

- Like
- Digg
- Del
- Tumblr
- VKontakte
- Flattr
- Buffer
- Love This
- Odnoklassniki
- Meneame
- Blogger
- Amazon
- Yahoo Mail
- Gmail
- AOL
- Newsvine
- HackerNews
- Evernote
- MySpace
- Mail.ru
- Viadeo
- Line
- Comments
- Yummly
- SMS
- Viber
- Telegram
- Subscribe
- Skype
- Facebook Messenger
- Kakao
- LiveJournal
- Yammer
- Edgar
- Fintel
- Mix
- Instapaper
- Copy Link
Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law Mr Edwin Tong said yesterday that the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) will roll out more initiatives to help businesses use intellectual property (IP) to thrive during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Opening IP Week @ SG 2020, he announced new initiatives to speed up registration for trademarks and registered designs; expand the features of IPOS’ trademark registration app to include search functions for domain names and social media account names; and build IP mediation experience among youth.
In his opening remarks at IP Week @ SG 2020, Mr Tong said: “COVID-19 has disrupted the way we work, the way we interact with each other and the way we live, all in unprecedented ways. As countries and cities shut down, people engage in social distancing, technology has become essential in all aspects of our lives. We can expect new innovations to emerge more swiftly and with greater intensity to help businesses and communities define and adapt to a ‘new normal’. The work of IP offices around the world in enabling and protecting new creations is even more important now.”
“Concrete initiatives to empower companies in capturing opportunities through IP are already in place, with more on the way. We are accelerating those in the pipeline to support companies through the pandemic. We want to upskill enterprises’ IP capabilities and help businesses obtain quicker and easier IP protection,” Mr Tong said.
Enhancing the Patent Fast Track Scheme and launching new initiatives
Mr Tong noted that patents are only one aspect of IP protection and that the government wants to enable enterprises to swiftly obtain protection for other types of IP as well.
“To do so, we will be launching SG IP FAST. SG IP FAST extends beyond patents, to also accelerate the registration processes for trademarks and registered designs. Enterprises can secure IP protection in Singapore fast and leverage that to grow their business with confidence,” he said.
SG IP FAST is an enhancement of an earlier scheme, SG Patent Fast Track, launched by IPOS in April this year. The SG Patent Fast Track, the world’s fastest application-to-grant process of its kind, accelerates grants of patent applications in all technology fields to just six months.
Another new initiative is enhanced features for IPOS GO, the world’s first mobile app for trademark applications which has attracted over 3,500 downloads and more than 500 applications since its launch in August 2019.
A new feature will allow enterprises to easily look for similar business names, trademarks, domain names and social media account names – all within a single search, enabling enterprises to make more informed branding decisions.
A third initiative will involve IPOS working with aspiring and fresh law graduates on a Young IP Mediator programme to build up IP mediation experience among Singapore’s youth.
IPOS’ role becoming more important in Singapore and internationally
The Minister also noted that “IP is also a bright spot for international cooperation and collaboration at a time of increasing protectionism.” IPOS’ role has become more important in this environment and it has been working closely with other countries in the region and further afield for smoother, faster IP protection globally.
Within Singapore, there is an ongoing whole-of-government effort, in partnership with its stakeholders, to further develop Singapore’s capabilities in IP management. “We will develop Singapore’s IP strategy to position our nation as a base for ideas, intangible assets and IP from anywhere in the world, from which to access markets in other parts of the world,” Mr Tong said.


- Like
- Digg
- Del
- Tumblr
- VKontakte
- Flattr
- Buffer
- Love This
- Odnoklassniki
- Meneame
- Blogger
- Amazon
- Yahoo Mail
- Gmail
- AOL
- Newsvine
- HackerNews
- Evernote
- MySpace
- Mail.ru
- Viadeo
- Line
- Comments
- Yummly
- SMS
- Viber
- Telegram
- Subscribe
- Skype
- Facebook Messenger
- Kakao
- LiveJournal
- Yammer
- Edgar
- Fintel
- Mix
- Instapaper
- Copy Link
At the third edition of ‘My Digital Bootcamp,’ 1,500 students from low-income families in the Central Singapore District will learn new digital skills. The districtwide programme will help to level the playing field for children from low-income families who may not have access to extracurricular activities.
This is part of the Central Singapore Community Development Council’s (CDC) SkillsFuture Junior programme, which seeks to support its young residents with digital and soft skills to prepare them for a better future.
Students will go through four modular skills-based workshops at each two-day Bootcamp held from March to December 2023 to learn advanced digital-making skills in a fun and engaging manner such as programming, robotics, mobile app development, and game design.
A time traveller visiting ancient civilisations or an Earth hero resolving a climate crisis are the two new immersive narratives that participants can select from. They will also be exposed to complementary soft skills such as logical reasoning, pattern recognition, algorithm design, relationship management, and communication skills, among others, during the Bootcamp.
‘My Digital Bootcamp’ will provide structured learning support to the young participants in order to encourage learning beyond the workshops. Each child will receive a special home-based learning (HBL) digital-making kit, which includes a micro: bit pocket-sized computer, a KittenBot expansion board, an ultrasonic sensor, and other resource materials, as well as a learning management system, to allow them to continue learning and practising what they have learned at the Bootcamp.
At the end of this season, a brand-new Hackathon component will be held in which young learners will be empowered to solve real-life scenario-based challenges in friendly competitions that will underpin holistic learning. There will be 300 people at the Hackathon. Some will be students from the Bootcamps, and some will be new students.
Participants in the two-day Hackathon challenge will participate in digital-making skill workshops or refreshers, preparatory workshops, competitions, and presentations. They will investigate skillsets and develop competencies in soft skills other than those taught in the Bootcamp, such as idea pitching, design thinking, and ideation, which will help them build a strong foundation for the future economy.
The long-standing partnership between Central Singapore CDC and a multinational banking corporation made ‘My Digital Bootcamp’ possible. Since its inception in September 2019, the programme has benefited over 2,000 children from 34 schools and community organisations in Central Singapore. Over 30 employee volunteers also befriended the students, distributed participation kits and meals, and assisted in guiding the students’ learning.
In addition, the Infocomm Media Development Authority’s (IMDA) Digital for Life (DfL) Movement has been named Champion Project at the prestigious World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) Prize Ceremony 2023, which is organised by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) under the auspices of the United Nations (UN).
The DfL movement was named a WSIS Prizes 2023 Champion in the category “the role of governments and all stakeholders in promoting ICTs for development.” This award came after WSIS received nominations for 900 projects from around the world in 18 categories, reviewed them with experts, and received over 1.5 million online votes.
The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prizes recognise projects that use information and communication technologies (ICT) to advance the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
To date, the DfL movement has more than 130 partners and 140 projects, benefiting over 270,000 Singaporeans from various segments such as youths, seniors, low-income families, women, and people with disabilities.
- Like
- Digg
- Del
- Tumblr
- VKontakte
- Flattr
- Buffer
- Love This
- Odnoklassniki
- Meneame
- Blogger
- Amazon
- Yahoo Mail
- Gmail
- AOL
- Newsvine
- HackerNews
- Evernote
- MySpace
- Mail.ru
- Viadeo
- Line
- Comments
- Yummly
- SMS
- Viber
- Telegram
- Subscribe
- Skype
- Facebook Messenger
- Kakao
- LiveJournal
- Yammer
- Edgar
- Fintel
- Mix
- Instapaper
- Copy Link
The Singapore-Indonesia Leaders’ Retreat is where Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong recently met Indonesian President Joko Widodo. This was Prime Minister Lee and President Joko Widodo’s sixth Leaders’ Retreat, and it was the first one to be held in Singapore since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Both Leaders said again that Singapore and Indonesia are getting along very well. They both agreed that the relationship between the two countries had grown a lot during President Joko Widodo’s two terms in office. This gave them a solid foundation to work together in new ways that are deep, multifaceted, forward-looking, and good for both countries.
The Leaders were happy that all three agreements under the Expanded Framework had been ratified. These were the Agreement on the Realignment of the Boundary between the Jakarta Flight Information Region (FIR) and the Singapore FIR, the Treaty for the Extradition of Fugitives, and the Defense Cooperation Agreement.
The Leaders anticipated the next step of obtaining approval from the International Civil Aviation Organisation for the new arrangements under the FIR Agreement so that both countries could implement all three agreements at a mutually agreed upon date. The resolution of these long-standing issues demonstrates the maturity and strength of bilateral relations.
In addition, several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) have been signed by the two leaders to strengthen cooperation in various sectors. Renewable energy cooperation, sustainable urban and housing development, health cooperation, knowledge-sharing and capacity-building, and security and finance collaboration are among the MoUs.
These agreements are intended to improve knowledge-sharing and training, supplement existing expertise, and strengthen interpersonal ties between the two countries. The Leaders recognised the importance of continuing collaboration in traditional sectors like security and finance to build trust in their security and economic partnerships.
President Joko Widodo and Prime Minister Lee reaffirmed that bilateral relations are on a solid footing and agreed to expand cooperation in areas of mutual interest that are sustainable and forward-looking. To this end, the Leaders’ Summit witnessed the signing of six MOUs in emerging sectors such as the digital economy, sustainability, and human capital development, as well as in traditional areas such as security.
The Leaders noted the growth of the digital economy in Singapore and Indonesia because of cooperative projects such as Nongsa Digital Park in Batam. The Leaders applauded the MOU between the Singapore Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Indonesian Coordinating Ministry of Economic Affairs on the Tech:X Programme, which allows young tech professionals from both countries to pursue employment opportunities in the other country’s market. This will strengthen connections between the tech ecosystems of Singapore and Indonesia, allowing tech talent to pursue opportunities in the rapidly expanding digital economy.
Leaders concurred that bilateral cooperation should remain multifaceted and comprehensive. Recently, Singaporean and Indonesian businesses signed nine MOUs in the digital economy sector, including health technology and education technology. These are believed to strengthen commercial ties and augment bilateral cooperation in emerging sectors.
Prime Minister Lee and President Joko Widodo also discussed Indonesia’s ASEAN Chairmanship priorities. The two leaders discussed the situation in Myanmar and the path to membership for Timor-Leste.
The Prime Minister has reaffirmed Singapore’s total backing for Indonesia’s ASEAN Presidency. He thanked President Joko Widodo for his contributions to the bilateral relationship, and both Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to advance the bilateral partnership.
- Like
- Digg
- Del
- Tumblr
- VKontakte
- Flattr
- Buffer
- Love This
- Odnoklassniki
- Meneame
- Blogger
- Amazon
- Yahoo Mail
- Gmail
- AOL
- Newsvine
- HackerNews
- Evernote
- MySpace
- Mail.ru
- Viadeo
- Line
- Comments
- Yummly
- SMS
- Viber
- Telegram
- Subscribe
- Skype
- Facebook Messenger
- Kakao
- LiveJournal
- Yammer
- Edgar
- Fintel
- Mix
- Instapaper
- Copy Link
The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) is launching numerous new collaborations to address urban challenges by leveraging geospatial technology to facilitate data-driven decision-making and solutions. Geospatial technology is location-based technology that is widely used in areas such as mapping and road navigation and is a key enabler in supporting Singapore’s Smart Nation and sustainability initiatives.
Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, and Ministry of Transport, announced the new collaborations at the recently concluded Geo Connect Asia 2023. The Senior Minister was also present at the signing ceremonies for two SLA collaborations: the Container Depot and Logistics Association (Singapore) and the General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
SLA has also begun its first bilateral collaboration with the General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information (GEOSA), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as part of its efforts to foster international knowledge exchange and contribute their experiences in the use of geospatial data and technology.
The collaboration stems from both countries’ rapid urbanisation, which has resulted in an increased need to use geospatial data and technology in decision-making, as global cities face similar challenges that could benefit from shared solutions. The collaboration with GEOSA, which will last three years, will involve the exchange of knowledge and experiences on:
- The development and management of national geospatial databases;
- The use of technologies such as artificial intelligence, and machine learning in the development of digital twins;
- Digital transformation in the geospatial industry; and
- Development of geospatial products and services that will benefit citizens.
Also, the SLA will work with the Container Depot and Logistics Association (Singapore) to make it easier for heavy vehicles to get where they need to go. Companies that use these kinds of vehicles and their drivers will be able to plan their trips better and save time if they have more information. This means that the companies will save money because they will use less fuel and put out less carbon.
SLA has also been working with SG Enable and Gardens by the Bay to map routes that are easy for people in wheelchairs to use. This collaboration is part of SLA’s support for the Enabling Masterplan 2030, which describes Singapore’s goal of becoming a society that welcomes everyone by 2030.
In this project, information about barrier-free routes is collected and mapped in Bukit Merah and Gardens by the Bay. These routes have things like covered linkways for wheelchairs, ramps, footpaths, pedestrian crossings, and overhead bridges with lifts.
SLA has made a pilot testing app with barrier-free access routes for these two areas so that wheelchair users can give feedback and give ideas for making things better. In the next six months, improvements will be made to more testing areas in terms of data accuracy and ease of use. In the future, the barrier-free access routing function will be added to OneMap as an extra way to find your way, along with the public transportation, cycling, and driving modes that are already there.
SLA has been working with partners to get students excited about geospatial technologies and make them aware of how they can be used to solve everyday problems in the community.
Other projects like this include the annual Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) Innovation Challenge, which is put on with the help of the Space Faculty, the annual Regional Geospatial Youth Forum, and the Young Geospatial Scientist workshop, which is put on with the help of the Singapore Science Centre.
Later this year, the government will announce new ways to help students learn. Through these projects, SLA wants geospatial data and capabilities to be used by everyone.
- Like
- Digg
- Del
- Tumblr
- VKontakte
- Flattr
- Buffer
- Love This
- Odnoklassniki
- Meneame
- Blogger
- Amazon
- Yahoo Mail
- Gmail
- AOL
- Newsvine
- HackerNews
- Evernote
- MySpace
- Mail.ru
- Viadeo
- Line
- Comments
- Yummly
- SMS
- Viber
- Telegram
- Subscribe
- Skype
- Facebook Messenger
- Kakao
- LiveJournal
- Yammer
- Edgar
- Fintel
- Mix
- Instapaper
- Copy Link
The Land Transport Industry Transformation Map (ITM) 2025 was unveiled by Minister of Transport S Iswaran. Developed by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in close collaboration with industry and union partners, the updated Land Transport ITM aims to create a sustainable and resilient land transport sector, a workforce that is future-ready, and a thriving ecosystem.
The Land Transport ITM 2025 will assist the industry in overcoming the immediate challenges of labour shortages and decarbonisation. It aims to accomplish three strategic outcomes, including A Future-Ready Workforce, A Sustainable and Resilient Land Transport Sector, and A Reliable and Cost-Effective Transport System through Innovation and Technology.
“Talent development and skills upgrading for workers remain key to the land transport sector’s transformation and resilience,” says Chee Hong Tat, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Transport and Co-Chair of the Future Economy Council (FEC) Connectivity Cluster. The LTA is collaborating with public transportation operators and unions to prepare workers for new challenges, ensuring that the workforce remains productive and future-ready.
The land transport industry, a critical pillar in enabling connectivity that supports the economy, can only do so thanks to the efforts of its employees. With over 100,000 employees, the workers perform a variety of roles such as bus captains, bus mechanics, customer service officers, railway engineers, station managers, and point-to-point (P2P) drivers.
The nature of work will also change as technology and digitalisation advance. As a result, under the revised ITM, the LTA will collaborate with the National Transport Workers Union (NTWU) and public transportation operators to train rail workers to use new and emerging technologies such as data and statistical analytics, as well as condition monitoring, to increase efficiency and productivity.
Since 2020, the Rail Manpower Development Incentive has helped over 2,900 workers improve their skills. Faults, for example, can be detected and physical checks reduced using video monitoring and image analysis.
Additionally, they are gradually enhancing the skills of their bus captains and technicians to operate electric buses. To create appropriate training programmes on cleaner energy buses for the bus workforce, the Singapore Bus Academy (SGBA) has been collaborating with pertinent stakeholders, including bus suppliers, Institutes of Higher Learning, NTWU, and bus operators.
To prepare the workforce to support Singapore’s push for vehicle electrification, LTA will also keep up its close collaboration with partners in the private transportation sector, such as tertiary institutions. Also, LTA will keep urging commuters to use public transportation or active transportation options under Walk Cycle Ride. By enhancing the infrastructure for EV charging and fortifying the EV regulatory framework, LTA is also encouraging greater adoption of EVs.
To increase the effectiveness of the land transportation system, industry and academic partners will use an open innovation strategy to draw on outside ideas. This includes decentralising data and working with others to develop creative solutions that will improve operational procedures and promote environmental sustainability.
To simplify outreach to industry partners, the LTA introduced the Land Transport Innovation Portal in September 2022 as a one-stop shop for all innovation-related issues. To assist partners in better understanding LTA’s requirements and identifying opportunities for co-innovation and collaboration, the portal disseminates operational problem statements from LTA as well as details on upcoming innovation events.
Additionally, it points potential innovators to the LTA DataMall’s data resources, which include over 130 static and dynamic datasets as well as a newly expanded catalogue of “On-Request Datasets” in an effort to spur more original ideas that can meet the needs of the land transportation industry.
- Like
- Digg
- Del
- Tumblr
- VKontakte
- Flattr
- Buffer
- Love This
- Odnoklassniki
- Meneame
- Blogger
- Amazon
- Yahoo Mail
- Gmail
- AOL
- Newsvine
- HackerNews
- Evernote
- MySpace
- Mail.ru
- Viadeo
- Line
- Comments
- Yummly
- SMS
- Viber
- Telegram
- Subscribe
- Skype
- Facebook Messenger
- Kakao
- LiveJournal
- Yammer
- Edgar
- Fintel
- Mix
- Instapaper
- Copy Link
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has launched a new initiative to boost its innovation capabilities and accelerate research commercialisation to support Singapore’s drive toward an economy based on innovation and knowledge.
The University will ramp up its educational programmes to nurture entrepreneurs and create a more conducive environment for mentoring and supporting students, faculty, and alumni looking to turn their ideas into market-ready products through its NTU Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NTU I&E) initiative.
“Our vision is to create a vibrant innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem covering the entire spectrum of activity, from cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset through holistic education and experiential learning to starting a business,” says Professor Louis Phee, Vice President for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Dean of the College of Engineering.
Prof Louis, who leads the NTU I&E initiative, stated that they aspire to be a fertile breeding ground where innovative ideas, supported by a solid foundation in education and research, blossom into successful commercial entities that ultimately benefit Singapore’s economy. With digitalisation and sustainability at the forefront of new industries, NTU believes that the skills and knowledge students require to be successful are also evolving rapidly.
The North and South Spines of the University’s main campus will house the new NTU Innovation Port, a physical and digital one-stop shop for all things innovation-related. The centre will provide a forum for the NTU community and external partners to discuss start-up and innovation concepts, as well as assist industry partners seeking to collaborate or license technologies.
NTU I&E consists of both the revamped NTU Entrepreneurship Academy (NTUpreneur) and the University’s existing innovation and enterprise company NTUitive, which focuses on commercialising innovations and incubating start-ups.
The I&E initiative is part of the NTU 2025 Strategic Plan, an ambitious road map announced in 2021 that guides NTU toward becoming a global university founded on science and technology and that cultivates leaders capable of making a positive societal impact through interdisciplinary education and research.
The Overseas Entrepreneurship Programme is one of NTU’s most successful entrepreneurship plans. More than 320 students participated in the programme, travelling to the United States, Europe, China, Southeast Asia, and Australia to work with start-ups and accelerators. After graduating, 45 of these students have been inspired to start their own businesses or join a start-up.
The NTU I&E initiative aims to build on these achievements. Students from all disciplines will benefit from improved and easier access to mentorship, entrepreneurship modules and courses, and more internships through NTUpreneur.
Students will participate in experiential learning programmes such as innovation challenges, training boot camps, and workshops as part of their journey of exploration and discovery. In addition, the Overseas Entrepreneurship Programme will be expanded to include more countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Sweden, and Finland. The number of available placements will also be increased.
Recently, over 40 NTU innovations and start-ups were showcased at the exhibition area of the I&E launch event to inspire students and faculty. Deep tech software powered by blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) to robotics, food technology, and health and biomedical devices were among them.
NTU’s I&E efforts align with Singapore’s Research, Innovation, and Enterprise 2025 Plan and will contribute to the city-upcoming state’s Jurong Innovation District. Many of NTU’s start-ups and spin-offs are currently housed at the NTU Innovation Centre on the NTU Smart Campus and the nearby CleanTech Park, putting them at the epicentre of Singapore’s Industry 4.0 transformation.
- Like
- Digg
- Del
- Tumblr
- VKontakte
- Flattr
- Buffer
- Love This
- Odnoklassniki
- Meneame
- Blogger
- Amazon
- Yahoo Mail
- Gmail
- AOL
- Newsvine
- HackerNews
- Evernote
- MySpace
- Mail.ru
- Viadeo
- Line
- Comments
- Yummly
- SMS
- Viber
- Telegram
- Subscribe
- Skype
- Facebook Messenger
- Kakao
- LiveJournal
- Yammer
- Edgar
- Fintel
- Mix
- Instapaper
- Copy Link
Singapore’s Minister of State for Social and Family Development and Home Affairs, Sun Xueling, highlighted the nation’s partnership approach to women’s development during her participation in the 67th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).
Minister Sun emphasised the significance of women’s participation in innovation and technology for economic development and women’s advancement. She also acknowledged that there was genuine concern regarding the progress made by women over the years in terms of education, economic empowerment, and employment. Hence, the status of every country in society will be eroded if women are not involved in the innovation and technological change that is currently driving economies.
“I think we all know that healthcare, Medtech, biosciences and hybrid tech are the jobs of the future, and 90% of future jobs will require digital skills. It is not just about digital literacy; it is also about digital fluency,” says Minister Sun.
She stated that the global average of female tech professionals in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) is approximately 28%, and many countries who spoke at CSW emphasised how economic growth would not be sustainable if women were not involved in innovation and technology. Thus, many other countries, including Singapore, reaffirmed their commitment to increasing women’s participation in STEM and removing barriers that prevent women and girls from entering STEM.
Additionally, schools and Institutes of Higher Learning play an important role in nurturing young talents in STEM. To provide support for Infocomm technology and media-related studies at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, they have instituted the SG Digital Scholarship.
With this, Minister Sun reported an increase in the number of top female tech talent being awarded by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and enrolling in Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and STEM-related programmes.
Singapore is also ranked fourth in the world and first in Asia in the 2022 IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking. The country aims to provide the best opportunities for women in all sectors, particularly in high-growth areas like technology that will allow businesses to remain competitive and economies to prosper.
Minister Sun added that Singapore’s efforts to attract and support female talent in technology through collaboration with the community, academia, and industry, as well as measures to combat online harms, including those directed at women and girls.
The government of Singapore is taking numerous precautions to ensure that women’s careers and advancement are unimpeded and that they are well supported in the workplace. Employers are required by the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices to evaluate employees and job applicants based on their merit and ability to perform the job.
The country is also rapidly embracing the digital age and implementing artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. With this, the Minister believed that they must proactively include data on women in the decision-making process and have women in leadership positions to ensure that women are represented in a variety of fields and that products and services truly cater to women.
She also encouraged the CSW participants regarding the significance of mindset shifts. In addition to legislation and policies, mindset shifts are necessary to eliminate gender biases and traditional expectations of men’s and women’s roles. “To shift the narrative from “what is” to “what can be,” a partnership across all of society is required.”
- Like
- Digg
- Del
- Tumblr
- VKontakte
- Flattr
- Buffer
- Love This
- Odnoklassniki
- Meneame
- Blogger
- Amazon
- Yahoo Mail
- Gmail
- AOL
- Newsvine
- HackerNews
- Evernote
- MySpace
- Mail.ru
- Viadeo
- Line
- Comments
- Yummly
- SMS
- Viber
- Telegram
- Subscribe
- Skype
- Facebook Messenger
- Kakao
- LiveJournal
- Yammer
- Edgar
- Fintel
- Mix
- Instapaper
- Copy Link
The Innovation and Enterprise (I&E) Fellowship Programme (IFP) is administered jointly by the National Research Foundation (NRF) and Enterprise Singapore (ESG) and aims to increase the pool of deep tech talent in Singapore to drive innovation in the economy, support the commercialisation of deep tech research, and bring emerging technologies to market.
Via on-the-job training and attachments with designated IFP partners, the 12- to 18-month initiative equips mid-career professionals with technological monetisation capabilities. Fellows will build relevant skills in areas such as productisation, intellectual property (IP) management, technology screening, financial modelling, negotiation, and technical sales during the training.
A monthly stipend will be provided to fellows for the duration of their training with the partner. The amount of the honorarium varies by IFP partner and Fellows’ previous credentials.
Since the programme’s pilot started in 2020, over ninety Fellows have been accepted. After completing the programme, 85% of participants got placements in tech-related companies or took on tech and commercialisation-related roles.
Presently, qualifying Fellows get training from more than 50 private sector partners selected by Enterprise Singapore and SGInnovate, including deep-tech businesses, accelerators, and incubators.
The IFP will be expanded to accommodate more Fellows. The IFP will now include public sector partners, specifically the Diagnostics Development Hub (DxD Hub), the Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC), and the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster (NAMIC), all sponsored by the Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR).
DxD Hub’s training is intended for graduates of higher education institutions, mid-career PMETs, and employees of other public sector organisations. The on-the-job training programme seeks to prepare deep tech talent with industry knowledge, such as standards and norms, and the ability to engage in end-to-end medical device productisation and commercialisation projects.
Fellows will be instructed in drug discovery, project management, business development, and commercialisation by the EDDC. The planned curriculum will consist of coursework, on-the-job training, and mentoring for PhD or equivalent graduates in life sciences or related subjects.
When suitable, potential Fellows will also support the coordination of the Target Translation Consortium (TTC) and can collaborate directly on co-development projects with EDDC’s industry partners, including local biotech firms.
On the other hand, NAMIC will train and develop Fellows into experienced experts in Additive Manufacturing (AM) project management to meet the growing workforce needs of enterprises entering the AM market. The proposed programme, aimed at PMETs or mid-career technical professionals, will include organised and on-the-job training through secondments to NAMIC-supported industry initiatives, as well as supporting programmes at NAMIC Hubs, startups, and SMEs. Fellows will be mentored by corporate executives and will have the chance to pursue relevant professional certification in AM subject areas or AM-related Innovation and Enterprise skills.
The expansion of the IFP is a significant step that demonstrates Singapore’s commitment to assisting enterprises in their efforts to innovate. The three National I&E Platforms will provide structured training programmes that will leverage the expertise and infrastructure relevant to their particular industry domains. Additional information will be provided once the training programmes are released.
Deep Tech is distinguished from other technological fields by its emphasis on cutting-edge driven by research and innovation. Examples include Quantum Computing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and autonomous robotics, particularly those that have the potential to have a global or even global impact. Singapore’s Deep Tech sector is tagged as the “bright spot with a promising future” that will power future growth.