Environment

Pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs) are viscous resins that are designed to adhere to various substrates under light pressure. Majority of commercially available PSAs are derived from non-renewable petroleum sources such as acrylics and silicones, providing the required bonding performance for either permanent or removable applications for use in labels and packaging. However, conventional PSAs present environmental concerns at their end of life, even when its substrate is biodegradable. The technology on offer is a patented bio-based, compostable PSAs comprising of 95% soy and other bio-derived materials that costs less than petroleum adhesives. These PSAs can bond to a variety of substrates (including paper and foams), contains no solvent or water, lowers CO2 emissions when compared to conventional PSA. It can be applied using standard application techniques (slot die or gravure systems) and upon curing will result in a light, cream coloured film. The technology owner is seeking for R&D collaborations and IP licensing opportunities with Singapore partners to manufacture/utilise the technology in packaging and non-structural applications.

Asia accounts for approximately 70% of the world’s seafood consumption, around 69.6 million metric tons. This is more than twice the total amount consumed by the rest of the world.* Commercially, about 30% of the seafood is not consumed, from bones to offals, to skin/shell/scales. These food loss and waste potentially impose environmental and socioeconomic issues.  The technology provider has developed a green chemical process converting seafood sidestreams into food products that are not only high value but also nutritious, addressing Singapore’s demand to increase production of nutrient dense foods. In addition, this method is efficient and cost effective as it requires basic equipment. The technology provider is looking for R&D collaborators and for test-bedding especially with industries who are producing aquaculture food with high nutritional value and interested to utilise their sidestreams more sustainably. * FAO 2018

Monitoring of contaminants in fluids often require capital-intensive machinery and sampling comes at a hefty price tag. With the advent of tightening regulations across various industries including environmental and food industries, there is a need for a more cost-effective and efficient method to meet the growing demands and regulatory requirements in the market. Molecular Imprinted Polymers or MIPs are one such sensor technology that can potentially address this challenge. MIPs are synthetic materials that are designed to recognize and selectively bind to specific molecules, similar to the way antibodies recognize and bind to antigens. MIPs can be engineered to bind to a wide range of analytes, including organic and inorganic molecules, peptides, proteins, and even whole cells. The unique feature of MIPs is that they possess high selectivity and sensitivity for the target molecules, making them ideal candidates for designing high-performance sensors. This technology relates to a cost-effective online monitoring system using MIPs technology to detect trace levels of chemical and biological contaminants on-site in the fluid phase with low interference, high accuracy, and sensitivity. The automated real-time monitoring system requires little supervision and can be easily operated. The robust sensor is designed for long-term operation and requires minimum maintenance without compromising the reproducibility and integrity of the data. This technology allows monitoring can be applied in industries such as agriculture, food, chemical processes, environment monitoring and waste management. The technology provider is seeking partners that are interested in co-development, R&D collaborations or licensing.

Recently, the rising adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) devices and portable electronics has made electronic waste (e-waste) pollution worse, especially when small and low-power IoT devices are single-use only. As such, low-cost and environmentally friendly power sources are in high demand. The technology owner has developed an eco-friendly liquid-activated primary battery for single-use and disposable electronic devices. The battery can be activated by any aqueous liquid and is highly customisable to specific requirements (i.e., shape, size, voltage, power) of each application. This thin and flexible battery can be easily integrated into IoT devices, smart sensors, and medical devices, providing a sustainable energy solution for low-power and single-use applications. The technology owner is keen to do R&D collaboration and IP licensing to industrial partners who intend to use liquid-activated batteries to power the devices.

Bioplastics have gained significant attention due to the environmental issues of fossil-based plastics and the realisation of limited petroleum resources. On the other side, industrial and agricultural organic wastes are produced in huge quantities worldwide, resulting in serious environmental and economic impacts. To solve the above problems, the technology owner has developed a 100% natural biotechnological process to convert industrial and agricultural organic waste into bioplastics. Bioplastics are fully biodegradable and biocompatible, with no harm to humans and environment. These bioplastics are applicable to industrial plastic processes and potentailly replace conventional plastics in short lifespan applications. The use of industrial and agricultural waste as cheaper sources not only makes the production process more economic but also helps in the management of organic waste, contributing to the goal of a circular economy. This technology is available for IP licensing and R&D collaboration with industrial partners who are interested in the sustainable production of bioplastics using organic waste.

One-third of the food produced globally is lost or wasted. At the same time, millions of people are hungry and unable to afford a healthy diet. Having said that, food loss and waste could potentially impose food security and impact the world with nutrition, socioeconomic, and environmental issues.  This technology offer is a process technology that provides an efficient and environmentally friendly approach to utilise agri-food side stream and convert it to a valuable, high protein biomass. The technology develops precision approaches, i.e., the proper treatment methods for food sidestreams, specific separation means for target ingredients, suitable strains for protein production, and optimized operational conditions for the fermentation process. The process also utilises the inexpensive agri-food side stream as the novel feedstock for protein fermentation. The technology is available for R&D collaboration and test bedding, with partners that are interested in valorisation of food sidestreams to value-added edible protein. The technology owner is also keen to license and commercialize this technology.

Keratins are naturally occurring proteins found in hair, feathers, wool and other external protective tissues of animals. They are highly abundant, naturally produced and generally underutilized. At the same time, keratins offer versatile chemical properties that allow interactions with themselves or with other materials to improve behaviour. The technology provider has developed sustainable, biodegradable plastic materials by upcycling keratins derived from hair and feathers. In the preliminary studies, the technology provider has found ways to produce films that have the potential to be used as packaging materials. These films do not disintegrate readily in water, yet they fully degrade in soil within a week. They can be made in combination with other waste-derived biopolymers to improve strength to meet the needs of specific use cases. This technology is available for R&D collaboration, IP licensing, or IP acquisition, with industrial partners who are looking for a green packaging solution and to explore specific-use-case products. The technology provider is also interested to collaborate with the OEM partners having the keratin extraction facility from feathers and hair for the deployment of this technology.

Mixed plastic waste is an abundant resource containing approximately 7-12 wt.% hydrogen (H2). Traditionally, hydrogen is produced from non-sustainable fossil feedstock, such as natural gas, coal and petroleum oil. This technology offer is a thermo-catalytic process that sustainably recovers hydrogen from plastic waste instead. During hydrogen recovery process, instead of releasing carbon dioxide (CO2) that causes greenhouse gas effect, the technology converts emissions into a form of solid carbon, called carbon nanotubes (CNT). Solid carbon is easier to store and handle compared to the gaseous carbon dioxide. Furthermore, carbon can be sold as an industrial feedstock for manufacturing of polymer composites, batteries, concrete, paints, and coatings. With over 150-190 million tonnes of mixed plastic waste ending up in landfills and our environment annually, the technology offers a sustainable solution for the elimination of plastic waste and decarbonization while providing a clean hydrogen supply.

The Dilution Air Processing Unit (DAPU) is an ideal solution for small and medium businesses to prepare themselves for the Covid-19 new normal by employing an enhanced air ventilation technique. The DAPU system allows the creation of zones (e.g. sickbays, waiting rooms, etc.) within workplaces with no recirculation of air. This prevents cross-contamination of unclean air in between the zones. This solution is suitable for hotels and other premises to be used for quarantine purposes. The DAPU consists of the following key features: Provides 100% fresh air supply with no recirculation Reduces airborne particles exposure by greater than 60% Achieves 25% energy efficiency in providing 100% fresh air supply as compared to conventional systems Uses fully portable modular approach Can be easily retrofitted to any existing air-conditioning system resulting in lower implementation cost The DAPU can also be deployed in any area without an existing air-conditioning system making it highly versatile.