Heat exchangers are used to improve the efficiency of heating and cooling systems in domestic and industrial applications and can be found in heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC) equipment, as well as chemical, oil and gas, and power plants, among others. Depending on the device and application, different types of heat exchanges are used. For example, heat sinks in laptops prevent overheating, heat pumps keep refrigerators cool and heat pipes of different size and configurations are used from laptops to commercial centralised air-conditioning systems.

More than two billion people lack access to clean and safe drinking water. Factors like water scarcity, urbanisation and climate change also continue to add pressures on the demand for water which is expected to grow.

Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS) are positioning technologies that identify and track the location of assets or people at any given time. These automated solutions reduce the need for manual tracking and make daily operations, such as inventory management and personnel tracking, more efficient. However, depending on the technologies deployed, there may be different requirements with regard to accuracy and range.

Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is a complicated process of removing large or complex kidney stones and typically carried out by senior surgeons. With the Percutaneous Access to Kidney Assist Device (PAKAD), an innovation developed by the team at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), the surgery is set to become simpler, safer and shorter. The device uses precision engineering mechanisms to align the needle with the target, ensuring higher accuracy and reducing the risk of surgery complications and recovery periods.

There is a growing demand for point-of-care testing or bedside testing in the last few decades. It provides convenience to the patient and quicker results to the healthcare providers for faster clinical management decisions. The challenge is to keep it affordable and accessible.

With increased recognition of the environmental impact and the potential loss in value of the by-products from aquatic wastes, such as frog and fish, which have been traditionally discarded, researchers are increasingly looking at how to recover biomaterials such as collagen and develop them into high value-added products for various applications in the medical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries.

Technology has opened new possibilities for fashion brands, enabling designers to incorporate new features in their apparel and accessories. Goodvine Pte Ltd (Goodvine), a local manufacturer of leather products marketed under the brand name Tocco Toscano, was interested to work with a Singapore-based technology partner to integrate wearable technologies into its new line of bags.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones are becoming more popular for both recreational and commercial purposes. Due to the limitations of current lithium batteries, manufacturers are looking for alternative power solutions to keep drones in the air longer and reduce the inconvenience of recharging or changing batteries shortly after a flight. 

A smart lock has a variety of applications, such as providing a convenient and seamless service for home owners and renters in the home sharing economy, or to secure and remotely track goods in the logistics industry. We Are Perspective (WAP) is an industrial design consultancy and hardware incubator based in Singapore and headquartered in the Netherlands. They approached IPI during its flagship technology-industry brokerage event TechInnovation in 2015, and sought IPI’s support in identifying a smart lock solutions provider.

Dysphagia refers to swallowing difficulty. While it can affect anyone, it is more common in the elderly and patients who have had a stroke. Singapore nutrition SME, Health Food Matters (HFM), was keen to partner a local technology partner to develop texture-modified meals in local flavours so as to meet the growing market demand.