TECH OFFERS

Only 20% of actual coffee is extracted from beans to produce coffee in its beverage form, leaving the remaining 80% (six million tons annually) deemed as spent coffee grounds (SCG) to be disposed or used in landfills or as non-food product components to make fertilisers, furniture, deodorisers or skin care products. A technology was created to counteract SCG wastage and valorise it for human consumption. This particular invention comprises of methodologies to create two types of ingredients using leftover SCG - oil-grind and water-grind processed SCG. A simple, reproducible method of conching is employed to convert leftover SCG into smooth pastes, where specific conching parameters help refine the SCG to an acceptable particle size, eliminating grittiness in numerous valorised products similar to SCG. The product utilises common ingredients like oil and water to conche SCG with improved taste and textural properties. The shelf stability and nutritional composition (including caffeine) of the ingredients were also validated to ensure the food possessed good sensorial properties and are scale up ready. This technology increases SCG’s potential use as a versatile ingredient in different food applications. The technology provider is seeking off-takers from food manufacturers, food services industry, companies interested to valorise side streams to turn SCG into edible compounds. Technology Features: Uses reproducible method of conching into a functional ingredient with high insoluble dietary fibre (13g/100g) content. Fibre content is higher than instant coffee powder (<1g/100g) and coffee flavourings (0g/100g) and Lower caffeine levels (133mg/100g) compared to regular coffee (3600mg/100g) and is similar to decaffeinated beverages Sodium (<3mg/100g) and sugar free (<0.1g/100g)  Additive free (clean label) Specifications: SCG with particle size ranging between 4.82µm D(v,0.1) to 39.3 µm D[4,3] Moisture content 58.6% The technology was validated by incorporating SCG ingredients into a range of common food products such as beverages and ice cream (water-grind SCG), spreads and chocolate (oil-grind SCG) to help relevant food industries gain a deeper understanding of SCG valorisation, for a greater adoption among food manufacturers to create products using SCG. Can be developed into Ready-to-Drink (RTD) beverages, coffee ice cream, coffee spreads and confectionary (e.g. chocolates and cakes) Companies specialising in upcycling sidestreams and sustainability can explore this technology   Coffee consumption in Singapore increased by 4.8% in the last seven years with 105000, 60kg bags of coffee consumed in 2023 and the market is growing. There is a global push to reduce food side streams and Singapore's Zero Waste Masterplan on the treatment of such side streams by commercial and industrial generators, which aligns with the proposition of this technology. Similar technologies such as these may not be as cost effective. The technology uses basic ingredients such as water and oil and is easily reproducible. It does not involve high CAPEX investment or vigorous training processes that disrupts production process. Conching machines are commercially available, and the licensee can choose to purchase the equipment based on their production scale requirements. The conching process is easy to pick up. In addition, replacing coffee flavouring agents with SCG, customers can benefit from the natural and functional coffee flavour and caffeine SCG imparts into all the food applications. The product is rich in insoluble fibre which can help to regulate blood cholesterol and glucose levels. Caffeine is known to stimulate the Central Nervous System (CNS) in the body, which can improve cognitive abilities (e.g. alertness, reaction time). Coffee, Spent Coffee Grounds (SCG), valorisation, water-grind SCG, oil-grind SCG, scale-up, accelerated shelf-life evaluation, food safety and quality, food industries, technology adoption Foods, Ingredients, Processes, Waste Management & Recycling, Food & Agriculture Waste Management

The manufacturing of electronic devices often involves multiple steps, where metal wiring is a fundamental component providing electrical connections and resin resist stripping solution is used to remove photoresist layers after the patterning and etching processes. Both steps are critical in the production of various electronic components, including printed circuit boards (PCBs), semiconductors, and microelectronic devices. Advances in such processes continue to push the boundaries of what's possible in electronics manufacturing, enabling the production of devices with higher performance, smaller size, and lower cost. Research and development efforts to seek safer, more efficient, and environmentally friendly methods are ongoing challenges. The technology owner has developed a proprietary chemical solution for metal wiring, especially targeting copper (Cu) wiring, although metals such as aluminium and gold are also used due to their excellent electrical conductivity. This unique chemical solution can ensure high-quality and precious shape control of wiring formation. This is also complemented by an advanced resin resist stripping solution, which not only exfoliates the photoresist, but also preserves the base metal from scraping / damage. On top of this, this solution enables controlled roughing of metal surfaces to meet specific requirements. The effectiveness of both solutions has been validated in the mass production of liquid crystal panels. The technology owner is seeking R&D collaboration with industrial partners interested in adopting these solutions into their electronic device manufacturing lines. Key features of the metal wiring chemical solution include: Precious shape control of metal wiring using unique electronic polarity of organic acids High-quality and high-stability control of the wiring shape Applicable for laminated metals and specific layer etching High design flexibility to meet application needs Seamlessly integration with existing metal wiring processes Key features of the resin resist stripping solution include: Achieve fine pattern formation using nucleophilic substitution ability of amine High stripping power suitable for hardbake resist Compatible stripping force to control base metal damage Reduce damage rates and improve product reliability Customisable to meet different requirements These innovative solutions could revolutionise the manufacturing processes of various electronic substrates and components. Potential applications include (but are not limited to): Liquid crystal display (LCD) panel production Semiconductor manufacturing Manufacturing of flexible electronics And beyond: medical device and microelectronic device manufacturing Optimise the manufacturing process of electronic substrates Fully customisable for specific substrates and requirements Easily adaptable into existing manufacturing lines Proven effectiveness in the mass production of liquid crystal display panels Metal Etching Solution, Resist Peeling Solution,, semiconductor manufacturing, electronic equipment manufacturing Electronics, Semiconductors, Display, Manufacturing, Chemical Processes

The demand for thinner, lighter, and more durable glass in consumer electronics and other high-tech applications is constantly increasing. Thinner and lighter glass not only enables the design of sleeker devices but also enhances the tactile responsiveness of touchscreens, contributing to the overall performance and durability of the product. However, conventional glass thinning solutions face challenges, particularly in dealing with surface imperfections, which can impact the quality and efficiency of glass manufacturing. During the thinning process, surface imperfections like scratches and dimples become more pronounced, significantly affecting the optical clarity and overall quality of the glass, leading to increased product rejection rates and manufacturing costs. To address such challenges, the technology owner has developed a proprietary chemical solution specifically for glass slimming or thinning, aiming at effective dimple suppression while maintaining the desired thickness. This advanced solution enables the uniform melting or removal of material from the glass surface, preventing the spread of small scratches and the formation of dimples on the glass surface. This chemical solution ensures the production of super-thin and high-quality glass that aligns with the dynamic demands of the evolving industry. Its application proves beneficial in industries where the precision and quality of glass are paramount. The technology owner is seeking R&D collaboration with industrial partners interested in adopting this chemical solution in the processing or manufacturing of glass related components. This solution enables the uniform melting or removal of material from the glass surface, effectively mitigating the spread of small scratches and preventing dimple formation. Key features of this technology include: Enhanced glass performance: dimple suppression contributes to the uniformity of glass, ensuring optical clarity, tactile responsiveness and aesthetic appearance Improved product durability: the presence of dimples leads to stress concentration. Suppressing dimples helps maintain the strength and durability of glass product Cost-effectiveness: this chemical solution can be seamlessly integrated into existing  glass processing or manufacturing lines, making it viable for mass production This chemical solution can be applied to processing / manufacturing of various thinner and lighter glass components. Potential applications include (but are not limited to): Advanced display: liquid crystal display (LCD) in various electronic devices like TVs, monitors, smartphones, etc. Optics and photonics: high performance lenses and optical components for cameras and microscope Medical devices: lab-on-a-chip devices, microfluidic devices, biosensors, diagnostic chips, etc. Flexible electronics: rollable / foldable displays, flexible solar cells, and wearable devices, etc. Improve the overall quality of glass Reduce rejection rates and manufacturing costs Customisable to meet different requirements Adaptable to existing glass processing facilities Glass Processing, dimple suppression, Electronics, Optics, Medical Devices Manufacturing, Surface Finishing & Modification, Chemical Processes, Chemicals, Organic

Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) performance is predicated on training with good quality data. However, such data is often difficult to acquire due to ethical concerns, logistic problems, high cost, data bias, and inherent poor data quality. Privacy restrictions and data regulations further compound the problem of data acquisition, restricting many organisations long-term access to valuable historical data. Ultimately, this creates the problem of incomplete or biased data which degrade the overall performance of trained AI/ML models.   This technology offer is a controlled synthetic data generation with differential privacy capability for structured (tabular) data. Its synthetic data engine utilizes conditional GANs (cGANs) coupled with optional differential privacy to synthesize data with similar properties as real data without the associated privacy risks. The core technology is a synthetic data engine that learns the distribution of the input data and selects the column to generate based on this distribution. Gaussian noise is further added to the gradients to protect the privacy of the data. The technology can generate data quickly: 10,000 rows, 8 columns in 8 minutes (evaluated on Nvidia GTX1080) and is mainly intended to generate synthetic datasets to address data scarcity, data privacy, and data augmentation. This generative process involves the following features: Conditional Generative Adversarial Networks (cGANS) generate synthetic data that mimic real data Sensitive data is obfuscated with statistical noise and randomization Definable privacy levels allowing adjustability between utility and data privacy (Differential privacy allows Machine Learning models to be trained on synthetic tabular data and achieve similar results as models trained on real data) Quality Assurance (QA) component generates reports to aid the assessment of data quality and risk metrics APIs for rapid integration, with full customisability This technology can be used for the following types of structured data: non-time series time series multi-tables free-text fields It can be applied in the following use-cases: Data Augmentation Increase the size of your datasets without wasting time to procure new data Data Extrapolation Extrapolate known data to generate unavailable or unknown data points Bias Correction De-bias or equalize the distribution of datasets Targeted Generation Generate rich data, including infrequent scenarios This synthetic data generation with differential privacy technology provides accessible privacy by design - adding privacy-preserving techniques before, during or after AI training, together with the following benefits: Synthetic data does not require further data sanitization, providing a safe data sandbox environment Reduces the need to pay for additional datasets by generating missing data or de-biasing existing datasets Overcomes the challenges of data acquisition by enriching real data with synthetic data through controlled generation Synthetically generated data become your data assets, with potential for monetization as new revenue streams Protect real data by combining made up data points to make it harder to distinguish what is real even if data is compromised Indefinite retention time without associated compliance risks and full accessibility to rich statistical data to provide a boost to AI/ML model resilience and performance The technology owner is looking to collaborate with technology partners in the field of AI/ML to co-develop new products/services, and for collaborators to test-bed in pilot projects. data, generation, privacy preserving, definable privacy, machine learning, synthetic data Infocomm, Security & Privacy, Data Processing

Electrolysis has diverse applications across various sectors, such as household and industrial electrolyzed water treatment, soda electrolysis, electrolytic plating, electrodeposition, and hydrogen generation. In electrolysis using insoluble electrodes, the electrocatalyst acting as the reaction field for the electrode reaction undergoes gradual abrasion. Given the high cost of precious metals (i.e., platinum group compounds) used as catalysts, protecting the catalyst and reducing the wear rate are crucial for extending the lifetime of electrodes and reducing the maintenance cost. Current technologies include multilayer electrodes that have a surface layer of noble metal oxide on the electrocatalyst to reduce catalyst wear. However, this method proves more expensive than ordinary insoluble electrodes. Additionally, the surface layer cannot be recoated. To address the challenge, the technology owner has developed a proprietary protective coating that effectively protects the catalyst on the surface of existing insoluble electrodes. This solution enables effective electrode protection through an inexpensive coating, reducing catalyst consumption and electrode replacement frequency. The coating can be reused by recoating the electrode, also contributing to the perspective of “Circular Economy”. The technology owner is seeking R&D collaboration with industrial partners such as electrode manufacturers, coating manufacturers, and companies utilising insoluble electrodes in electrolysis, especially electrolytic plating and metal recovery.  This unique coating, made of special silicone and conductive particles, can be applied to the catalyst surface and cured to reduce catalyst wear. Key features of this technology include: Improved electrode durability: double the replacement interval Excellent chemical resistance: capability to withstand harsh liquids such as strong acids and strong alkalis Optimal performance: good heat resistance, conductivity, and adhesion to the base material Efficient development: shorter development time and lower implementation cost compared to alternative methods such as electrolytic control and diamond coating Cost-effective solution: reduce maintenance cost and utilisation loss in the upstream process of electrolysis Circular economy contribution: reusable by recoating the electrode This technology can be used in handling harsh liquids such as strong acids and strong alkalis, addressing the challenge of electrode durability. It is mainly intended for the recovery of metals through electrolysis, especially targeting aqueous solutions containing metal ions. This is particularly useful for processes such as electrolytic plating and etching effluents in semiconductor manufacturing. In the future, the technology owner is also exploring the potential applications of this technology in water electrolysis electrodes and the use of conductive coatings beyond electrodes. Double the lifetime of the electrode using an inexpensive coating Can be reused by recoating the electrode Reduce the replacement frequency and maintenance cost Adaptable to existing coating (painting) facilities without modification Coatings, Electrode Catalyst, Electrolysis, Metal Recovery, electrolytic plating, recoating, reused Chemicals, Coatings & Paints, Manufacturing, Chemical Processes, Sustainability, Circular Economy

Issues associated with odor generation present significant challenges in various aspects of daily life, encompassing unpleasant smells from various sources such as toilets, kitchens, pets, tobacco, hospitals, and transportation. These unwanted odors have a detrimental impact on individual well-being, social interactions, and overall environmental quality. Deodorants play a crucial role in addressing these challenges, fostering a more comfortable and hygiene environment. However, conventional deodorants primarily rely on masking the unwanted odors with a strong fragrance, resulting in a slow and ineffective deodorization process, particularly against strong smells. The technology owner has developed a proprietary formulation that offers an effective deodorization approach. Unlike common deodorants, the unique deodorant using the proprietary formulation can remove the sources of unpleasant smells through chemical reactions. It demonstrates remarkable efficiency against a broad spectrum of odors, including those from rotting fish and meat, rotting eggs and milk, rotting vegetable waste, ammonia in toilets, sweat, and body odor. This innovative solution has the potential to revolutionise odor control across diverse scenarios. The technology owner is seeking R&D collaboration with industrial partners who are interested in incorporating this deodorant into their products and applications. Compared to conventional deodorants, this deodorant quickly interacts with unpleasant odor molecules and immediately envelops, degrades, and neutralizes the molecule, eliminating the unpleasant odor around it. Key features of this technology are: Universally against the four major malodors (i.e., ammonia, trimethylamine, methyl mercaptan, and hydrogen sulphide) Distinctive technique utilising zinc ions to decompose hydrogen sulfide, the source of putrefaction and fecal odor Effectively decompose human body odor and pet odor by using inorganic salts Reliable and efficient deodorization with a high deodorizing rate This innovative deodorant can be used in many situations since it is universally effective against the major odors in daily life. Potential scenarios include (but are not limited to): Transportation: public transportation or private cars. It effectively neutralises unpleasant odors during long trips, ensuring a comfortable space for passengers. Medical institutions: hospitals and clinics. It eliminates various odors occur in health care facilities, maintaining a comfortable environment for patients and staff. Hotels and accommodation: hotel rooms, shared spaces, and the entire accommodation. It provides a clean and comfortable environment, accommodating different guest preferences. Educational institutions: school and university classrooms, libraries, and common areas. It delivers safe and effective deodorizing effects for diverse population, including youth. Event Venue: indoor and outdoor events, concerts, and sporting occasions. It is particularly useful for odor control in places where many people gather. Effective deodorization against four major odors Enhance high safety in human health Low price despite its high effectiveness Customisable to meet different specifications Deodorization, Environment, Housing, Public, Odor Materials, Composites, Chemicals, Additives, Sustainability, Sustainable Living

Driving sustainability, efficiency and carbon reduction in data centres is a complex and increasingly challenging requirement. The increased global use of high-definition video streaming, conversational AI modelling technologies and online meeting platforms puts increasing strain on data centres.  To meet these complex challenges, an AI, data-driven solution is required. The proprietary solution proposed herein is a data acquisition and analytics system designed for deployment in data centres.  The solution employs non-intrusive clip-on current transformers which are easily installed at electrical distribution boards, which continuously gather current signatures information at a high sampling rate. This enables AI algorithms to detect subtle changes and patterns in the electrical signature of each connected asset or device. Monitoring electrical assets has traditionally been complex and costly, requiring multiple sensors and expensive systems, and often requires deployment near to the asset or device to be monitored. This has led to widespread under-monitoring, resulting in expensive maintenance and significant energy inefficiencies. The solution extracts a proprietary set of deep energy data from electrical devices such as, uninterrupted power supplies (UPSs), Chillers, power distribution units (PDUs) and air conditioning and can be easily installed on both new and existing infrastructure. It offers real-time monitoring and reporting on important metrics such as real-time power usage effectiveness (PUE) and enables automation of sustainability reporting. This technology offers an industry-changing solution: a non-intrusive cost efficient AI-powered monitoring system that is easy to install. It generates a proprietary data set that fuels machine learning algorithms, enhancing efficiency and reducing total cost of ownership for data centre managers and owners.  The technology owner is seeking opportunities to demonstrate the capabilities in the data centre environment, preferably based in Singapore. Only a current transformer is required for each device, greatly reducing cost and increasing reliability. The proprietary current transformers are easily clipped onto electrical circuitry. The system can be installed into new or retrofitted into data centres and operates from its own independent network. Installation can be done by a locally qualified electrician. Additionally, fully assembled rack mounted solutions with a simple plug in feature available on server racks infrastructure. High-frequency electrical signature collection. The circuit transformer sensors are tethered to electrical circuits. These sensors acquire high-frequency electrical data, and the data is then fed into the intelligent monitoring system. The system has specialised machine learning algorithms specifically designed to provide valuable insight into the unique challenges of the built environment. Multiple data points are analysed based on power quality, asset condition, electrical safety, arcing, and carbon reduction. Proprietary hardware/software platform to make data acquisition and installation as un-intrusive, easy and cost-effective as possible. Web console for easy data visualization and open API for integration with other systems. Growing knowledge base and algorithm library to add value to the unique building environment. Dedicated in-house data solutions team with exceptional data science expertise that can understand and solve the bepsoke challenges of specific buildings and assets. All data is also made available for direct download and local processing via a comprehensive Application Programming Interface (API). Opportunities provided by the system Power Quality Monitoring - voltage, phase balance, power factor. Electrical device condition monitoring for predictive maintenance. Fault prediction and detection for maximising availability. Energy optimisation, cost savings and carbon footprint reduction. Arc detection capabilities for identification of fire hazards. Real-time warning and notifications. The system is ideally suited for the complex and ever increasing demands of data centres. Driving efficiencies in these environments, monitoring asset longevity and procurement, ESG reports and staff efficiencies are critical in this expanding sector The solution gathers an unprecedented level of data, simultaneously monitoring thousands of different data points at any one time. The level of granularity provides a rich level of insight hitherto deployed at scale in most sectors. Typically alternative technologies, such as sensors can be costly, require regular configuration, and are not always part of a scalable solution where things such as condition-based monitoring have to be done on a site-by-site basis as opposed to a learn and deploy model. Net Zero, Condition-Based Monitoring, Carbon Reduction Technology, Digital Transformation, Data Acquisition Platform, Data Analysis Platform, Machine Learning Algorithms, AI technology, Digital Insights, Fault Prediction, Power Factor, ESG Reporting, Energy Optimisation, Power Quality Green Building, Sensor, Network, Building Control & Optimisation

The Reconfigurable Workspace Soft Gripper (RWSG) is a bio-inspired, pneumatically actuated, shape morphing soft robotic gripper that is capable of rapid reconfigurability. It features passive retractable nails, bi-directional foldable petals, and a flexible palm to adapt to various grasping and manipulation tasks and requirements. The ability to rapidly reconfigure allows the RWSG to grasp a wide range of large, thin, hard, delicate, and deformable objects. These capabilities make the RWSG a uniquely advantageous tool for high mix low volume manipulation and packing scenarios such as food assembly, packaging of groceries, and packing of consumer electronics. The RWSG features retractable nails to help in precision grasping of small, thin, and high aspect ratio objects. An optimized bidirectional finger flap design allows its fingers to morph into scoop-like shapes to easily manipulate granular and semi liquid items such as grains, jelly, stews, curries or scrambled eggs. A multi-material palm design helps regulate the RWSG’s aperture to adapt for large or wide objects. The RWSG utilizes low, safe pressures (-80kPa to 60kPa) to switch between and operate the various grasping modes. High mix low volume manipulation tasks for consumer goods, logistics, and food industries can benefit from advanced robotics to meet evolving demands in productivity, safety, and sustainability. These sectors often require manipulation and grasping capabilities that cannot be achieved by conventional robotics using rigid grippers or end-effectors. The RWSG can provide reliable and safe robotic handling of a wider range of objects in these challenging scenarios using its adaptive capabilities. With the ability of handling a wider range of objects, RWSG automation setups can help reduce changeover times (less or no tool changes required), improve safety (humans are not required any longer for manipulation in hazardous environments), and even contribute towards sustainability (less overall resources required). The RWSG has a unique structure that allows robust and safe grasping of a wide range of large, thin, hard, delicate, granular, and deformable objects. Its structure is composed of food safe, hypoallergenic silicones that can tolerate both high and low temperatures. These unique features far surpass the capabilities of traditional rigid grippers and end-effectors. The RWSG can be seamlessly integrated with all major cooperative manipulators currently available in the market. Soft Robotics, End Effector, Robotics, 3D Printing Electronics, Actuators, Infocomm, Robotics & Automation

Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and other product components come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and packaging configurations. During the manufacture of such products, a key challenge for automation is to effectively handle and manipulate such diverse products during production or logistical processes. Users planning to automate their production lines typically have to take into consideration the use of either multiple grippers for different product types, or incorporate an automated tool changer with added complexity and cost. To address this challenge, a Singapore start-up has developed a universal soft robotic gripper designed to manipulate a wider range of product sizes by incorporating a resizeable gripper base. Gripper adjustment is automatically carried out via an integrated computer vision system thus minimizing the need for human intervention during pick-and-place processes. The gripper's soft fingers also minimize damage to products during the gripping process. Vacuum Suction Gripper Incorporating extendable linkages in the gripper arms for resizeability, the gripping workspace remains adaptable to handle products of various sizes. The gripper arms may either take the form of fingers or suction cups configuration. With 5 vacuum cups embedded, the gripper is ideal to handle pouched products or carton boxes of various sizes. Gripper weight: 2 kg Gripping Width: 150 mm - 215 mm Load capacity: Up to 16 kg (under ideal condition when the gripper is in contact with smooth and flat surface) Gripping Mode: Vacuum suction  Operating Pressure: Clean, dry air up to -70 kPa Operating Temperature: Up to 100 °C Computer Vision System An integrated computer vision system provides the gripper with the ability to recognize the type, location, and orientation of the product to be picked, and commands the gripper to adjust the gripping space and pose to pick the product from the correct location. This process is fully automated without requiring human intervention. For increased utility, the computer vision system may also be configured to perform quality inspections of products being handled. The vacuum suction gripper can be used to palletize or depalletize carton boxes or pouched products (such as coffee powder, sugar packs, rice packs etc.) of various sizes up to 10kg. The computer vision system will be deployed if the working space is not in an organised condition (i.e., randomized locations and orientations of the products), such as when products are scattered in a tote bin, randomly positioned on a conveyor etc. The market value for FMCG robotic packing in the APAC market is estimated to be at USD 1.1 billion and the global market value is worth USD 7.8 billion. Sources: Cobots Transforming the Global Industrial Robotics Market—Opportunities Forecast (Frost & Sullivan) Passport, The Megabrands: The Top 100 FMCG Brands Worldwide (October, 2018) Technavio's library The reconfigurability of this gripper provides high adaptability to many applications, compared to conventional grippers with fixed gripper bases offering limited gripping ability for products of diverse shapes and sizes. Benchmarking tests have been conducted to compare the grippers with other commercially available grippers. The results showed that this universal gripper is able to provide a 22% increase in gripping efficiency. Moreover, compared to using multiple grippers and tool changers to handle different products, this one-fits-all gripper has the potential to help users save on operating costs by up to 36%. Manufacturing, Assembly, Automation & Robotics, Infocomm, Robotics & Automation