BY KENNY CHEE

BRITISH engineering firm Rolls-Royce announced yesterday that it has officially partnered Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in a five-year engineering-research agreement.

Mr Richard Parker, the firm's director of research and technology, said: '(NTU) is one of the biggest engineering universities in the world which is producing good graduates.'

Rolls-Royce, which no longer makes the famous luxury cars, is focused on power systems and engines in the aviation, marine and energy sectors.

Its global marine business is based in Singapore.

Rolls-Royce and NTU researchers, as well as NTU students, will conduct research in areas such as improving the manufacturing process of engine parts.

Students involved in the research projects under the partnership may subsequently be employed by Rolls-Royce, which has also partnered 27 other universities, such as Oxford University in Britain and Purdue University in the United States, for research.

There are 10 to 20 people, with two leading researchers from Britain, in the joint research team. But Professor Bertil Andersson, provost of NTU, said that number could grow to 50, as research opportunities grow for the company here.

Last week, Rolls-Royce also said that it would be hiring about 600 more people in Singapore for its businesses here, including those related to the aviation industry.

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