Eligible projects must address national priorities, stem from previous publicly funded research, have a working prototype, and demonstrate a clear path to commercialisation, the MND and MSE said in a joint announcement on Feb 5.
By supporting the commercialisation of innovative solutions, the fund creates business opportunities across key USS sectors such as the built environment, water, environmental services and agri-food, the two ministries said.
The fund will be managed by the USS Innovation and Enterprise Office (USS IEO), a national platform hosted by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star). It is a new initiative under Singapore’s Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) 2030 plan.
Besides administering the grant, the USS IEO will also collaborate with government agencies to engage technology adopters and suppliers to maximise the impact of this funding, according to MND and MSE.
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“This will allow technology suppliers to build credibility with future clients and secure commercial contracts. This will also create a virtuous cycle that accelerates the adoption of public research intellectual property, while strengthening local technological capabilities,” they add.
National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat announced the USS Translation Fund at the USS Research and Innovation Congress on Feb 5.
New procurement programme
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To complement the USS Translation Fund, MND will launch a new pilot green lane procurement programme titled Streamlined Procurement of Research Innovations and Technology, or Sprint.
Companies that meet the programme’s requirements will become qualified vendors, enabling MND agencies to directly procure their solutions.
For example, a firm with a built environment solution that an MND agency has successfully piloted can be referred to Sprint to help scale up its solution.
If the company and solution qualify under Sprint, other MND agencies can directly procure the solution. This streamlined process is expected to halve procurement timelines.
According to MND, the programme helps companies establish their credentials as qualified government suppliers, widen their market access and build their industry track records.
Sprint will be administered by the HDB and the Building and Construction Authority, and piloted by MND and its agencies before being extended across the public sector.
Roadmap gets an update
In addition, BCA has renamed and refreshed the 2018 Super Low Energy Building Technology Roadmap, identifying nearly 70 market-ready technologies and strategies that stakeholders can use to reduce whole-life carbon emissions in their building projects.
These include alternative cooling and ventilation technologies, AI-controlled energy optimisation systems and low-carbon construction practices, which will help developers and building owners decarbonise their building portfolios.
With support from A*Star, BCA and the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC), the Built Environment Decarbonisation Technology Roadmap was launched on Feb 6.
In addition to recommending solutions to building owners, the 68-page document provides the research community with a clear directive on emerging technology priorities to support Singapore’s Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) 2030 plan.
The roadmap will guide research and innovation efforts towards achieving the Singapore Green Building Masterplan’s “80-80-80” targets by 2030 and work towards Singapore’s 2050 net-zero target.
Chart: BCA, SGBC
