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.

David Tan and his team mulled over their revenue for the first quarter of 2020, the lowest in their more than 45 years of business, through a virtual meeting at the start of Singapore’s circuit breaker in April. It seemed like there was no end in sight for the raging COVID-19 pandemic in both local and overseas markets as food operations slowed down tremendously, recalled Par International Holdings’ CEO.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Molecular diagnostics is used to measure and detect the presence of genetic material associated with specific diseases, and applied as a tool by healthcare professionals and patients to improve clinical outcomes and medical decisions. Asia Genomics, a Singapore-based molecular diagnostics company specialising in clinical genomics in areas relating to genetic diseases was seeking to advance its in-house capabilities and know-how particularly in cancer diagnostics.

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.