Generating value through innovation
Amid one of the worst downturns in aviation history, IPI Innovation Advisor Derek Sharples helped CW Aero Services to implement new business strategies, restructure internal processes and emerge stronger.

As borders closed to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus in 2020, the aviation industry saw one of its worst years yet. Global passenger traffic plunged by 66 percent and demand for air cargo slumped, with airlines from the Asia-Pacific region harder hit compared with their Western counterparts.

MooVita and Sioux Technologies are exploring ways to improve communications between autonomous vehicles and passengers. Brought together by IPI, they aim to help Singapore become a smart nation.

A box-like vehicle revs its engine as an elderly passenger announces his destination to a large screen on the dashboard. He then settles into his seat and enjoys the journey as the self-driving car navigates itself on the roads.

As consumers are increasingly more mindful about what they are putting on their skin, personal care and pharmaceutical companies have been actively innovating through various technologies to meet consumers’ skincare needs and stay ahead of the game. JAH Tech, a local start-up that manages private companies’ deep tech research and its applications in our everyday environment, is no different.

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.

When a Singapore company that distributes smart waste bins met a Finnish firm that produces wall robots that clean building exteriors at a technology matching event co-organised by IPI and the Helsinki Business Hub, the two were drawn to each other. Their focus on smart products meant they could collaborate on research and innovation.

If you were to consume a conventional Vitamin C pill, it would disintegrate as soon as it is swallowed, releasing all the Vitamin C at once. In contrast, a controlled-release pill would gradually release the same content, providing sustained absorption throughout the day. Now picture this pill, a hundred times larger in size, treating the environment. This is what Hydroemission, a Singapore-based materials science company, is developing and manufacturing.

Many of us are familiar with navigation using Global Positioning System (GPS), however GPS does not work indoors. On the other hand, bluetooth technology provides an alternative means for indoor positioning and indoor navigation.

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.