TECH NEEDS

The increasing emphasis on fire safety regulations and standards, along with the growing awareness of the potential hazards posed by fires, has driven the demand for flame-retardant coatings. These coatings play important roles in fire protection by effectively slowing down the spreading of fires, thereby preventing catastrophic accidents, safeguarding assets, and saving lives. Industry segments such as electronics, automotive, aerospace, construction, and household, which extensively utilise materials prone to fire hazards, require effective fire protection solutions. As the demand for flame retardant coatings continues to rise across various sectors, the market is experiencing significant growth. According to MarketsandMarkets, the global flame retardants market is expected to be worth USD 9.5 billion by 2028, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.2%. Particularly, the Asia Pacific region is the fastest-growing market.   Traditional flame retardants, especially those containing brominate or chlorine, have been associated with their impacts on the environment and human health. Consequently, the demand for environmentally friendly coating solutions, such as nanocomposites and natural bio-based retardants, is growing at a rapid pace. However, the performance, efficiency, environmental impact, and cost-effectiveness of these alternative materials are still hot topics of ongoing research. This tech need calls for non-toxic and innovative flame-retardant coatings capable of addressing the above challenges. Such coating solutions should be available for test-bedding, licensing, and co-development with industrial partners, paving the way for safer and more sustainable fire protection methods.

In Southeast Asia, the growing focus on sustainable construction practices calls for increased demand on energy conservation and efficiency improvement solutions. As a technology and innovation hub, Singapore takes the lead by setting the “80-80-80 in 2030” targets that relates to raising the sustainability standards of existing buildings and requiring new buildings to meet the super low energy (SLE) standard. There are generally two main approaches to achieving the above targets, 1) by adopting active energy efficiency improvement solutions - solutions that are using or producing energy, e.g., chiller plant optimisation systems, energy recovery/storage systems, etc, and 2) by employing passive energy efficiency improvements, e.g., adding insulation or non-energy consuming means to reduce the thermal transmittance of the building structure. One of the notable solutions of passive energy efficiency improvements is the use of reflective cool paint on the exterior structures of the building, which has an estimated global market size of close to USD700m in 2023 and is projected to reach about USD900m by 2029, according to a recent study by 24ChemicalResearch. Reflective cool paint refers to paint/coating materials that achieves cooling effect by reflecting more sunlight and absorb less heat as compared to conventional paint/coating materials. It contains reflective pigments and additives that reflect a significant portion of the sun's rays in specific wavelengths back into the atmosphere. In tropical climate, some of the key challenges for reflective cool paint include the need to adhere to diverse building surface substrates that can vary substantially, inclement weather, damaging UV rays and water permeation. All these environmental stresses lead to cracking and delamination, contributing to performance degradation of the reflective cool paint. This Tech Need calls for reflective cool paint solutions that may address partial or most of the challenges mentioned above, and that is available for test-bedding or co-development collaborations to further adapt the reflective cool paint for tropical climate applications.

As one approaches their senior years, their bodies become less efficient at absorbing and using protein. This essential nutrient, plays a crucial role in maintaining muscle mass, bone health, and overall immune function. Seniors need approximately 1.1g/kg of protein of their body weight daily. Seniors who are suffering from chronic illnesses tend to eat smaller meal portions which means that their three meals will need to be fortified with protein to meet their daily requirement of an average of 70g of protein for a 65kg person. The company is searching for partners in the protein industry to support their product development efforts for ready to eat meals for the elderly. They have an established regular customer base and will be growing their operations regionally this year. The company is interested in potential collaboration with groups looking to commercialise relevant technologies and/or ingredient companies to co-develop products.