Innovation Insights

The launch of SPECS and CoolestSG  Two consortia have been officially launched to spearhead efforts in commercialising technology for smarter energy and thermal management.      On the 25th anniversary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Singapore pledged to reduce its greenhouse emissions by 36 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. Being a tropical megacity, the island...

Open innovation is not just skin deep  By partnering with Singapore's National Skin Centre, Good Pharma Dermatology was able to quickly bring an itch-reducing moisturiser to the market.  Not everyone is blessed with flawless skin. For those suffering from dermatological conditions, itch is a common symptom which take a toll on quality of life and even result in a loss...

Functionalising surfaces with novel materials  There's no sugar coating it - dirty walls and windows are unsightly. These three TechOffers could help keep buildings spick and span.    The gecko’s foot is often referenced as an inspiration for self-cleaning materials. Minute structures on the reptile’s soles and toes allow it to adhere to vertical surfaces, but unlike tape that has...

The barriers to open innovation are lower than you think  Here are five common misconceptions associated with open innovation and why they are untrue.   Coined by American organisational theorist Henry Chesbrough in 2003, the term ‘open innovation’ (OI) became a rallying call for enterprises to look beyond their four walls for ideas and expertise. Yet, sixteen years on, some...

Giving sight to machines  Making sense of pictures, videos and objects is no simple feat for machines, but these innovations are making it possible.      Humans are visual creatures—more than fifty percent of the human brain is directly or indirectly involved in processing visual information. While often taken for granted, our sense of sight influences how we make decisions,...

Innovation highlights from EmTech Asia 2019  Passion and partnerships are like a fusion energy reactor for innovation, said Dr CJ Meadows at the EmTech 2019 conference.   Thinking outside the box is easier said than done. Encumbered by preconceived notions about how the world operates, we sometimes fail to see how a problem may be approached from multiple different angles...