A group of Japanese firms, IHI Corp. and Sato Kogyo Co. has been awarded a contract by a governmental housing developer of Singapore to build an automated parking garage. Japanese land ministry intends to make the project a model showcasing public-private infrastructure export to promote Japanese technology in mechanical high rise parking system.

The contractor was selected through international bidding. Sato Kogyo will be a main contractor, while IHI Transport Machinery will supply two systems of elevator-type housing 60 and 26 cars respectively. Maintenance and repair works for 60 months after installation is included in the contract. The Singaporean organization considers this as a pilot project to verify effect of automated parking system.

Ministry of Transport of Japan and industry groups and companies have been in cooperation to promote advantages of Japanese system to Singaporean government, providing opportunities to show parking garage in operation in Japan. Deputy Minister Kotaro Nogami offered an assistance to Singaporean side in urban development and transport policies including mechanical parking system when he visited the nation in April. (2014/07/25)