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2014/SMEWG39/010 Agenda Item: 11.1.2

Enhancing SME Innovation Through Technology Transfer

Purpose: Information

Submitted by: Singapore

39th Small and Medium Enterprises Working Group Meeting

Nanjing, China3-4 September 2014

Enhancing SME Innovation through Technology Transfer

Ms Lim Seow Hui

Head

SPRING Singapore

39th APEC SMEWG Meeting, Nanjing, China

Catalysing Innovation through Technology Transfer

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Area of Support Programmes

Partnerships

• Partnerships for Capability Transformation (PACT)

• Technology for Enterprise Capability Upgrading (T-UP)

Infrastructure • Centres of Innovation (COIs) • Private Sector Translators (PSTs)

Catalysing Innovation through Technology Transfer

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Build up track record for SMEs

Qualify SME suppliers

Upgrade supplier capabilities

Sourcing for local suppliers

Sharing best practices with SMEs

Test bed for SME technologies

Under the Partnerships for Capability Transformation (PACT), SPRING works with Large Organizations to identify and implement collaborative projects

between Large Organizations and SMEs

Partnerships: Co-Innovation with Public Sector

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Housing Development Board develop Elderly Monitoring Solutions • Integrate sensors to track elderly activities and deliver real-time

alarm messages to caregivers in emergency

Public Hospitals develop medical devices • Co-innovation to create commercial products for hospitals

Civil Defence Force to develop fire hydrant tester • 21,000 fire hydrants to be checked annually • A device with GPS to measure water flow rate and pressure

SMEs and

Partnerships: Technology for Enterprise

Capability Upgrading (T-UP)

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SPRING works with A*STAR to second Research Scientists and Engineers (RSEs) to local enterprises to build in-house R&D capabilities

CDG supports eligible SMEs up to 70% of secondment cost for maximum 2 years

2013 survey conducted by NUS Entrepreneurship Centre, a division of NUS Enterprise

Scientists help SMEs to:

1. Develop new product/process

2. Set-up new technical department

3. Transfer technology from overseas

Partnerships: Example of SME supported by T-UP

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Clault Pte Ltd is a SME that provides confidential document storage services for enterprises

• Since 2012, 45 enterprises have signed up for Clault’s secure document collaboration services

• Clault improved its productivity by 30% and increased the size of its R&D team by 3 times

Dr Li Qiming from A*STAR Institute for Infocomm Research (I²R) was seconded

Played an instrumental role in developing the company’s core product which enables secure

cloud-based document collaboration.

Infrastructure: Centres of Innovation (COIs)

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One-stop centres providing laboratory facilities, technology consultancy and training courses,

and assistance for SMEs to test and develop their technology projects

Translation and commercialisation of research to products & solutions for SMEs

Knowledge Transfer to SMEs

Example of Services available at COIs

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The Materials COI aims to help SMEs understand the materials needs of their business, and promote judicious material design and usage of material systems

The Innovation Experience

SMEs invited to look through technology library to indicate areas of interest

Identify objectives, MCOI assists to select a few relevant technologies

Identify

Combine technologies & MCOI expertise to obtain functionality required

Combine

Further prototyping and proof of concept

Test

The Problem Solving Experience

SMEs submit a problem statement or query to COI

MCOI works with SME to conduct problem analysis and feasibility assessment

Needs Analysis

MCOI works with SME to launch project and develop solution through R&D

Implementation

MCOI seeks feedback on project & work done for continuous improvement

Feedback & Improvement

Explore

Infrastructure: Private Sector Translators (PSTs)

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Private sector service providers that help SMEs identify, develop, and commercialize intellectual property for specific sectors

Marketing & revenue

generation

Early research & discovery phase,

lab demonstration for proof of

concept

Translate the technology for

specific application.

Engineers develop the product, validate the

specifications

Prepare for scaling up and manufacturing

Design & Prototyping

Product Launch Market Access R&D

Proof Of Concept

IP push IP pull

IP Translation Pathway

Transfer of IP to SMEs

Conclusion

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• Current initiatives in place are by no means the best in class

• SMEWG members can consider adapting PACT for implementation in their own

economies

• Feedback and sharing on successful models welcomed, as well as potential areas of

collaboration/ partners

Thank you

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