspire more companies to embrace AI for economic and societal advancement.
In support of local talent development, the lab will collaborate with Singapore’s leading universities—including the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University, and Singapore Management University—on both foundational and applied AI research. These partnerships will provide students with hands-on experience in advanced AI research.
The new lab follows a five-year collaboration agreement signed earlier this year between Microsoft Research Asia and NUS to boost AI research and nurture computing talent in the region. Although newly established, Microsoft Research Asia has maintained a long-standing presence in Singapore, having conducted over 70 collaborative research projects and trained more than 85 interns and 13 PhD fellows since 2004.
The Singapore lab becomes the 14th facility in Microsoft’s global research network, joining counterparts in Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo, and other innovation hubs worldwide.
