IPI inks Memorandums of Understanding with RB and Innovate UK to drive business growth through technology partnerships and open innovation

SINGAPORE, 18 September 2018 – The seventh edition of Singapore's annual technology-industry matching event, TechInnovation kicked off today with several announcements which will promote a vibrant innovation ecosystem in Singapore.

Held on 18 and 19 September at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre, TechInnovation is organised by IPI and fosters open innovation collaboration opportunities between technology seekers and providers. 88 thought leaders in business, technology and research, as well as 165 exhibitors from 28 countries will present insights on emerging innovation trends and a spectrum of promising technologies with industry impact across a wide range of sectors.

Over 4,000 delegates from more than 50 countries are expected to attend the two-day conference and exhibition. Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry, Dr Koh Poh Koon, officiated the opening of TechInnovation 2018. In his opening speech, he emphasised that innovation is key to help SMEs build differentiating capabilities, scale up and compete in a challenging environment and that the Singapore government is committed to supporting businesses in their innovation journeys.

 

IPI inks MOUs with RB Health and Innovate UK
Two Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) were signed at the opening of TechInnovation. RB, a global leading consumer health company is partnering IPI to find solutions in a number of future consumer health areas. This is RB’s first private-public partnership in Singapore and the start of a wider global partnership drive by the healthcare giant that will see it set up innovation hubs in collaboration with health innovators around the world.

“IPI has a world-leading network of innovators and we are delighted and excited by this partnership potential. This region has a great eco-system in nutrition so our starting point is to work with IPI’s network to translate ground-breaking research in mom and baby nutrition and the impact of the microbiome on their health, into real products for mum and baby in the future. This is the beginning of a great partnership which will see us working together with IPI to find health solutions for consumers in a number of areas,” said Guy Tweedie, Vice President R&D, RB.

A second MOU was signed between IPI and Innovate UK, to promote UK-Singapore technology transfer and R&D collaboration, through the exchange of technology profiles as well as participation and support in mutual events. Innovate UK is a part of UK Research and Innovation, an organisation that champions research and innovation in the United Kingdom.

“Helping innovative companies collaborate so that they can grow and scale globally is best done by working with trusted partners. Innovate UK is very pleased to be signing an MOU with IPI and to build further on the great relationship that already exists between the two organisations,” said David Golding, Deputy Chair EUREKA, Innovate UK.

“The MOU signings at TechInnovation underscores IPI’s commitment to drive business growth through technology partnerships and open innovation. We are excited to bring like-minded partners with our international network of technology partners to co-create innovative solutions that in turn tackle pressing needs of today’s society,” said Professor Lam Khin Yong, Executive Director, IPI.

 

Thematic technology pavilions and country booths showcase innovative technology offers
Enterprises can tap on the latest technologies to develop their portfolio of innovative products and services. TechInnovation’s exhibition floor will showcase 400 enabling technologies from countries such as Australia, China, France, Finland, Japan, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, the Philippines and the United States of America.

Complementing the thematic conference tracks are technology pavilions with exhibitors presenting their technologies in Food Innovation, Urban Agritech and Logistics Innovation. Visitors not only get to hear insights from industry experts, they also get to see and experience the innovations such as:

  • SinFooTech’s soy alcoholic beverage made from soy whey, a by-product of tofu manufacturing at the Food Innovation pavilion; 
  • Grower Agritech’s indoor black truffle vertical farm, a modular and scalable technology that reduces the cultivation of this highly prized gourmet fungi from seven years to just seven months at the Urban Agritech pavilion; and 
  • EON Reality’s augmented reality innovative technology which provides field operators a safer and faster way to communicate information in real-time for more efficient ground operations at the Logistics Innovation pavilion.

 

There is a showcase from budding start-ups and universities from the ASEAN innovation community. One such innovation is the Electronic Nose Company, a start-up from Mahidol University, Thailand which will demonstrate its platform technology for monitoring and analysing smells for applications in the food and beverage, cosmetics and healthcare industries.

From Europe, first-time exhibitor Innovate UK Hub will showcase 15 innovative companies that have been shortlisted from Innovate UK’s Global Accelerator Programme. They include artificial intelligence company Intellegens and Medibiosense, a provider of digital solutions for healthcare. In addition, six innovative Slovak companies supported by the Slovak Business Agency will participate in TechInnovation 2018. Technologies presented include the smallest contactless sensors in the world by RV Magnetics and a flexible graphene temperature sensor by Danubia Energy.

 

Easing the search for technical knowledge and capability through a new TechExpert portal
Start-ups and SMEs will be able to engage technical experts from different industry sectors to help them at various stages of the innovation cycle through a one-stop TechExpert matching platform newly-developed by IPI.

The TechExpert platform is currently in beta version and IPI is collaborating with the Institution of Engineers, Singapore and JTC to bring on board technical experts and start-ups respectively. Interested technical experts and companies seeking technical expertise can register at https://techexpert.ipi-singapore.org.

The agenda for TechInnovation is available here, along with the full list of speakers.
TechInnovation is a partner event of the Singapore Week of Innovation & TeCHnology (SWITCH) 2018.
###

About TechInnovation
TechInnovation is a premier technology-industry matching event that is organised by IPI. TechInnovation brings together international technology providers and enterprises to explore technology commercialisation and initiate business collaboration through open innovation. It is a leading conference and exhibition in Singapore that focuses on the matching of industry’s needs to enabling technologies in info-communications & electronics, manufacturing, materials & chemicals, health & personal care, medtech, energy and environment from global sources. For more information, visit www.techinnovation.com.sg.

About IPI
IPI catalyses and enables enterprises to grow their businesses through technology and innovation. An affiliate of Enterprise Singapore, IPI promotes open innovation, and works with enterprises to source for technologies locally and abroad. In addition, it facilitates technology partnerships to bring new and innovative products and services to the market. Connected to a global network of technology partners, including the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), IPI is well-positioned to facilitate connections between technology seekers and providers, driving growth and innovation opportunities for Singapore enterprises. For more information, visit www.ipi-singapore.org.

Media Contacts
Selena Sheikh
Director, PINPOINT Public Relations
Mobile: +65 9746 8519
Email: [email protected]

Charlene Boh
Senior Manager, Marketing & Communications, IPI
DID: +65 6653 4913, Mobile: +65 9767 7792
Email: [email protected]

 

Please click here to download: