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Meinhardt Singapore and Japan Overseas Infrastructure Investment Corporation for Transport and Urban Development (JOIN) Ink Collaboration to Deliver Digital and Smart City Solutions Across ASEAN

17 January 2025 (Singapore) – Japan Overseas Infrastructure Investment Corporation for Transport and Urban Development (JOIN) and Meinhardt (Singapore) Pte Ltd have today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to jointly explore and deliver digital and smart city projects in third countries, with a special focus on ASEAN nations.
The MOU was formalised at the Meinhardt Group headquarters in Singapore by Mr Tatsuhiko Takesada, President and CEO of JOIN, and Mr Omar Shahzad, Group CEO of Meinhardt, in the presence of representatives from the Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE), the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan (MLIT), the Embassy of Japan in Singapore, and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA).
This MOU underscores a shared commitment to promoting innovation and sustainable urban development in third countries by leveraging their complementary expertise and synergies of both organisations and their respective ecosystems. JOIN is able to garner its extensive network and expertise in supporting Japanese infrastructure exports whilst Meinhardt can bring to bear its global leadership in integrated planning, design and project management solutions.
Together, the two parties aim to advance innovative and sustainable urban solutions, especially in the growing sector of digital and smart cities. By exchanging knowledge and resources, the collaboration aims to catalyse transformative projects that prioritise citizen-centric solutions, digitalisation, and sustainability.
The collaboration is set against the backdrop of the Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) signed between MLIT and SCE in November 2024, which fosters the development of digital and smart cities in ASEAN and other regions. Building on this framework, the MOU will provide a platform for JOIN and Meinhardt to share information, identify synergies, and collaborate on projects from the early stages to drive meaningful impact across borders.
Mr Tatsuhiko Takesada, President and CEO of JOIN, said, “We are pleased to sign this MOU with Meinhardt today. We look forward to further strengthening our partnership with Meinhardt and working together to encourage both Japanese and Singaporean companies to participate in digital and smart city projects from the upstream stage.”
Mr Omar Shahzad, Group CEO of Meinhardt, said: “This partnership marks a significant milestone in deepening our engagement with like-minded Japanese partners especially in international markets where Meinhardt Group has strong presence. We see our collaboration with JOIN as an important opportunity to harness our collective capabilities, creating innovative and practical solutions that address urban challenges while ensuring long-term sustainability and commercial viability. Together, we can better shape the foundations of people-centric cities, and smarter and more connected communities across ASEAN and beyond.”
JOIN and Meinhardt share a common mission of delivering excellence in urban development and infrastructure projects. With JOIN’s mandate to support Japanese businesses through policy-based investments and Meinhardt’s legacy of engineering innovation, the partnership is

well-positioned to lead the way in digital and smart city transformations. The partnership will also contribute to the broader agenda of strengthening bilateral ties between Japan and Singapore, showcasing the power of public-private collaborations to drive innovation and economic growth.


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About JOIN
Japan Overseas Infrastructure Investment Corporation for Transport & Urban Development (JOIN) is a Japanese government-private sponsored infrastructure investment fund company established in Japan in October 2014. JOIN’s aim is to encourage Japanese companies to utilize their accumulated knowledge, technology, and experience in the field of infrastructure to expand overseas. We believe that our contribution will lead to mutual economic growth for both Japan and the host countries.
For more information, visit www.join-future.co.jp/english.

For media queries, please contact:
Yurika Kojima
Manager, Business Development Unit
Japan Overseas Infrastructure Investment Corporation for Transport & Urban Development
info@join-future.co.jp

About Meinhardt Group
Meinhardt Group is one of the world’s few multi-disciplinary planning, design, project and construction management consulting firms. Since 1955, the firm has led the way in delivering innovative and highly cost-effective designs that always consider our clients’ commercial objectives and global environmental concerns. Owned and headquartered in Singapore, Meinhardt Group employs over 6,000 staff in more than 60 offices worldwide and have worked on some of the largest and most complex building and infrastructure projects globally. Annually, the Group undertakes projects worth an estimated US$30 billion and ranks among the largest independent engineering firms globally by revenue.
We aspire to be the world’s preferred infrastructure and urban solutions partner.

For more information, visit www.meinhardtgroup.com or follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn (@MeinhardtGroup).       

For media queries, please contact:
Angeline Tan                                                            
Group Digital Marketing, Communications & Branding Director          
Meinhardt Group                            
+65 9237 0438
angeline.tan@meinhardtgroup.com
 

Meinhardt Singapore and Japan Overseas Infrastructure Investment Corporation for Transport and Urban Development (JOIN) Ink Collaboration to Deliver Digital and Smart City Solutions Across ASEAN