R&D projects receive S$5 million boost

By SMBWorld Asia Editors | Sep 8, 2010

0 comments

 

 

 

Digg

 Email

Print

Seven local high tech companies who have embarked on innovative R&D projects in conjunction with partner companies from Israel have received S$5 million worth of funding from the Singapore-Israel Industrial R&D Foundation (SIIRD).

The SIIRD is a collaborative endeavour between the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and the Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS) in Israel to promote, facilitate and support joint industrial R&D projects between companies from both countries.

This latest funding follows SIIRD’s investment in four groundbreaking R&D projects earlier this year.  Encompassing a diverse range of industries, these complex projects involve innovative and pioneering technological advancements which are set to revolutionise their respective sectors.

Renewable energy
Leading the pack in renewable energy is a local firm NanoMaterials Technology Pte Ltd (NMT) and Cima Nanotech, Inc. (CNT), which are leveraging their joint expertise in the field of nanotechnology to create an improved transparent conductive material for use in solar cells.

By incorporating CNT’s new Self Aligning Nano Technology for Electronics (SANTETM) silver emulsion technology with NMT’s Zinc Oxide based nanoparticles, the conductivity and transparency of the nanomaterial based coatings will be significantly improved — resulting in the optimization of overall solar cell efficiency. 

Pharmaceuticals
In another project, Singapore-based nutraceutical company AP Nutripharm Pte Ltd, and Leorex Ltd (Israel), which develops derma-cosmetic products, are partnering to develop a new range of whitening, healing and anti-aging cosmetics which tap the whitening and healing benefits of Cordyceps and Ganoderma — these medicinal fungi are known to be rich in minerals, amino acids and organic acids.  Leorex’s nano-material based structures will be specifically designed to delay the decomposition of these ingredients and release them slowly into the skin.

Online learning
With online learning already an integral part of Singapore’s education system, MC Online Pte Ltd, one of the largest e-Learning solution providers in Singapore and a subsidiary of Times Publishing Group, and Ginger Software Ltd, a leading Israeli contextual spell and grammar checker, are jointly developing an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Automated Text Correction and Learning Assistance programme.