Collaboration can bring about solutions that cannot be produced in-house alone. The real challenge often lies in finding the right partner with the right competencies. Mase International Marketing Services, a leading distributor of cosmetics and toiletries in Asia, had previously found a partner via IPI’s network to develop a novel dye ingredient for a new range of hair dye products that limits hair damage and retains colour for a longer period.

The “last mile” problem in logistics refers to the last leg in the delivery of a product from supplier to customer. It is often the least efficient link in the supply chain. For local third-party logistics company, Courex Pte Ltd, which supports retailers in their logistics operations, it saw opportunities to use technology to improve its operations in this final crucial stage to overcome challenges in delivering goods in dense urban cities.  

Established in 1976, Mase International Marketing Services started off as a distributor of hair colour products. Over the years, the company has grown to become a leading distributor of cosmetics and toiletries products in Asia. Mase places great emphasis on innovation in Research & Development (R&D) in its hair products and is the only Singapore SME in this field with an R&D facility focusing primarily on hair dyes and hair growth formulations.

HVS Engineering Pte Ltd is a local enterprise that provides automated maintenance solutions for heat exchanger systems in heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) industries. The current patented HVS Automatic Brush Ball Cleaning System is a self-contained cleaning system which utilises design-specific resilient brush balls circulating within part of the heat exchange system to clean fouling at the initial stage of formation.

The GoodWater Company Pte Ltd is a local environmental and social solutions integrator with the aim of improving the quality of lives of the Bottom of the Pyramid (BoP) segment, i.e. the poorest groups of the world’s population living in Asia. One of their efforts is geared towards helping these communities gain access to safe drinking water by offering simple and affordable water treatment solutions. It was on the lookout for a technology partner to develop a solution for removing arsenic in groundwater. 

Kim Eng Seng Machinery Pte Ltd is a local SME that designs, manufactures, repairs, leases and sells ISO container transport trailers.  As part of their drive towards improving productivity, the management of the company decided to explore the use of technology to improve their workflow and raise its productivity. 

VolitionRx Ltd is a Singapore-registered life sciences company that develops novel, early diagnostic tests for cancer and other conditions. Its patented technology is based on the identification and quantification of increased presence of specific nucleosomes that are released into the bloodstream or other bodily fluids, as a result of cell death associated with certain diseases including cancer.

V3 Teletech is a homegrown SME that specialises in Location-Based Services & Applications and Intelligent Transport System. It developed the first Machine-to-Machine (M2M) Telematics Platform in Singapore that allows enterprises to use telematics & real time data to optimise & manage scarce resources. Over the past 12 years, it has established itself as a leading provider of innovative mobility solutions and technology in the region. 

Wangi Industrial is one of the pioneers and value providers of high-quality surface finishing, technical glass, precision optics and optical thin-film coating solutions.

A firm believer of the need to constantly innovate, Mr Chew Ker Yee, Vice-President of Wangi, always seeks to collaborate with customers and machines suppliers to develop new products. However, working with these groups sometimes do not yield the desired outcomes.

Matex International is a home grown SGX-Main board listed Specialty Chemicals Company that makes, formulates and distributes its products and services across various industries globally. 

As a forward looking SME that believes in commercially viable research and development (R&D), it aims to translate these efforts to become a world leader in clean colour science technologies and solutions.