TECH OFFERS

The demand for thinner, lighter, and more durable glass in consumer electronics and other high-tech applications is constantly increasing. Thinner and lighter glass not only enables the design of sleeker devices but also enhances the tactile responsiveness of touchscreens, contributing to the overall performance and durability of the product. However, conventional glass thinning solutions face challenges, particularly in dealing with surface imperfections, which can impact the quality and efficiency of glass manufacturing. During the thinning process, surface imperfections like scratches and dimples become more pronounced, significantly affecting the optical clarity and overall quality of the glass, leading to increased product rejection rates and manufacturing costs. To address such challenges, the technology owner has developed a proprietary chemical solution specifically for glass slimming or thinning, aiming at effective dimple suppression while maintaining the desired thickness. This advanced solution enables the uniform melting or removal of material from the glass surface, preventing the spread of small scratches and the formation of dimples on the glass surface. This chemical solution ensures the production of super-thin and high-quality glass that aligns with the dynamic demands of the evolving industry. Its application proves beneficial in industries where the precision and quality of glass are paramount. The technology owner is seeking R&D collaboration with industrial partners interested in adopting this chemical solution in the processing or manufacturing of glass related components.

A new approach to a standards-based communications protocol for one-to-many Internet-of-Things devices. Being based on a standard, adopters are free from vendor lock-in. The protocol is particularly useful for IoT devices fitted with low-power displays (e.g., electronic labels). The technology is ideal for supermarkets (electronic price labels), pick-to-light systems, inventory management, and can easily be extended to any system where a one-to-many sensor network is critical.  Using a standards-based approach is also more environmentally friendly because users no longer need to dispose of their devices should they choose another communications service provider that uses the standard. An open-source software framework is also available that provides a cloud-based interface for devices using this communications protocol.  

In today's fast-paced business environment, the efficiency of B2B sales prospecting is paramount. Traditional methods often fall short, plagued by challenges like low conversion rates, low deliverability, and high operational costs. A Singapore-based AI startup has introduced a groundbreaking solution designed to automate and enhance B2B sales prospecting through advanced AI and Machine Learning (ML) algorithms. Their technology addresses the critical pain points in sales prospecting by automating the process with high-performance emails, thus ensuring higher deliverability and higher conversion rates at significantly reduced costs. They are part of Singapore’s inaugural Generative AI Sandbox, a collaborative effort between Enterprise Singapore and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA).

The exponential growth of electronic waste (E-waste) generation is proliferating due to the ever-increasing demand for electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) driven by industrial revolution and development. The COVID-19 crisis has further accelerated the shift towards digital transformation, contributing to an upsurge in E-waste generation. To-date, the industrial practices of extracting palladium (Pd) from electronic waste and mining ores rely on hydrometallurgy techniques using highly corrosive acids, typically aqua regia at elevated temperature. The process poses severe hazards to workers and lead to environmental pollution. Aqua regia’s capability to dissolve many various metals results in low selectivity for Pd. Despite ongoing efforts to develop alternative methods, these methods often prove impractical for industrial adoption. The technology provider has developed a proprietary lixiviant capable of extracting palladium up to 4,000 ppm at saturation with high extraction efficiency and selectivity within 12 hours. This lixiviant is facile, cost-effective, and significantly less corrosive and hazardous compared to current industrial practices. Substituting fuming aqua regia with this lixiviant could enhance the protection of workers and environmental safety. Importantly, the proposed technology is highly compatible with existing hydrometallurgy processes, eliminating the need for companies to change their current infrastructure. An E-waste industry partner has successfully conducted a pilot-scale (5-Litre scale) evaluation, validating the effectiveness and applicability of the lixiviant on their Pd-coated samples. The technology provider is actively seeking industry partners interested in test-bedding and licensing of this technology.

Electrolysis has diverse applications across various sectors, such as household and industrial electrolyzed water treatment, soda electrolysis, electrolytic plating, electrodeposition, and hydrogen generation. In electrolysis using insoluble electrodes, the electrocatalyst acting as the reaction field for the electrode reaction undergoes gradual abrasion. Given the high cost of precious metals (i.e., platinum group compounds) used as catalysts, protecting the catalyst and reducing the wear rate are crucial for extending the lifetime of electrodes and reducing the maintenance cost. Current technologies include multilayer electrodes that have a surface layer of noble metal oxide on the electrocatalyst to reduce catalyst wear. However, this method proves more expensive than ordinary insoluble electrodes. Additionally, the surface layer cannot be recoated. To address the challenge, the technology owner has developed a proprietary protective coating that effectively protects the catalyst on the surface of existing insoluble electrodes. This solution enables effective electrode protection through an inexpensive coating, reducing catalyst consumption and electrode replacement frequency. The coating can be reused by recoating the electrode, also contributing to the perspective of “Circular Economy”. The technology owner is seeking R&D collaboration with industrial partners such as electrode manufacturers, coating manufacturers, and companies utilising insoluble electrodes in electrolysis, especially electrolytic plating and metal recovery. 

Today, the cost of energy generated by renewable sources is less than conventional energy. However, current energy storage solutions (e.g. Lithium-ion battery etc.) used to harness energy from renewables are expensive, unsafe and unreliable which has severely impeded the adoption and development of such renewable sources. Hence, there is a need for a cost efficient, safe, environmentally friendly and reliable energy storage system (ESS) to address these existing issues. This technology offer is a vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) as a promising ESS. Unlike lithium-ion and lead acid batteries, VRFB has the flexibility to design and customise its power and energy density independently. This results in enhanced performance in terms of round-trip efficiency, energy density and thermal window as well as lowered levelised cost of storage when benchmarket against lithium-ion battery based ESS for long discharge duration. The VRFB also uses a unique stack design and an organic additive mixture on the electrolyte that improves the thermal stability and allows for 25% increase in energy efficiency when compared to other VRFB solutions.It also reduces safety risks related to over-charging, discharging and thermal runaways. This VRFB ESS is stable for up to 25 years with no electrolyte degradation and is made with environemtally friendly materials. The technology owner is seeking partner and collaborators especially those in renewable energy, large scale utility and microgrid projects to test bed their technology.

Enterprises are constantly looking for ways to improve operational efficiency and reduce costs. Traditional automation has limitations, especially when it comes to tasks requiring creativity or complex decision-making. Generative AI has emerged as a transformative technology that addresses a variety of pain-points faced by enterprises across industries. This technology solution offers a seamless integration of large language models (LLMs) and Generative AI fuctions with existing infrastructure, enhancing AI's impact by automating the flow of information and standardizing AI usage within your enterprise. This empowers customer support and operations teams to provide quick and accurate responses, significantly improving service delivery and operational efficiency.    

Issues associated with odor generation present significant challenges in various aspects of daily life, encompassing unpleasant smells from various sources such as toilets, kitchens, pets, tobacco, hospitals, and transportation. These unwanted odors have a detrimental impact on individual well-being, social interactions, and overall environmental quality. Deodorants play a crucial role in addressing these challenges, fostering a more comfortable and hygiene environment. However, conventional deodorants primarily rely on masking the unwanted odors with a strong fragrance, resulting in a slow and ineffective deodorization process, particularly against strong smells. The technology owner has developed a proprietary formulation that offers an effective deodorization approach. Unlike common deodorants, the unique deodorant using the proprietary formulation can remove the sources of unpleasant smells through chemical reactions. It demonstrates remarkable efficiency against a broad spectrum of odors, including those from rotting fish and meat, rotting eggs and milk, rotting vegetable waste, ammonia in toilets, sweat, and body odor. This innovative solution has the potential to revolutionise odor control across diverse scenarios. The technology owner is seeking R&D collaboration with industrial partners who are interested in incorporating this deodorant into their products and applications.

The human skin is the largest organ of the body, capable of extremely sensitive sensing ability and functional characteristics including elasticity, mechanical resistance and self-healing due to different mechano-receptors and sensory nerves. Electronic skin (e-skin) or synthetic skin, is a thin electronic material that stimulate the characteristics of the skin, making it possible for applications in prosthetics, robotics, wearables devices and percutaneous drug delivery systems. This patented technology is an e-skin with tactile, pain and temperature sensing, capable of differentiating various mechanical forces, sensory heat or moisture concurrently. It is a promising technology for healthcare applications. Currently, majority of the sensors in the market for healthcare are in rigid forms and for small application areas, which make it difficult for portable and wearable applications in large surface areas. This thin film flexible electronic skin can detect applied pressure and temperature on it. The skin’s electrical resistance varies with applied pressure and temperature. By measuring the skin’s electrical resistance, the applied pressure and temperature can be derived. The skin can be made stretchable to be covered on irregular curved surfaces. These features complement the drawbacks of rigid sensors for healthcare applications. The technology owner is looking for collaborators in the medical and robotics sectors and potential opportunities outside of healthcare such as beauty and cosmetics.