Innovation Partner for Impact

IPI is an innovation catalyst that creates opportunities for enterprises to grow beyond boundaries.  

As a subsidiary of Enterprise Singapore, IPI accelerates the innovation process of enterprises through access to its global innovation ecosystem and advisory services. 

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TECH OFFERS

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Continuous Skin-based Sweat Sensor for Rapid Biomarker Detection
Biomarkers are biomolecules and/or physical characteristics found in the body that gives a clear picture of a person’s health and fitness. Currently, the golden standard of biomarker testing is through blood tests. However, this method is invasive as it involves drawing blood with a needle. Additionally, blood tests are neither real-time nor continuous which means there is significant delay between testing and receiving results. Such problems can be solved through this invention as our method involves sensing biomarkers within sweat through a skin patch, eschewing the need for needles. Furthermore, the biomarker data can be is instantly transmitted to a smartphone application which allows users to continuously monitor their data in a convenient manner.  We believe this technology would be relevant in numerous industries such as sports fitness, beauty, and medical diagnostics; thus, attracting sizable demand for it where there is an unmet need for convienient, accurate and  real time detection of of accurate biomarkers.
Sustainability Software for efficiency in data collection, calculation and reporting
Amidst the imposition of compulsory climate reporting by regulatory bodies in some nations including Singapore, a powerful carbon accounting software solution has been devised. This aims to aid and fortify companies in their readiness to adhere to this necessity and embark on their sustainability journey. The software suite consists of the following solutions: GHG Emissions Management: Efficiently manage and reduce your organisation's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. ESG Reporting: Streamline and simplify your Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting process. Environmental Compliance: Propel your organisation towards comprehensive ISO 14001 environmental stewardship. 24/7 Electricity Emissions Traceability: Navigate your decarbonisation journey with real-time, precise and transparent electricity emissions tracking.
Injection-free Cellular Implant for Diabetes Management
In 2022, about 83 million patients suffer from insulin-dependent diabetes worldwide. From 2021 to 2045, this number is projected to increase by 46% globally. Despite the availability of approved insulin therapy as the standard of care, up to a quarter of these patients still suffer from poor blood glucose control, which can lead to a fatal drop in blood glucose levels. The team has developed a cell-encapsulating macro-device as an implant to reduce the risk of fatal drop in blood sugar of insulin-dependent diabetic patients. This patent-pending, injection-free cellular implant can  effectively manage insulin-dependent diabetes by enabling enhanced survival of therapeutic insulin-secreting cells. After a simple under-skin insertion of the macro-devicethe cells in this implant can sense the blood glucose level of a diabetic patient and secrete insulin to continuously provide injection-free, precise glucose control. The device also protects the insulin secreting therapeutic cells by encapsulating them in a hydrogel to shield them from immune attacks andalleviate the patient from the need for  immunosuppression . This technology could offer a safer alternative treatment for these insulin-dependent patients who experience poor blood glucose control with conventional insulin therapy.
The Next-gen Histological Imaging Tool with AI
Histopathology is a cornerstone of modern medicine, providing crucial information that enables doctors to formulate optimal treatment strategies before, during, and after surgeries. However, current methods for obtaining histological images grapple with a compromise between speed and accuracy and suffer from organ-dependent inconsistencies. Addressing these challenges, our technology was developed as a versatile solution to cater to a wide array of clinical scenarios. It sets a new benchmark for medical standards with its rapid, precise, and label-free on-the-spot imaging capability. Computation High-throughput Autofluorescence Microscopy by Pattern Illumination is a one-of-a-kind patented solution n that can detect and provide instant information about cancer status before, during, and after surgeries. This technology lets surgeons place fresh tissue samples taken directly from the patient into the microscope and receive high-resolution and virtually stained histological images in just three minutes. The primary adopters of this technology are expected to be healthcare organizations, hospitals, and research institutions, or any entity involved in histopathology, cancer diagnosis, and surgery. This technology fills a crucial void in the market by providing swift, high-resolution, label-free imaging of thick tissue samples, an achievement previously unattainable. Consequently, this technology not only accelerates the diagnostic process but also enhances its precision, revolutionizing the field of histopathology
Assisted Rehabilitation using Soft Robotics
Patients who have stroke, brain injuries, cerebral palsy, arthritis or suffer from other neurological disorders often experience motor impairments; patients with delayed or lack of rehabilitation suffer from more severe physical sequelae, such as, spasticity and muscle atrophy, which decreases their level of independence It has been reported by World Health Organisation, that the need for rehabilitation continues to grow worldwide, especially in low- and middle income countries. The demand for rehabilitation services already exceeds availability, leaving a large unmet need. Longer life expectancies and increasing survival rates for those with severe disability, coupled with the rising prevalence of chronic diseases means that globally there will be an increase in the health burden associated with limitations in functioning. For both the patients and therapists, there is a need for efficient models of rehabilitation care are needed. This invention is of a robotic manipulator that can assist or be programmed to move or mobilize patients’ limbs or joints repetitively during rehabilitation or to perform daily tasks, for e.g., of gripping a cup, bowl or utensil, in a safe, reliable and effective manner. The device can be used in a clinical and/or at-home setting.
Revolutionizing Cell Therapy Cultivation: Next-Generation Feeder-cell Mimicking Platforms for Cell Modulation
Immune cell activation and expansion for cell therapy is a strictly regulated process. It demands costly and labour-intensive optimization of cell culture conditions. Major limitations of these processes are cell quality and results consistency. Large amounts of expenses were spent on culture conditions, cell characterizations and quality control (QC) with differing culture protocols and recipes in growing CAR-T cells. This technology has established a standardized platform through its feeder-cell mimicking feature that could screen culture conditions for diverse cell types and patient source more rapidly at lower costs. Both feeder-cell based system and feeder-free system poses respective challenges of contamination or insufficient growth signals. To address this gap, a modular, all-signals-in-one microbead-based platform has been developed for the next-generation cell therapy R&D and translation. In this delivery platform design, the modular feature allows rapid ‘plug-and-use’ of multiple surface and soluble signals to grow T-cells ex vivo without the need for extensive setup and integration of culture protocols. This platform aims to provide a seamless and straightforward cell culture experience for the industrial and academic research users to discover new types and applications of immune cell therapy. Additionally, the all-signals-in-one synthetic platform mimics the natural antigen presenting cells to activate and expand T-cells on dish, allowing cell manufacturers to ‘mix-and-grow’ immune cells with reduced effort or technical expertise. This aims to improve the cost-effectiveness and scalability of cell therapy manufacturing. The technology provider is seeking collaborations with cell therapy CDMOs/CMOs in licensing and various R&D developments.
Wearable Sensing and Haptics Technology for Virtual Reality (VR)
This technology portfolio covers wearable sensing and haptics for Virtual Reality (VR). The wearable sensors can provide gesture-based control in VR without the need for cameras, providing interactive control for VR for lower end headset. The sensor use electronic textiles and a patented sensing scheme that requires no additional electronics except a microcontroller. They present ultralow latency (<1ms), can distinguish between wearer and non-wearer and have exceptional noise rejection. The haptics technology allows for simulation of resistance and micro sensations on the fingers and palm. This is crucial for applications like surgical training, as surgeons routinely rely on their sense of touch in real world scenarios. The jamming technology uses textile-based actuators and pneumatics, making it the lightest wearable technology for haptics.
Precision Medicine for the Management of Chronic Inflammatory Diseases
Systemic drug administration has conventionally been prescribed to alleviate persistent local inflammation which is prevalent in chronic diseases. However, this approach is associated with drug-induced toxicity, particularly when the dosage exceeds what is necessitated from the pathological conditions of the diseased tissues. This technology developed is a novel drug delivery technology that is activated to enable the release of appropriate drug payload according to the patient’s condition on the level of disease severity. The drug delivery system is a modular hybrid hydrogel carrier encapsulating the required anti-inflammatory drug which is triggered to release upon exposure to elevated markers of inflammation such as increased protease activity which is commonly upregulated in inflammatory diseases.   The technology has been validated for its material, safety, and toxicity studies on ex vivo exudates of clinical samples, in vivo wound model, and arthritis diseased mouse model. The primary targeted indication is Rheumatoid arthritis based on its significant disease unmet need and market size. It aims to become a platform technology as an effective therapy against chronic inflammatory diseases such as inflammation bowel diseases, chronic wounds and topical application. The convenience of the technology offers significant societal benefits, particularly for ageing populations where the incidence of pain and inflammation arising from diseases becomes prevalent with age while potentially eliminating adverse side effects from traditional delivery of drug administration.  The technology owner is seeking for collaborations with clinicians, biopharma, biotech companies looking for novel drug delivery systems.

TECH NEEDS

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Seeking Printable Conductive or Resistive Inks and Materials
The technology seeker is an established manufacturer of small electrical devices. The company is continually investing in NPD (new product development) and is currently focused on reducing the cost and environmental impact of their products. The electronics industry is investigating the use of conductive and/or resistive inks and materials to replace metallic materials typically used in printed electronics, sensors, heating elements and RFID-based smart packaging, etc. However, many current conductive inks contain silver, which is not acceptable from an environmental standpoint to the company. They therefore wish to identify alternative materials which can still maintain the technical performance required by the end-products. The company is actively searching for potential suppliers and technology companies that could support their product development efforts. They have an established customer base and global operations that provide routes to market for both new and established companies. The company is interested in potential collaboration with groups looking to commercialise relevant technologies and companies who will consider a variety of collaborations, ranging from trading partnerships, licensing through to joint venture and supply.
Seeking Ingredients and Manufacturing Processes to Create Meaty Texture in Plant-based Food
The technology seeker is a global food manufacturer looking for innovative approaches for introducing meaty texture into plant-based meat and fish. Consumers are interested in plant-based foods because of the health benefits of reducing their meat intake, concerns about farm animal welfare, and the high CO2 emissions linked to livestock farming. However, some consumers who have tried plant-based meat list texture as one of the reasons why they chose not to purchase the products again. The company is interested in ingredients and manufacturing processes that can create authentic (look and feel) meaty textures in plant-based meat or fish products. The company is a large and well-established business with production plants and excellent market access globally. The company is open to partnerships and collaborations with companies that have relevant technologies in the space to create future products, and so this represents an excellent opportunity for a new and ongoing business relationship.
Seeking Novel Leavening Technology that Enables Sodium Reduction
A leading snack company is interested in novel leavening solutions (ingredient and/or process technologies) that enable effective sodium reduction for their baked goods portfolio (savory/salty crackers, sweet cookies). Sodium-based leavening agents (sodium bicarbonate, SAPP etc.) are commonly used in baked goods to deliver the desired product texture and appearance. Finding alternative solutions that can deliver the same great consumer experience without elevating the pH is of interest.

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Our Success Stories

Learn how our innovation services have enabled organisations to succeed in their innovation journey.

Impact for BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Automating steel valuation with AI
To improve the valuation process of its pre-owned steel, Mlion Corporation partnered with HBLAB to automate the process through an AI-enabled image analysis mobile app.   As it continues to serve as the backbone of many industries in modern society, steel is known as the metal that changed the way we built our world. It allowed us to transform the...

Impact for FOOD & NUTRITION

Serving Up Healthy Meals for All
Healthy Asian ready-to-eat meals for the young and old Food innovators, Green Capsule Organics, worked with IPI’s Innovation Advisors to market and effectively position their uniquely Asian ready-to-eat meals for babies and the elderly.   Breaking into a market already dominated by big name brands is no easy feat—especially for an SME. This was one of the major obstacles that...

Impact for BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Building a Tiny Local Retreat for Urban Dwellers
With the help of the Sustainability Open Innovation Challenge, Singapore-based company Big Tiny has successfully deployed its unique, eco-friendly tiny houses for locals to escape urban woes without leaving the country.   Picture the perfect retreat away from the hustle and bustle of a metropolis, with serene, natural landscapes just within reach—no long drives or expensive flights required. Big Tiny,...