Unleashing the power of community to nurture innovations in sustainability

New ideas and partnerships emerged as SMU, A*STAR Global Network and Temasek Trust joined forces to advance sustainability at the second Platinum Fireside Chat at SMU's Greenhouse.

By the SMU Corporate Communications team

04 Sep 2024

The Singapore Management University (SMU) plans to work with partners on a sustainability-related accelerator next year to help high-potential technopreneurs scale and expand across the region. In addition, SMU is exploring an interdisciplinary training programme to place professionals and postgraduates with STEM backgrounds in sectors related to sustainability and liveability.

SMU President Professor Lily Kong shared this news when she opened the second A*STAR Global Network (AGN) Platinum Fireside Chat, held at The Greenhouse on 6 August, which featured keynote speaker Mr Desmond Kuek, the CEO of Temasek Trust, the philanthropic arm of Temasek Foundation.

The Fireside Chat is a high-level series of discussions co-organised by SMU and AGN, specifically designed to bring together corporate leaders, thought leaders, and A*STAR alumni. It fosters collaboration between the academic and research community, and industry, to generate dialogue and share perspectives on tackling pressing global challenges.

Valued partnerships for new ideas

With these initiatives, SMU aims to create a flywheel of innovation, investment, and growth, said Prof Kong. "This will foster talent and capital development within Singapore's sustainability start-up ecosystem. However, we cannot do it alone. We have started discussions and would love to have both A*STAR and Temasek on board to be a part of this self-reinforcing cycle," she observed, adding that as SMU is in the vibrant city district and is well-positioned to connect with others.

Mr Frederick Chew, Chief Executive Officer of A*STAR, echoed Prof Kong's call for collaboration. He said, "At A*STAR, in our strong partnership with SMU, we believe in building a triple-helix community between government, academia and the private sector to catapult our innovation ecosystem to the next level."

As she welcomed Mr Kuek to the fireside chat, Prof Kong said there is much to learn from Temasek Trust, the philanthropic arm of Temasek Holdings. She said, "Temasek Trust is a steward of philanthropic assets, an advocate of sustainability and catalyst of positive impact and it has done important work in advancing sustainability by building a vibrant and impactful philanthropic ecosystem."

"It is timely that we have gathered in this space aptly called the Greenhouse, to seed new ideas on how we can take collective responsibility to care for our planet and humanity," she added.

Joining hands to address humanity's most urgent challenge

SMU is in like-minded company as sustainability has had a central role in the University's strategic plan. Since the University unveiled a comprehensive blueprint in 2022 which guides SMU towards becoming a model for sustainable city living, sustainability is embedded in all aspects of life at the University.

SMU has carved out an integral role in the business of nurturing start-ups in the sustainability space. Under the SMU Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship's (IIE) incubation programme, the Business Innovations Generator (BIG), nearly 20 per cent of the start-ups in recent cohorts have focused on sustainability.

IIE also organises the flagship Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition. At the 11th edition of the biannual start-up competition held last year, sustainability featured strongly. From a field of 1,000 applications from top universities around the world, 35 per cent of these were in the area of sustainability.

Leveraging partnerships for global impact

Mr Kuek, known for being a leading advocate for collaborative philanthropy and innovative financing, also shared his thoughts on sustainability at the Fireside Chat. In his keynote address, titled 'Building Better for Every Generation' which was moderated by President of AGN, Mr Ng Choon Peng, Mr Kuek spoke about collaboration as one of the solutions to what he felt were the five most pressing sustainability challenges the world is facing.

In his view, they are climate change, species extinction, the gap between lifespan and healthspan, the threat of pandemics, and income disparity.

He emphasised the importance of finding the right partners to address these issues, highlighting Temasek Trust's initiatives, such as Co-Axis, a digital platform connecting funders with early-stage sustainability projects, and Amplifier, a mentoring programme for high-impact innovators.

Having the right partners is important to achieve the right outcomes, he added, noting that it is a question of stewardship to ensure the next generations enjoy a world better than the one we had inherited. The audience at the fireside chat, he commented, is one that can think about building a higher order of sustainability, liveability, and the quality of air, water and land for everyone.

From ideas to the marketplace

After Mr Kuek's keynote speech, guests were treated to a showcase of innovations in sustainability, by start-ups supported by both A*STAR and SMU. The start-ups from SMU included Alterpacks, Magorium, WeavAir, MOYA Analytics, Xinterra, and EDW Bioleather.

These ran the gamut from environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting and analytics, to platforms for the direct measurement, reporting and verification of greenhouse gas emissions.

Indeed, for SMU-incubated start-ups, the fireside chat offered a valuable networking opportunity. Ms Oh Shu Xian, the Head of Business Development and Impact at Magorium - which converts contaminated and unsorted plastic into a new road construction material, said, "It's not easy to get to meet people at the management level, and such an event is a very valuable opportunity for us." Ms Oh graduated from SMU with a BBM in 2023.

Ms Karen Cheah, the founder and CEO of Alterpacks, got to pitch her product - packaging material that is created out of organic waste - to a rapt audience.

Said Ms Cheah, who had graduated from SMU with an MSc in Innovation in 2019, "The entrepreneurial journey can be a very lonely one. The best value that such an event offers is very targeted networking which is crucial in helping us to connect to the right people." Her start-up was also incubated under BIG.

Mr Kuek, who like Prof Kong is personally motivated by the sustainability mission, shared that he also enjoyed meeting the founders and appreciated the innovations.

He said, "I was impressed with the many sustainability start-ups exhibited onsite and am as excited as the founders themselves about the opportunities for scalable impact that their inventions can bring to society and the environment."