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The government remains committed to the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) and believes investment value in the corridor will reach at least THB300 billion this year as expected.
According to the Secretary-General to the EEC Office, private investment is increasing this year, driven by global economic recovery and rising global trade. He noted that the COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected the investments which were lower last year as investors were hesitant. Investors are now expected to ramp up investments this year, he said.
Last year, actual investment in the EEC totalled only THB96 billion, making up 46% of total investment applications filed through the Board of Investment (BoI). The EEC is part of the government’s strategy to move Thailand towards a high-tech economy.
The area spans a combined 30,000 rai plot of land in the provinces of Chon Buri, Rayong and Chachoengsao to accommodate investments in targeted industries, focusing largely on advanced technology.
The EEC will host 12 target S-curve industries: cars, smart electronics, medical and wellness tourism, agriculture and biotechnology, food, robotics for industry, logistics and aviation, biofuels and biochemicals, digital, medical services, defence, and education development.
The government is offering several privileges for investments in the EEC, including standard tax holidays for five to 10 years depending on investment categories, corporate income tax exemption for an additional two years, and a 50% corporate tax reduction for three years for investment projects related to human resource development.
The EEC attracted investment applications for 117 projects in the first quarter with a combined value of 64.4 billion baht, 39% higher than the total value of the 117 projects filed in the same period of 2020.
5G propelling investment
A large number of investments relating to 5G technology are scheduled for 2021 and include both infrastructure projects and production technology upgrades by manufacturers in the EEC.
Mobile phone operators and related industries are in the process of investing in the infrastructure required for 5G technology in EEC while investments in a smart city in Ban Chang in Rayong is about to be completed as well. Meanwhile, investments in infrastructure projects for Pattaya Smart City are scheduled to begin this year.
Last year, Pattaya announced a five-year roadmap for its transformation into a “smart city” to become a hub of economic, investment and tourism activity. The strategy is designed to create new opportunities for Pattaya residents, improve its environment, and serve its multicultural community.
The city’s authorities conducted public hearings on the scheme, which is expected to boost the economy in post-Covid-19, to improve digital information and geoinformatics of the plan between 2021 and 2025.
The digital transformation will help improve government services, reduce inequality in education, and increase investment opportunities. The digital system will be applied to the transportation, tourism, and medical industry, as well as town planning.
At both Ban Chang and Pattaya smart cities, big data will be used to improve people’s quality of life, including a 3D system to boost people’s incomes, a closed-circuit TV system to ensure public security, and various other innovations to facilitate and enhance local life.
The government will also support factories in EEC to upgrade manufacturing via 5G technology.
EV development
The EEC Office is also focusing on electrical vehicle (EV) manufacturing as EV projects in EEC are scheduled to see investments this year and in 2022. The government will support infrastructure to boost EVs and three cores of EV development: charging stations, significant parts of motor and battery and software. The manufacturing of EVs in Thailand can happen faster than the government’s plan, which aims for domestic production of EVs to account for 30% of car manufacturing by 2030.


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The objective of the Singapore Global Enterprises (SGE) initiative is to transform a new generation of promising Singaporean businesses into global market leaders.
While maintaining a strong presence in Singapore, these SGEs will have a substantial global footprint and market presence, a robust supply chain, and market leadership in innovation and product segments. This will result in substantial economic advantages and employment opportunities for Singapore and its citizens.
The SGE initiative expands on the flagship Scale-Up initiative. It will use existing schemes and programmes, as well as create new ones, to provide targeted and tailored assistance to selected companies with ambitious growth plans in certain areas.
Increasing the companies’ capabilities in key areas such as digitalisation, sustainability, internationalisation, and growth financing, as well as assisting them in expanding and anchoring core business activities in Singapore.
Businesses can invest in cutting-edge digital technologies and tools to boost operational efficiency, customer engagement, and data analytics. They can also use digital marketing strategies to increase their reach and online presence. They can also use automation and artificial intelligence (AI) to improve business processes and decision-making abilities.
Other areas that can be scaled up include enabling companies to develop and deepen a strong talent pool for the future through the Singapore Global Executive Programme (SGEP) and building sustained innovation capabilities through the establishment of in-house R&D centres, allowing innovation to be developed as a core competitive strategy.
Besides, it expedites companies’ global expansion to grow their market networks and international footprint, as well as diversify their supply chain. To amplify this effect, EnterpriseSG will launch a new Scale-Up X programme, which will include a variety of targeted capability development support, one of which will be on Investment & Initial Public Offering (IPO) Readiness, which will strengthen companies’ capabilities to tap public and private markets for growth capital to help them scale up.
Additionally, as part of the Enterprise Sustainability Programme (ESP), EnterpriseSG and its partners are launching new courses for businesses on decarbonisation and sustainable finance. The courses will begin in April 2023.
Along with the new courses, EnterpriseSG is collaborating with three new partners to provide additional ESP Foundational Courses. Since their inception in January 2022, the Foundational Courses have benefited nearly 400 participants.
According to Geoffrey Yeo, Assistant Chief Executive Officer (Sustainability and Enterprise Finance), EnterpriseSG, participants of their first series of foundational courses have provided positive feedback that the courses have helped to provide a structured framework to view sustainability as a business strategy and how it is relevant for their business.
They hope that the additional foundational courses will help more businesses bridge the knowledge gap and kickstart their sustainability journey. They have also seen an increase in the number of companies eager to delve deeper into specific areas such as decarbonisation and sustainable finance. The new thematic courses on these two topics will provide businesses with a better understanding of how to decarbonise their operations and access sustainable finance to propel their businesses forward.
In addition to the ESP courses, EnterpriseSG will create thematic and sectoral sustainability playbooks to help businesses understand sector-specific opportunities and key sustainability topics like decarbonisation and sustainability reporting.
EnterpriseSG will create a one-stop website to house resources and information on whole-of-government support measures to make it easier for businesses to access sustainability information and resources. Companies interested in embarking on sustainability projects such as strategy and product development, resource optimisation, and standard adoption can also take advantage of the Enterprise Development Grant, which has been extended until 31 March 2026.
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The Joint Office of the Yiwu Digital Renminbi Pilot Task Force put out the “Plan on Deepening Pilot Work on the Digital Renminbi” during the recently held Yiwu International Trade Market which lists 10 ways to improve the pilot.
Yiwu intends to create a digital renminbi circulation ecosystem with the assistance of various industries. It will accomplish this using its well-developed business and trade environment. The digital renminbi will be able to be used without any problems, which will help create a business environment that is easy, quick, fair, competitive, stable, and clear.
Yiwu trades with more than 230 nations and regions and has more than 2.1 million small and medium-sized businesses. With up to 65% of its buildings facing outward, the city has been called the “World Supermarket,” and there are many ways to pay there.
By the end of 2023, Yiwu hopes to have a 90% coverage rate for offline merchant payment scenarios and a 95% coverage rate for the online platform Chinagoods.
In addition, Zhejiang province intends to build three major platforms for digital renminbi prepaid fund supervision, supply chains, and trade supervision, as well as to develop replicable and scalable commercial application models.
The renminbi (RMB), China’s legal currency, has been transformed into the electronic Chinese yuan (e-CNY), also known as the digital yuan and officially known as the Digital Currency Electronic Payment (DC/EP). It is issued by the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), China’s central bank. It is intended primarily for high-frequency, small-scale retail purchases and transactions.
The e-CNY is part of the country’s monetary base (M0), which means it accounts for a portion of the ‘cash’ in circulation.
According to the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, a government think tank, China’s digital economy is expected to exceed 60 trillion yuan ($8.84 trillion) by 2025.
This year, Shanghai and provinces like Zhejiang, Fujian, and Hebei have made plans for their economic growth. They emphasised the importance of developing the digital economy and called for the creation of blueprints for future industries, such as the metaverse, an immersive virtual world enabled by virtual reality and augmented reality.
Data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology indicates that by the end of 2022, China will have constructed more than 2,3 million 5G base stations and will be able to connect more than 500 million households to a gigabit optical network.
Also, the Ministry said that digital connections for the mobile Internet of Things (IoT) in China reached 1.84 billion in 2022. This made China the first major economy in the world to have more mobile IoT connections than mobile users. The IoT is a network of devices, vehicles, and other objects that are equipped with software or sensors that allow them to connect and exchange data.
Zhao Zhiguo, the Ministry’s spokesman, China’s mobile IoT connections account for 70% of the global total and have covered the 45 major categories of the national economy, while, Wang Zhiqin, Vice President of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, cited that the nation has built a good telecom infrastructure that will serve as a solid foundation for China’s digital economy’s high-quality development.
He added that previously, consumer-oriented internet applications such as e-commerce drove China’s digital economy, but now business-oriented applications such as industrial internet are playing a much larger role. This demonstrates that the digital economic structure has improved.
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The Digital Economy Promotion Agency’s (depa) 6th annual Digital Economy Promotion Leadership Program (Digital CEO) is keen to provide useful digital information across industries and technology to better the nation.
Depa understands that the strength of a country is proportional to its ability to invest in its top executives, both in the public and private sectors. Policy and planning administration in the age of the digital economy will be affected. High-level executives can better assess, synthesise, and apply knowledge to real-world problems and contribute to the future growth of their country if they have the education they need to do so.
As a result, the Digital Economy Promotion Leadership Program (Digital CEO) was launched to foster the next generation of digital leaders and boost the nation’s economic competitiveness. Since its inception in 2018, the Digital Economy Promotion Leadership Program (Digital CEO) has graduated five cohorts’ worth of executives from both the public and commercial sectors.
In the age of the digital economy, the deployment of strategies and plans will be affected by technological developments. Therefore, a top priority is building a more robust network of influential businesspeople who can dissect, examine and repurpose their strategies for the nation’s future.
At a recent iteration, depa shared expertise from some of the most prominent names in Blockchain technology, artificial intelligence, financial technology, digital manufacturing, and up-to-date corporate management.
Topics included Digital Transformation, Digital Innovation, Digital Economy, Digital Society, Smart City and Changes in Technology Application which touched on Blockchain, IoT, AI, Cyber Security, Data Analytics, 5G, the Cloud, and other emerging technologies.
Some key issues included coping in a post-pandemic world and deploying agile organisational transformation strategies to manage challenges that have arisen from COVID-19. Other frontiers in blockchain, FinTech and cryptocurrencies were also explored, as were some areas with great potential in the digital world like gaming, esports and eCommerce.
Business leaders that have completed the Digital Economy Promotion Leadership Program gain new knowledge to be better prepared for the future. They expect to take the lessons learned at the conference and implement them successfully inside their own company.
The Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa) aims to promote and assist industrial development and digital innovation and the Digital Economy Promotion Leadership Programme (Digital CEO) does just that. They recognise to effectively propel the social economy, it is necessary to create and spread awareness of the use of digital technology to better the economy, society, culture, and national security.
Recently, as reported by OpenGov Asia, three provinces in Thailand – Phetchaburi, Chai Nat and Ratchaburi – have been urged to execute the swift implementation of the country’s smart city and digital economy initiatives. The Digital Economy Promotion Agency met with directors and representatives from each region to promote the proposed plans. Initial meetings and planning to promote digital economy regulation and smart city programmes were conducted for the three provinces and are in line with national digital ambitions.
Thailand has also expedited digitalisation in the tourism industry with a 5G use case pilot project in Phuket and had discussions on how to apply digital solutions in the tourism sector over the next ten years. The pilot project aims to use 5G technology to boost decision-making confidence in the tourism industry by providing real-time data.
The high-speed new-generation internet will aid in surveillance and environmental measurement, boosting company confidence domestically and internationally. Puchphong also visited and followed up on the findings of the National Emergency Call Center 191 Phuket, located within Phuket Sandbox Propulsion.
The nation has been supporting initiatives that will help them meet national ambitions. In an exclusive interview with OpenGov Asia, Dr Chris Aurand, Open Innovation Leader at Thai Union Group, PCL, shared the company’s strategies and solutions aimed at addressing gaps in the food sector. He is keen to explore the potential to drive innovation in the food industry while striking a balance between commercial viability, sustainability and health concerns.
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Having robust, effective, and easily accessible healthcare is essential for enhancing the standard of living, achieving better treatment results and increasing lifespan. Tech-enabled progress made in the field of medicine has been a boon, with groundbreaking innovations and discoveries paving the future of healthcare.
The healthcare sector is witnessing a rapid transformation, with the emergence of new technologies that promise to tackle the most pressing global healthcare challenges. MedTech has become increasingly crucial in this context and has opened up a plethora of possibilities for healthcare professionals to advance their skills and knowledge and expand their reach to underserved regions.
The advent of innovative healthcare technology has empowered doctors to provide better care to a greater number of people, irrespective of their geographical location and help prevent and combat emerging diseases effectively.
Technological advancements offer more effective medication, more accurate diagnostics and improved drug delivery systems giving hope for better patient care and prognoses. Integrating healthcare components through technology can also lead to more efficient and accessible healthcare services while lowering costs.
The healthcare industry hugely benefits from technology, which has been the driving force behind the significant progress made thus far. Technology will continue to play a crucial role in catalysing further advancements in healthcare, enabling healthcare professionals to provide better care, develop innovative treatments and improve patient outcomes.
The Impact of Digital Technology on Healthcare
“The outbreak has brought about a significant transformation in the digital healthcare landscape. With social distancing measures in place, teleconsultations have become increasingly prevalent, and patients, as well as healthcare providers, have had to adjust to this new format of healthcare delivery,” Prof Lawrence explains.
While the adoption of teleconsultations has seen a good uptake, other digital systems such as digital identification for tracking hospital entry and exit have encountered hurdles during implementation.
Prof Lawrence has identified the lack of an integrated healthcare ecosystem as a major challenge to the successful implementation of telemedicine. While video consultations are prevalent, the scarcity of examination tools and delays in medication delivery remain major obstacles. The limited access to medical information and the inability to provide detailed explanations or drawings further impede the progress of telemedicine.
Additionally, elderly patients, and other segments of society, may have difficulty using technology. Moreover, telemedicine cannot replicate the nonverbal and emotional aspects of in-person interaction. To overcome these obstacles, he feels, telemedicine in healthcare consultations and visits must be refined and expanded.
Prof Lawrence emphasises the need for the medical industry to evolve and improve its diagnostic and treatment capability. Current diagnostic techniques are limited to the five senses but there is a significant potential to collect more accurate and comprehensive patient data through the integration of sensors and artificial intelligence (AI) technology. This could lead to more precise diagnoses and tailored treatment plans, ultimately improving patient outcomes.
“Telemedicine may have some advantages, such as reduced travel time and longer appointments, but it will only be successful if patients see it as a viable alternative to face-to-face consultations,” Prof Lawrence reiterates. “It is important to have a gradual evolution and improvement in the medical industry, as opposed to dramatic changes driven by hype.”
He believes current medical developments primarily focus on the developers and creators rather than the end-users. This approach needs to be reoriented towards a more user-centric model for future medical development, including its cost-effectiveness.
Systems should be developed that take into account the specific needs and preferences of patients, healthcare providers and other stakeholders. This would ensure that healthcare development is better aligned with the needs and goals of those who will ultimately benefit from it
Academia should be incentivised to look out for interests outside of its own research driven solely by academic interests such as self-serving publications and ranking are no longer practical nor justifiable by public funding. There is a growing consensus that the focus of research should shift towards the development of practical applications.
In addition, he stresses the importance of investors in promoting innovation and addressing gaps within the healthcare ecosystem. He suggests that investors should prioritise addressing population-level issues, rather than focusing solely on niche areas.
As people’s lifespans continue to extend, addressing the requirements of an ageing population has become increasingly critical. It is crucial for startups to thoroughly explore this market and develop innovations specifically tailored to the needs of this demographic.
Drawing on the example of Singapore, which has implemented technology to support its elderly population, he suggests investors consider this increasingly important and growing segment when evaluating potential startups for investment.
“To effectively address the complexity national healthcare poses, a systems approach to problem-solving is necessary, where sustainability and equality take precedence over profits,” advocates Prof Lawrence. “Rather than focusing on building more structures, it is important to prioritise addressing issues of affordability and inequality through technology.”
Urban Ideas and Solutions Through LKYGBPC
The Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition (LKYGBPC), which began in 2001, is a biennial global university start-up competition hosted in Singapore. Organised by Singapore Management University’s Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, focuses on urban ideas and solutions developed by student founders and early-stage start-ups.
Prof Lawrence, who serves as a member of the judging panel, believes assigning mentors to teams based on their area of expertise can offer valuable guidance and support. This is just one of the many initiatives undertaken by the panel to foster, encourage, and sustain the entrepreneurial drive of the LKYGBPC participants.
In his view, when discussing the fundamental contrast between innovation and entrepreneurship, he feels that innovation involves tackling issues with fresh perspectives and novel ways, while entrepreneurship requires both discipline and adaptability in managing growth.
“Many people fail in business because they lack discipline and work independently,” says Prof Lawrence. “Cultivating a larger community of individuals who are adaptable and capable of working as part of a team is critical to entrepreneurship success.”
He considers seeking advice and collaborating with others crucial to surmount obstacles in innovation and entrepreneurship. Innovators should be willing to seek the assistance and counsel of others, particularly those with expertise in areas such as regulation or commercialisation.
People must understand that there are unique challenges at each stage of the process and bringing them to the right people to help solve them is important. Moreover, entrepreneurship demands financial discipline that benefits from the guidance and mentorship of multiple individuals.
Singapore’s drive to remain competitive in the global arena is a case in point. The country, he says, serves as a springboard, connecting people and providing access to other countries. To attract and retain talent and expand into new markets, he recommends leveraging Singapore’s strengths, such as its robust education system and its position as a hub for the Asian ecosystem.
Prof Lawrence co-invented the revolutionary Master and Slave Transluminal Endoscopic Robot (MASTER), which has now been incorporated into Endomaster.
He has mentored three startups in the fields of photonics and medical technology to identify potential failures and early warning signs through his own experiences.
Prof Lawrence has served as co-chair for the Gut & Obesity in Asia (Go Asia) Workgroup, which investigates the correlation between obesity and gastrointestinal and liver ailments in Asia.
In summation, he stresses the importance of perseverance in the face of adversity, as it enables individuals to learn and prepare for future challenges.
“Those who have never failed or struggled in the trenches may not be able to achieve long-term success,” Prof Lawrence concludes.
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Kemajuan teknologi dan sains telah membawa efektivitas dan efisiensi industri kesehatan sehingga bisa menjangkau lebih banyak orang di pelosok wilayah. Kemudahan akses pada layanan perawatan kesehatan ini diharapkan bisa meningkatkan kualitas hidup dan umur warga.
Telemedicine menjadi salah satu perkembangan terbaru di industri ini yang populer imbas pandemi COVID-19. Saat itu, telemedicine berhasil membantu pasien untuk berkonsultasi dengan dokter, melakukan diagnosis, dan pengobatan dari jarak jauh.
Perkembangan kecerdasan buatan (AI) ikut berkontribusi memodernisasi layanan kesehatan. AI berpotensi membantu dokter untuk membuat diagnosis yang lebih cepat dan akurat, memprediksi hasil kesehatan, dan melakukan asistensi rencana perawatan. Layanan berbasis AI seperti chatbots dan asisten virtual, juga bisa dimanfaatkan untuk menjembatani komunikasi layanan kesehatan dengan pasien.
Pengobatan yang efektif, teknik diagnostik yang lebih akurat, dan sistem pemberian obat yang lebih baik diarahkan untuk memperbaiki sistem perawatan, pengobatan, dan prognosis pasien. Selain itu, kemajuan teknologi juga diharapkan bisa mengurangi biaya perawatan kesehatan lantaran operasional yang makin efisien.
Menggali potensi dari celah di teknologi kesehatan
“Jika Anda menggunakan konsultasi video, Anda hanya dapat melihat tapi Anda tidak dapat memeriksa. Tentu saja pemeriksaan adalah hal yang penting. Semestinya kita bisa memiliki kemampuan yang sama serupa dengan pertemuan tatap muka. Menurut saya, alat pengujian untuk melakukan diagnosa masih kurang pada layanan telemedicine,” jelas Lawrence dalam wawancara dengan CEO & Pemimpin Redaksi OpenGov Asia, Mohit Sagar.
Kedua, layanan telemedicine masih harus mematangkan ekosistem pendukung, salah satunya terkait dengan pengantaran obat. Di Singapura, layanan pengantaran obat bisa dikirim dalam satu minggu. Hal ini tentu akan menghambat proses pengobatan ketimbang langsung datang dan diberi obat ketika melakukan kunjungan tatap muka.
Meski demikian, Lawrence menyebut layanan telemedicine masih dilakukan di masa setelah COVID-19 untuk pasien yang kondisinya sudah cukup stabil di rumah. Sementara sebagian besar pasien sudah kembali melakukan kunjungan tatap muka seperti biasa.
Selain itu, penjelasan yang bisa dilakukan lewat telemedicine menurut Lawrence masih terbatas. Ia merasa kesulitan jika harus melakukan penjelasan dengan tambahan gambar yang dengan mudah dilakukan dalam pertemuan tatap muka secara langsung.
Selain itu, ia pun menaruh perhatian pada kesulitan akses teknologi yang dialami oleh pasien lanjut usia. Telemedicine sulit untuk membaca dan menyampaikan aspek nonverbal dan emosional dari interaksi langsung.
Ia menekankan industri medis perlu mengembangkan dan meningkatkan metode untuk mendiagnosis dan merawat pasien. Ia berharap telemedicine bisa mendukung diagnosis dengan memanfaatkan sejumlah panca indera untuk memeriksa gejala. Dalam pertemuan tatap muka, dokter bisa langsung mengukur detak jantung dengan stetoskop, merasakan dengan sentuhan jari, pendengaran, atau diagnosis sensoris lain untuk mendapat data dari pasien. Kesamaan proses diagnosis seperti inilah yang perlu dikembangkan untuk layanan telemedicine ke depan.
Untuk memperbaiki layanan perawatan medis jarak jauh, semua kekurangan itu perlu ditambal. Tambahan sensor, metaverse dan kecerdasan buatan (AI) dapat dimungkinkan untuk melakukan hal ini dan membantu menganalisa data pasien yang lebih akurat dan komprehensif. Ia optimis kemajuan teknologi bisa mengatasi semua kelemahan itu karena saat ini kita sedang berevolusi untuk meningkatkan layanan telemedicine secara bertahap.
Sebagai seorang investor, menurut Lawrence, inovasi itu menjadi pendorong inovasi yang cukup besar. Namun, agar bisa lebih berdampak, menurutnya baik inovator, akademisi, dan startup mesti benar-benar menyentuh permasalahan di akar rumput. Selama ini, penelitian-penelitian yang dilakukan para edukator kurang peka dengan kebutuhan masyarakat. Mereka melupakan mengapa mereka ada di institusi akademis yang semestinya menelurkan solusi bagi masyarakat. Begitupula dengan para investor. Mereka pun mesti memiliki visi untuk melayani dan menyelesaikan masalah di masyarakat terlebih dulu sebelum menajamkan sasaran ke ceruk pasar yang lebih sempit.
LKYGBPC untuk majukan entrepreneurship
Bagi Lawrence, inovasi berangkat dari inisiatif untuk menyelesaikan masalah dan mengeksekusi ide solusi itu dengan kedisiplinan. Disiplin dalam memperbaiki produk, mengelola konsumen, membangun tim dan organisasi, serta mengelola keuangan. Lawrence menganggap kompetisi bisnis internasional seperti LKYGBPC bisa memberikan kesempatan bagi para pebisnis muda untuk melakukan ekspansi pasar ke negara lain.
Prof Lawrence menjadi investor di tiga startup. Pertama adalah Master and Slave Transluminal Endoscopic Robot (MASTER). MASTER kini telah diintegrasikan menjadi Endomaster, startup MedTech yang paling banyak mendapat kucuran dana di Asia pada 2017. Ia pun mendanai startup di bidang fotonik dan bioteknologi yang mengembangkan peringatan dini dibidang kesehatan.
Berdasarkan pengalaman memiliki tiga startup teknologi kesehatan, Lawrance menyarankan agar startup perlu fleksibel dan membuka diri. Mereka mesti bersedia menerima masukan dari konsumen, tim, dan mereka yang lebih ahli. “Saya merasa bahwa beberapa inovator sangat protektif terhadap produk mereka sendiri, mereka pikir ini adalah bayi mereka.”
Sebab, dari berbagai masukan itu, founder dan tim bisa memetakan dengan cepat berbagai tantangan yang mungkin mereka hadapi di sepanjang jalan. Setelah itu, mereka mesti menemukan orang yang tepat untuk memecahkan tantangan tersebut.
Mereka pun harus berjuang untuk mewujudkan apa yang mereka janjikan dari konsep yang diajukan. Menurut Lawrence, beberapa orang lebih jago menuliskan ide mereka di kertas dan Power Point ketimbang terjun langsung ke lapangan.
“Para pejuang kertas dan Power Point sangat sulit untuk berhasil. Anda harus benar-benar melakukannya hingga berdarah-darah, hingga Anda menguasai dan memenangkan pertempuran,” tegasnya.
Tantangan berikutnya untuk startup kesehatan adalah soal regulasi. Startup perlu menemukan ahli untuk membantu merancang uji klinis agar lolos berbagai uji klinis dan regulasi.
Tantangan yang terakhir adalah masalah komersialisasi produk. Bagaimana menghasilkan pendapatan dari produk yang akan dijual.
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The Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and an online delivery company have formed a three-year partnership to provide students with the digital skills they will need in the future. This collaboration, which is part of SUTD and Ecole 42’s collaboration programme, will give SUTD’s 42 Singapore students access to the online delivery firm’s mentorship and internship opportunities, with the goal of providing tech talent with a launchpad to enter the tech industry once they graduate.
This collaboration is part of the online delivery firm’s PowerUp! Tech Academy, which includes programmes and partnerships to expand the tech talent pool and strengthen the tech ecosystem.
With a SG$600,000 contribution to SUTD’s 42 Singapore programme, the company reaffirmed its commitment to the partnership. This is Singapore’s first tuition-free, no-instructor programme. The funds will be allocated over a three-year period, from 2022 to 2024, and will be used to organise skill-development initiatives such as workshops and events.
According to the SUTD provost, Professor Phoon Kok Kwang, as Singapore strives to realise the full potential of its digital economy, they are eager to collaborate with the online delivery company. Their timely support and collaboration with 42 Singapore programmes enable SUTD to provide a transformative digital skills development path for future tech talent.
SUTD’s mission is to equip and continuously shape socially conscious, adaptable, and responsible talent who will have rewarding careers and catalyse positive change in a world that is rapidly changing.
By bringing together students with aspirations and mentors who share the same passion, the company is committed to creating an inclusive tech ecosystem that they believe will help drive and advance digitalisation not only in Singapore but throughout Asia.
Recent research indicates that Singapore’s Internet economy has the potential to increase by 19% and reach USD 22 billion by 2025, with the highest proportion of digital consumers in the region. Therefore, merchants are more likely to expand their use of digital services.
Therefore, this partnership is essential for the development of a robust tech talent pipeline to support the imminent expansion of Singapore’s digital economy. The three-year partnership encompasses the following:
- Internship opportunities: The online delivery firm will offer 42 Singaporean students internship opportunities in its tech teams over the course of three years. This will allow aspiring talent to gain professional working experience within a world-class technology team and learn how to apply their knowledge to real-world scenarios.
- Mentorship programmes: Students will be able to enrol in the online delivery firm’s mentorship programme, which will provide them with direct access to the tech team’s resources and executives. The firm’s one-on-one interactions with senior leaders aim to not only equip them with the necessary digital skills but also to inspire talent.
- Employment opportunities: The online delivery firm will give those who finish the programme first consideration for jobs if there are any that match their qualifications. This makes it possible for the firm to grow its community and give the next generation the technical skills that will be valuable in a world that is becoming more digital.
- Industry guidance: A Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the online delivery firm will join the Advisory Board of 42 Singapore, offering advice on key industry trends and advocating for other businesses to support the programme. His direction will also ensure that SUTD’s programmes are relevant and valuable to students and the broader tech community.
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The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has formed a strategic partnership with a venture capital investment company to promote the integration of the university’s scientific research with innovative industries. The collaboration’s main objective is to support PolyU research teams and start-ups with high potential, while also advancing the practical application of scientific research and the commercialisation of technology. The partnership is expected to contribute to the innovation and technology (I&T) development of Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area.
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was witnessed by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry; the President of PolyU; and the Founding Partner of a global private equity firm. The Executive Vice President of PolyU and a partner at the global private equity firm signed the MoU.
During the same event, the Innovation & Investment Connect Panel Session was conducted. It gathered industry leaders and I&T stakeholders to participate in a stimulating panel discussion titled “How to facilitate research commercialisation from policymaker and investor perspectives.”
The panellists deliberated on the opportunities and challenges associated with the commercialisation of scientific research. Furthermore, two parallel thematic sessions were organised, where PolyU scholars and representatives from six investees at the venture capital investment company engaged in roundtable discussions on biomedical and sustainable innovation. The discussions highlighted the opportunities in the biomedical innovation ecosystem in Hong Kong, as well as the development trends in clean energy technologies and related industries.
According to the Hong Kong Innovation Activities Statistics 2021, Innovation plays a crucial role in promoting economic growth and development. It encompasses not only research and development (R&D) but also product and business process innovation, which are vital in enhancing competitiveness and business performance.
The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) has been gathering various statistical indicators to measure the progress of innovation activities in Hong Kong. Among these indicators, the most significant ones are related to R&D activities.
Hong Kong’s gross domestic expenditure on research and development (GERD) in 2021, which includes total spending on in-house R&D activities performed locally in the business, higher education, and government sectors (including public technology support organisations), amounted to HK$27,827 million. This represents a 5% increase compared to 2020. During the same period, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased by 7%. The GERD to GDP ratio slightly decreased from 0.99% in 2020 to 0.97% in 2021.
In recent years, the total spending on in-house R&D activities in the higher education sector has been consistently increasing. In 2021, the total expenditure on such activities in the higher education sector amounted to HK$14,735 million, representing a 4% increase compared to 2020.
On the other hand, the total expenditure on in-house R&D activities in the government sector, which mainly includes public technology support organisations, was HK$1,392 million in 2021, showing a 1% increase when compared with 2020.
The majority of in-house R&D activities in the business sector were focused on information technology and engineering technology. Specifically, computer software technology, information system and technology, and electrical and electronics engineering technology areas accounted for 21%, 17%, and 16% of the total expenditure on in-house R&D activities in the business sector, respectively.
Rather than being a significant performer of R&D activities, the government primarily serves a facilitative role in driving the economy’s technology and innovation advancement. This is achieved through the provision of funding support and technological infrastructure.
In 2021, the government sector, which primarily includes public technology support organisations, spent a total of HK$1,392 million on R&D activities. This amount represents a 1% increase compared to 2020. Additionally, the ratio of this expenditure to GDP remained the same at 0.05% in 2021.