HYPER INTERDISCIPLINARY CONFERENCE in Singapore 2024

Conference Theme: Nexus of Knowledge Spheres: Rise of New Resources for Singapore

Day & Time: 27 Jan 2024, 9.45am to 5.30pm

Place: National University of Singapore, College of Design and EngineeringAccess

27th Jan

HIC Singapore 2024 is set to explore a pivotal theme: Navigating Singapore's Next Leap Forward. This year's focus zeroes in on the need to augment our resources by extending our horizons beyond national and sectoral boundaries. While the spirit of community and venture building is growing within the country, the path to effective cross- border and cross-sector collaboration presents a new challenge. While the spirit of community and venture building is growing within the country, the path to effective cross- border and cross-sector collaboration presents a complex yet exciting frontier.

In this conference, we dive into transforming Singapore into a knowledge nexus and innovation hub. We will explore how we can effectively combine expertise from diverse domains and showcase how corporations are leading the way, creating impactful projects in collaboration with researchers, frontliners, and key stakeholders. frontliners, and key stakeholders.

Calling for participants

In the Hyper Interdisciplinary Conference, researchers, faculty, and students from academia can join the conference physically, and free of charge. For interested participants outside of academia, please contact us.

Registration for Audience

Registration for Splash/Poster presenters

Click here for directions to the venue.

27th Jan

27th Jan (Sat) 09:45-17:30

Timing	Event Description
09:45-10:00	Opening Ceremony
10:00-11:00	Session 1: Ideation to Reality. Knowledge in Prototyping & Production *
11:00-12:00	HIC Splash: Into the Light. Discovering SG Research
12:00-13:00	Poster Session & Lunch Break
13:00-14:00	Keynote Session: Singapore as a Knowledge Hub: Uncovering New Resources in the Garden City *
14:00-15:00	HIC Splash: Into the Light. Discovering Japanese Technology
15:00-16:00	Poster Session & Tea Break
16:00-17:00	Session 2: Harvesting Innovation: Bridging the Plate Gap *
17:00-17:30	Closing Remarks and Networking
*All panel sessions will be 45mins with a 15mins break after.

13:00-14:00

NUS, LT7A

Keynote Session: Singapore as Knowledge Hub. Uncovering New Resources in the Garden City

This session looks at how Singapore can continue to be at the forefront of innovative R&D given its small size, population and zero natural resources. Singapore is home to some of the top world-class universities and research laboratories that serve as the basis on which deep tech ecosystems are built upon and flourish. Despite the progress, challenges such as R&D being developed in silo and predicting the future global trends in research remain. Despite the progress, challenges such as R&D being developed in silo and predicting the future global trends in research remain. Overcoming them through hyper interdisciplinary mindset and collaborations may be key for the city-state to remain at the forefront of research and innovation. innovation.

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Keynote Speaker & Panelist

PROFESSOR HANG CHANG CHIEH

Founding Executive Director

Professor in Dept of Electrical & Computer Engineering, NUS

Professor Hang Chang Chieh received the Ph.D degree in Control Engineering from the University of Warwick, England, in 1973. Over the course of his career, he has been in many notable positions such as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the National University of Singapore and the Executive Deputy Chairman of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).

Prof Hang received the 1998 Public Administration Medal (Gold) for his leadership and contributions in the university, and the 2000 National Science & Technology Medal for his leadership and contributions to science and technology development in Singapore. He served as the founding Deputy Chairman of the National Science and Technology Board (predecessor of A*STR). He served as the founding Deputy Chairman of the National Science and Technology Board (predecessor of A*STAR) from 1991 to 1999, and the founding Chairman of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) from 2001 to 2009. , he serves as non-executive Chairman of 3 high-tech companies and as a board member of a listed company in Singapore.

Panelist

MR. LUKE TAY

Founder, Cornucopia FutureScapes

Mr. Tay leads a Singapore-based, globally oriented foresight and strategy practice with a focus on food security, sustainability, technology, geopolitics, urban and national development, and cross-stakeholder international collaboration. geopolitics, urban and national development, and cross-stakeholder international collaboration.

An international futurist and agrifood investor, he advises corporates, startups, institutions, governments, and international organisations, and supporting foresight capability development, future-ready strategic transformation, and new agrifood and sustainability initiatives. topics include food system resilience and supply chains, ESG, carbon markets, environmental citizenship, countering misinformation.

Before founding Cornucopia, Mr. Tay served for two decades in leadership and management roles in the agrifood and transport spheres of the Singapore public service.

A historian and political scientist, Mr. Tay graduated summa cum laude (BA, MA) from the University of Pennsylvania.

Panelist

DR. CHEN ZHI XIONG

Associate Professor, Assistant Dean (Education) NUS Medicine

Associate Professor Chen is the Assistant Dean (Education) of NUS Medicine. A/P Chen is Principal Investigator of Neurodevelopment and A/P Chen is Principal Investigator of Neurodevelopment and Cancer Laboratory at NUS Centre for Cancer Research and Joint Scientist of KK Women's and Children's Hospital. Involved in the education of medical, dental, pharmacy and life sciences students, A/P Chen is exploring ways to broaden health professions education and promote trans-disciplinary learning with specific interests in the role of medical sciences in health professions practice, faculty development, student affairs and medical education technology. affairs and medical education technology.

Moderator

DR. KIHOKO TOKUE

Managing Director, Leave a Nest Singapore

Dr. Tokue is Managing Director of Leave a Nest Singapore, and Founder of Leave a Nest Malaysia. She was born in Tokyo but raised in Southeast Asia, studied a bachelor's degree in America and then moved to Australia for a Master's and PhD degree carrying out fieldwork. Currently she is creating a platform in ASEAN to nurture the next generation of innovators and startups, involving business development partners from industry. dream is to one day bring a change to a world with advancement of science and technology and with true understanding and appreciation for nature.

Session Release

10:00-11:00

NUS, LT7A

Session 1: Ideation to Reality: Knowledge in Prototyping & Production

This session explores the necessary knowledge and processes for transforming research into innovation, from Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to precise It delves into the art of translating ideas and blueprints into innovations that will benefit society in the future, and value adding by understanding the intent and design behind these innovations. It delves into the art of translating ideas and blueprints into innovations that will benefit society in the future, and value adding by understanding the intent and design behind these innovations.

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Guest Speaker

DR. JOE INOUE

Representative Diretor CCO, Leave a Nest

Currently, he is the Professor of Currently, he is the Professor of advanced pharmaceutical sciences at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Kumamoto University and a Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Apart from his accolades in the pharmaceutical sciences, he is also involved with the Japanese government in the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry. In addition, he is also a Visiting Professor at Musashino University Faculty of Entrepreneurship and took up the role as an advisor. In addition, he is also a Visiting Professor at Musashino University Faculty of Entrepreneurship and took up the role as an advisor to numerous companies such as Humanome, Metagen, Cyding, BIOTA.

Panelist

DR. HO CHAW SING

Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster (NAMIC)

Dr. Ho is the CEO of NAMIC, a national accelerator he co-founded that focuses on translational research to catalyse and scale industrial adoption of In this role, he overseas Singapore's development and implementation of additive manufacturing (AM) Research Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) strategies. Before joining the public sector, he spent 16 years at HP and Globalfoundries. Chaw Sing is an ASTM International board member and serves as an Adjunct Professor at NUS College of Design and Engineering. Active in the deep-tech ventures and AM community, he oversees the Chair's Advisory Group in ISO's AM standards committee as well as Singapore He is an advisor to a number of startups and R&D organizations including the Campus for Research Excellence and He is an advisor to a number of startups and R&D organizations including the Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise under the National Research Foundation and Singapore Maritime Institute, among others. He earned his doctorate and undergraduate degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering from NUS.

Panelist

DR. SUDARSHAN ANANTHARAMAN

Senior Manager, MVP Studio Technology Transfer and Innovation NUS Enterprise

A Physicist with more than 20 years of experience in R&D, Product Development and Project Management, working for MNCs in Consumer Electronics (Sony) and Environment & Human Health industries (Perkin Elmer) and Contract Manufacturing (Flex). and Environment & Human Health industries (Perkin Elmer) and Contract Manufacturing (Flex). Currently with the Technology Transfer and Innovation department of NUS Enterprise as part of MVP Studio, working with NUS startups to help build their Minimum Viable Product (MVP). During the past 5 years, he has mentored and participated in design and development of prototypes for 25 GRIP teams.

Panelist

MR. RISHAB PATWARI

CEO and Co-Founder, Hivebotics

A computer engineer by training, Rishab is the co-founder and CEO of Hivebotics, an autonomous robotic cleaning start-up using robots to perform essential but menial cleaning jobs. Their flagship robot, Abluo, aims to mitigate the labour crisis in the cleaning industry and improve the quality of the Abluo is being prepared for public testing and commercial launch later this year. Abluo is being prepared for public testing and commercial launch later this year.

Moderator

DR. RYUTA TAKEDA

Director, Center for National Policy Research, Leave a Nest

Ryuta Takeda received Ph.D. from The Ohio State University, and trained as a pure scientist in a biotech field. After joining Leave a Nest, he initiated the ASEAN largest Deeptech entrepreneur platform "TECH PLANTER" in Japan, and managed to spread it to 10 countries to explore In USA, from 2016-2019, he held TECH PLANTER in Silicon Valley and Boston. businesses in Leave a Nest, he also developed a lot of international PoCs and collaborative researches between MNC and startup and different startups, so He also developed a lot of international PoCs and collaborative researches between MNC and startup and different startups, so called international co-creation activities.

Session Release

14:00-15:00

NUS, LT7A

HIC Splash: Into the Light. Discovering Japanese Technology

This session showcases the visionary startups selected by Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) Yokohama that would be potentially most These startups will do a short pitch about their technology and innovation.

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Kaman

Founded Kaman Inc. in November 2020, dedicated to fostering a regionally circular economy. Currently spearheading the launch of Megloo, a community-oriented shared reuse container service aiming to reduce disposable takeout containers. This initiative was selected as the first domestic project in Japan by the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW), focused on eliminating discarded plastics globally.

Click to visit website for more Information.

Innovare

Innovare is a Japanese startup company that aims to realize a carbon-neutral and circular economy in Thailand and ASEAN countries by utilizing new Innovare make biodiesel fuel, glycerin, and other valuable products by patented biorefinery process, and generate social impacts globally and locally. and generate social impacts globally and locally.

Click to visit website for more Information.

Buoy.

Using this technology, we build the social business that makes an ecosystem commercializing marine plastic waste. Now, we work with over 20 volunteer groups in Japan and are expanding our business outside.

Click to visit website for more Information.

LOOVIC

Use Japanese "Omotenashi" technology can solve the global trend of increasing tourism, Navigation to satisfy & eco mobility for new local cultures. It has change the tourists losing time and, furthermore, overlooking the surrounding scenery in the new location.

Click to visit website for more Information.

Zip Infrastructure

Aiming to realize "a world without traffic jams and within a 5-minute walk from any station," we are developing Zippar, an A commercial model is currently under development in Fukushima Prefecture. A commercial model is currently under development in Fukushima Prefecture.

Click to visit website for more Information.

Code Meee

It has the mission of "creating an exciting world with fragrance and IT It has the mission of "creating an exciting world with fragrance and IT ," and provides individuals and companies with optimal fragrances based on data. It has the mission of "creating an exciting world with fragrance and IT ," and provides individuals and companies with optimal fragrances based on data.

Click to visit website for more Information.

Seaside Robotics

Seaside Robotics is dedicated to conserving coastal environments, using robots to gently clean beaches and other shorelines. Our approach prioritises the protection of natural habitats and wildlife, tackling plastic pollution with minimal disruption. Our approach prioritises the protection of natural habitats and wildlife, tackling plastic pollution with minimal disruption.

Click to visit website for more Information.

MiiBio

Our company, Miibio is a biotech-startup from the University of Tokyo that contributes to a carbon-neutral society. We have original photo-switchable We have original photo-switchable protein technology that controls the metabolic pathways of microorganisms with using light and provides solutions for scaling up bio-productions.

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ARK

Founded in 2020, ARK Inc. is a startup based in Shonan, Kanagawa, with research and manufacturing facilities. Specializing in compact, decentralized closed-recirculating land-based aquaculture systems, ARK's mission is the decentralization of aquaculture. Our product, also named ARK, is widely used across Japan.

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PlantX

PLANTX integrates manufacturing technologies for an innovative food supply system utilizing plant factories with artificial light. ve achieved a breakthrough with the world's first "closed" cultivation machine and plant growth control software. These systems enhance food production efficiency, stability, versatility, and facilitate research on cultivating high-value plants with specific beneficial ingredients. Our goal is to establish a sustainable food supply system, introducing a new paradigm in global food and agriculture.

Click to visit website for more Information.

Session Release

16:00-17:00

Panel Session 2: Harvesting Innovation: Bridging the Plate Gap

This session looks into the need to secure food self-sustainability in Singapore and the research and technology development required to make it a reality. The domain of creating non-traditional farming would need to be combined with other domain knowledge in technology making the food production With Singapore's lack of landscape and consumer culture, the need for ensuring food yield and offering, economics and technology, and the need for a sustainable and cost acceptable by the consumers. With Singapore's lack of landscape and consumer culture, the need for ensuring food yield and offering, economics and technology development and use has to be balanced.

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Panelist

MR. DOMINIQUE KULL

Co-founder, and CEO, SGProtein

An Engineer by training with an Executive MBA from IMD, Dominique combines engineering and business know-how, giving him a broad background. Having worked in the food manufacturing industry in Europe, the US, and Asia, he gained in-depth expertise and extensive knowledge in various roles. Having worked in the food manufacturing industry in Europe, the US, and Asia, he gained in-depth expertise and extensive knowledge in various roles.

After many years in the corporate world, Dominique co-founded SGProtein in 2021, also leading the company as CEO. His passion for food innovation and scaling of new processes led him to move into a new venture where he helps companies to bring their products to the mass market.

Panelist

MR. YOTA TAKAKURA

Founder, and CEO, Innoqua

Born in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan in 1994, he graduated from the Faculty of Engineering, Tokyo University, and conducted research on supporting musical He established Innoqua Inc. In April 2019, in which he conceived and promoted research and development of 'Biosphere transfer technology In April 2019, in which he conceived research and development of 'Biosphere transfer technology®' to reproduce coral reefs and other marine In October 2021, he became a director of the Rohto Children's Mirai Foundation. In the same year, he was selected for Forbes Japan's '30 Under 30′ list.

Panelist

DR. RITU BHALLA

Assistant Director, Agriculture Research and Innovation (AGRI) Centre, Republic Polytechnic

Dr Ritu Bhalla is currently the Assistant Director for the Agriculture Research and Innovation (AGRI) Centre at Republic Polytechnic (RP). The AGRI centre looks into applications of advance technologies for urban farming. is instrumental in bringing together expertise and technologies from various schools at RP to offer solutions that will increase the quality of crops and She plays a key role in curriculum development for agriculture-related courses at RP and has been an advocate for training on new technologies that will enable farms to increase productivity.

Dr Ritu has over 15 years of research experience in understanding the pathways that lead to the production of natural products in plants and understanding the functional genomics of plants that influences primary growth, total yield and secondary functions such as production of essential oils and Dr Ritu has over 15 years research experience in understanding the pathways that lead to the production of natural products in plants and understanding the functional genomics of plants that influences primary growth, total yield and secondary functions such as production of essential oils and She has several papers, book chapters, patents from her work in plants and a peer reviewer for international journals. journals.

Her current projects involve the production of food crops through hydroponics and the use of external factors to increase secondary metabolite She was a part of a team at RP that has developed software that allows farmers to develop light recipes for plants. She is interested in research investigations leading to improving the crop quality of leafy greens, herbs and microgreens for indoor farming.

Moderator

DR. CHEAH HEE

Assistant Manager, Leave a Nest Singapore

Dr. Cheah Hee graduated with a Bachelor degree (Hons) in Environmental Engineering from the National University of Singapore (NUS). He is passionate about the environment and believes that more can be done to create a sustainable environment for everyone to live in. This pushes him to pursue a PhD degree in Environmental Engineering from NUS, in search for answers. Cheah Hee joined Leave a Nest Research Development division in hopes to bridge research work from academic institutions around to the world to meet various industrial needs.

Session Release