Discover new technologies by our partners

This technology is derived from photodynamic therapy and uses a photosensitizer molecule as the active agent for long-lasting, anti-microbial effect and air purification. This photosensitizer relies on the activation by light irradiation to produce active oxygen and reactive oxygen species (ROS) which can kill bacteria, viruses, fungi and mold, as well as disintegrate volatile organic compounds (e.g. formaldehyde) on contact. The molecule is a conjugated compound based on an extraction from plant-based polylysine and an edible mineral. This technology disrupts the traditional use of toxic chemicals to kill microbes by replacing it with a safer, reactive oxygen generating catalytic molecule. It is effective against microbe contamination, minimising transmission of diseases. The technology has been formulated into various applications such as paints, textiles, hygiene products and polymeric films to name a few.

Antimicrobials are additives typically added to products with the aim to destroy or inhibit the growth of microbes. In view of the current global pandemic, the use of antimicrobials has become more prevalent. Currently, such antimicrobials are synthetic chemicals, which are often associated with drawbacks such as cytotoxicity and tendency for resistance development. The technology on offer is a natural antimicrobial agent derived from the valorisation of food waste. Using a proprietary clean label extraction technology, this natural antimicrobial agent exhibits good potency against a broad spectrum of microbes, including bacteria and viruses. More importantly, the valorisation and extraction process is 100% clean and eco-friendly, without the use of chemicals. This technology is highly processible, able to withstand thermal and/or pressurized treatment and compatible with both aqueous- and oil-based solvents. The superior processability and natural origin implies that it can be applied to many different applications across various industries including biomedical, food, personal care, materials, etc.

The technology offers a video analytics solution for smart manufacturing. The purpose of the technology is to make manufacturing more efficient and to create a safer environment for employees. It is designed to optimise the manufacturing process by ensuring the proper use of manufacturing space and conducting quality control checks on products. This ensures that products comply with standards and are not missing any components. Another important element is that it makes the manufacturing process safer for employees, and it achieves that by detecting workplace accidents such as smoke and fire, as well as employee issues and altercations.  

Timber has been considered as a primary construction material for its versatile properties such as high superior strength and durability.  However, it is not as strong as materials such as concrete or steel and takes a long time to grow.  A sustainable alternative to timber is bamboo, a fast-growing plant that is readily available. As a natural composite material, bamboo has a high strength-to-weight ratio that makes it suitable for structural applications in the construction industry. The technology on offer is a patented bamboo-based composite that blends laminated bamboo fibres with a specially formulated bio-compatible binder. The resultant material is strong, environmentally friendly, economically feasible, and durable. In comparison to hardwood and engineered wood products, this bamboo-based composite material is three times stronger and can be used in a variety of applications, especially in buildings to replace beams and columns and for the production of high-performance niche furniture products.

Vat polymerization (VP) is one of the most common types of 3D printing processes which includes stereolithography, direct light processing, two-photon printing, and other similar techniques. Parts are fabricated layer by layer, and each layer is the cross-section of the parts built by curing liquid polymer with a light source. Particles can also be added to the resin to build composites for additional functions. However, it is difficult to distribute particles uniformly in the final part of the printing process. Existing solutions make use of fine nanoparticles, which greatly increase production costs, lack certain properties of large particles, and have a risk of precipitating during printing. This technology provides a method that is capable of printing resin-particle composites with uniform distribution. A plug-and-play functional module is added to commercial VP 3D printers to keep the resin-particle mixture homogenized during the printing process. This enables the fabrication of complex 3D composite parts with uniform particle distribution while also being easy to operate and integrate into existing VP printers without altering their performance or function.

Head injuries are a significant cause of injury and death, with approximately 50,000 cases of severe traumatic brain injury per year in the UK, the majority leading to death or severe disability. Cerebral damage sustained at the time of impact is referred to as primary injury and is irreversible and best treated by prevention (seatbelts, cycle helmets etc). Secondary brain injury occurs after the initial injury and is defined as damage arising from the body’s physiologic response to the primary injury. As the skull is a closed cavity containing water and other largely incompressible material, even minor swelling can cause significant increases in ICP (intracranial pressure). Various strategies exist to arrest or reverse the pressure in the brain due to head trauma, so monitoring the ICP is a vital tool in the management of severe head injuries. A new non-invasive system for continuous monitoring of ICP via a forehead-mounted probe has been developed. Although the cranium is a closed rigid structure, interrogation using infrared light provides a potential ‘window’ for monitoring cerebral haemodynamics. The probe contains infrared light sources that can illuminate the deep brain tissue of the frontal lobe, while photodetectors in the probe detect the backscattered light, which is modulated by pulsation of the cerebral arteries. Changes in the pressure surrounding the cerebral arteries affect the morphology of the recorded optical pulse, so analysis of the acquired signal using an appropriate algorithm will enable calculation of non-invasive ICP (nICP) that can be displayed continuously to clinicians.

A Singapore company has developed a non-invasive breath analysis device and test to detect early stage lung cancer by collecting and analysing a patient's exhaled breath. According to The National Lung Screening Trial Research Team, 80% of lung cancer cases are diagnosed at late stage when the 5-year survival rate is only 5%. If detected at stage 1, the survival rate can be increased to 80%. Current diagnostic techniques such as Computer Tomography (CT) are not able to capture most of the early stage cases because the tumour at this stage is too small to be distinguished. This non-invasive breath-based solution analyses the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) in a patient's exhaled breath to detect the changes in metabolic activities caused by lung cancer. In the pilot clinical trial, the breath analyser with machine learning algorithms was able to detect more early stage lung cancer cases than current diagnostic techniques.

Recovery of side-streams or food waste are often challenging. What’s even more challenging is to develop these side-streams into feasible, desirable and scalable products for purpose and value. This is often because most companies are busy with their daily business; even if they have the will to focus on recovery, it will take them too long to explore and develop feasible options.  This technology and knowledge provider is able to accelerate the time-to-market of new ingredients recovered from side-streams and develop feasible and scalable methods to extract ingredients, supplements, additives and esters from side-streams.  This makes its customers' business more feasible and sustainable.  Referencing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) "a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030" , this technology and knowledge provider is capable to positively impact three of them: SDG 2 (.4) Zero hunger, SDG 9 (.4) Industry, innovation and infrastructure and SDG12 (.5) Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. Apply this developed technology to food manufacturing or vegetable waste could result in: more productivity per unit of raw food less waste a CO2 emission reduction in the food manufacturing process

Specificity and memory are two major features of the immune system vaccination targets in general. However, the shrimp’s immunity has limited specificity and lacks long-term memory. This poses a challenge to disease prevention, increasing the complexity of health and disease management in shrimp farming. Persistent and emerging disease outbreaks have forced many farmers to employ chemicals and antibiotics to combat specific pathogens. However, this is not sustainable and it increases the risk of contamination to both the environment and humans. To improve shrimp resilience, immunostimulants have been gaining interest as an environmentally safe alternative. However, published correlations of in vitro and in vivo lab studies are unable to translate to practical applications. This technology is employed to cull weak and diseased fry before stocking into farm ponds, using proprietary epigenetic activated fermentation (EpAF) technology. The formulated mix consists of all-natural ingredients and is antibiotics-free & GMO-free. It can be applied to all phases of shrimp aquaculture, from broodstock, hatchery, to grow-out stages for higher survival rates and a more profitable harvest safe for human consumption. The technology provider is looking for joint venture partners or licensing the technology to interested parties from the aquaculture industry.