Many enterprises today understand that innovation is critical to business success. While larger organisations may have the research and development resources to support their product development needs, smaller enterprises often find it a struggle to manage innovation challenges that require in-depth technical knowledge.
Home-grown automotive grooming and detailing service provider Artdeshine faced a similar predicament a year ago. Its founder Alfred Yow was looking for a technical expert with the necessary technical expertise and facilities to optimise the company’s formulation of its car care products and testing process. Artdeshine created its in-house range of car care products in 2003 to complement the automotive detailing service it offers.
Artdeshine posted their concerns on IPI’s TechExpert portal. Recognising that the New Materials Technology Centre (NMTC), established in Republic Polytechnic’s (RP) School of Applied Science, had extensive research in materials innovation such as coating formulation, IPI introduced RP to them.
An agreement in the form of a consultancy project was signed between RP and Artdeshine in June 2019 to study and to enhance their in-house formulation of its car products and testing process.
The collaboration involved Artdeshine working closely with RP lecturers, Dr Gabriel Lee and Foo Kay Yang, to tap on their capabilities in advanced materials development.
“Through the TechExpert matching project facilitated by IPI, Artdeshine has gained new technical knowledge from the RP experts to enhance our in-house processes,” said Yow.
He shared, “We need to innovate and explore new ways to improve our existing products and processes and also create new ones that serve our market segment. In the long run, this serves to differentiate ourselves from our competitors.”
The successful outcome from the first project has also led to another collaboration between Artdeshine and RP. “We are exploring new opportunities to optimise our coating formulation for increased performance,” added Yow.
For many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), innovation is essential for maintaining competitiveness, but limited resources and technical expertise can make it difficult to address complex product development challenges. Artdeshine, a home-grown automotive grooming and detailing service provider, found itself in this position as it sought to optimise the formulation and testing processes for its in-house car care products. Despite having developed its own product range since 2003, Artdeshine recognised that further improvements required specialised knowledge in materials science and access to advanced research facilities. The company’s founder, Alfred Yow, was specifically looking for technical experts who could help elevate their formulations and streamline their testing protocols. Without in-depth technical support, Artdeshine risked falling behind competitors and missing opportunities to differentiate its offerings in a crowded market. The challenge was not only to enhance existing products but also to innovate and create new solutions that would better serve their market segment. This required a strategic approach to sourcing external expertise and building the right partnerships to drive sustainable growth.
IPI Singapore facilitated a connection between Artdeshine and the New Materials Technology Centre (NMTC) at Republic Polytechnic (RP) through its TechExpert portal, enabling Artdeshine to access advanced technical expertise and research capabilities. Recognising the alignment between Artdeshine’s needs and NMTC’s strengths in materials innovation and coating formulation, IPI introduced RP as a valuable partner for the company’s innovation journey. Following IPI’s introduction, Artdeshine and RP formalised their collaboration with a consultancy agreement in June 2019. The project involved Artdeshine working closely with RP lecturers, Dr Gabriel Lee and Foo Kay Yang, to leverage their knowledge in advanced materials development. Together, they focused on studying and enhancing Artdeshine’s in-house product formulations and testing processes, enabling the company to gain new technical knowledge and improve its innovation capabilities. The partnership not only addressed immediate technical challenges but also laid the groundwork for ongoing collaboration, with both parties exploring further opportunities to optimise product performance and develop new solutions for the automotive care market.
"Through the TechExpert matching project facilitated by IPI, Artdeshine has gained new technical knowledge from the RP experts to enhance our in-house processes."
"We need to innovate and explore new ways to improve our existing products and processes and also create new ones that serve our market segment. In the long run, this serves to differentiate ourselves from our competitors."
"We are exploring new opportunities to optimise our coating formulation for increased performance."
Founded in 2003, Artdeshine is a Singapore-based automotive grooming and detailing service provider. The company developed its own range of car care products to complement its detailing services, focusing on delivering high-quality solutions for automotive enthusiasts and professionals.